Cathy MaxwellCríticas

Good continuation of the series. At the end of A Kiss in the Moonlight, Dara has married Michael Brogan, the man Elise set her heart on. At the beginning of this book, the entire family lives together. Elise is jealous, hurt, and angry and feels that Dara is gloating over her happiness. She wants out of that situation, so she sneaks off without telling anyone, determined to return to her home in Ireland.

Elise takes some money and sets out in a mail coach for Liverpool in a fit of self-righteousness. However, the driver is drunk, and there is a terrible storm, so many of the passengers opt to wait for the next coach, leaving only Elise and a disreputable-looking stranger. It isn't long before a nearby lightning strike causes a horrific crash, leaving her with the stranger named Kit. Their only option is to go to the next coaching inn and catch the next mail coach. She disdains "Mr. Ruffian" but expects him to help her.

"Mr. Ruffian," aka Kit, is actually Christopher Fitzhugh-Cox, Duke of Winderton, who is also running away from home. A spoiled brat himself, he left home when the woman he loved married his uncle. Following in the footsteps of Shakespeare's Prince Hal, he has been wandering around the country for several months, living the life of "the common man."

I enjoyed this road trip story and its effects on Elise and Kit. At the time of the wreck, each is focused on their own inconvenience, but when they realize they are the only survivors, they team up. That isn't to say they immediately became friends. On the contrary, they are still focused on their own problems rather than what the other wants. But after a series of misfortunes, some of their creation, they begin to look at things differently. Distance from the issues that sent them running opens their eyes to the error of their ways.

I liked watching the relationship between Elise and Kit develop. Their interactions were initially antagonistic, but they soon realized they were more alike than expected. Elise is stubbornly independent and makes foolish decisions when her temper is up. Kit had his moments of foolishness, but he is a gentleman at heart, and an unwilling protectiveness kicks in. Neither expected the sparks of attraction that flared between them. There are some fun scenes as they battle each other, then slowly turn to liking and respecting. Each is surprised to realize that their feelings have turned to love.

A couple of twists leading up to the conclusion bring home the changes Kit and Elise have experienced during their adventures. I ached for Kit's pain and loved Elise's confidence that she would see him again. The ending was terrific, and Kit's big moment was perfectly done.

My favorite secondary character was Tamsyn, the dog. I loved how she adopted Kit and Elise and how they loved her immediately. She's there when she is needed, whether for comfort or protection.

I liked the ending and the lead-in to the next book. I suspected from the first book that Gwendolyn and Mr. Steele would be a couple, so I can't wait for this one.

#netgalley

Romance

Overall, the anthology is a solid one but it left me a little confused as to why they had three historicals mixed with an urban fantasy and a contemporary. I guess they were trying to appeal to a larger audience, but it leaves FOUR DUKES AND A DEVIL feeling less than glued together.

(for the full review please refer to Romance Reader at Heart)

Good start to the new series. Gwendolyn, Dara, and Elise are three sisters and daughters of a gambler. The girls lived with their grandmother when he went off on his travels. It's been a long time since anyone heard from him, so when their grandmother dies, their unscrupulous cousin claims the heir's rights and moves into the house. He promptly tries to marry the girls to anyone who will have them. Middle daughter Dara decides their best bet is to go to London for the season and find dukes to marry.

The three women are short of cash, so when they sneak off on their trip, they stop first at their father's favorite gaming hell in Dublin. Gwendolyn disguises herself and enters a game of faro to win the money they need. Though a talented player (she counts cards), she finds herself losing badly, unaware that the dealer is cheating. She is rescued by a gentleman named Becket Steele, who stakes her further play in exchange for a later favor and stops the cheating. Gwendolyn rapidly makes up for lost time, returns the stake, and escapes when things turn rowdy.

We next see the sisters in London, where things start slowly, thanks to their one Society connection being out of town. Thanks to the mysterious Mr. Steele and Michael Brogan, an Irish MP, they get a break. Suddenly Elise and Gwendolyn are declared the "Incomparables" of the season, and men have lined up at the door to court them. Dara remains in the background, believing she is the "plain" sister. But Dara is the brains behind the plan and keeps her sisters focused on the prize. But that focus gets disrupted as Michael Brogan begins paying attention to Elise, who eats it up. Dara is furious and does her best to discourage him.

Dara irritated me at first with her mercenary approach to husband hunting. I got that they needed husbands, but her narrow focus on dukes left out many perfectly suitable men. I enjoyed seeing Michael give her a hard time about it. It quickly became apparent that there was a strong attraction underneath their antagonistic encounters. However, Dara refused to accept it, knowing how Elise felt about him. It isn't easy, and a couple of passionate kisses complicate her efforts.

I enjoyed seeing the progression of the relationship between Dara and Michael. The bickering between them is a different sort of flirting, though neither realizes it. I liked Michael's realization that he got much more enjoyment out of his duels with Dara than he did talking to Elise, and I was happy to see him pull back from that relationship. Dara's life becomes even more complicated when her rescue of a drowning child and Michael's assistance put her at the center of a scandal. Suddenly the sisters find themselves again on the outside looking in, with their plans in ruins. I loved Michael's insistence on doing "the right thing" and had to laugh at Dara's attempts to get out of it.

Besides his duties as a member of Parliament, Michael has learned of an ongoing embezzlement problem at the War Office. With Steele's help, he has identified one of the players, but Dara inadvertently interferes with one of his attempts to learn more. She is later with him when they witness a murder, and I loved how her practicality helped temper his emotional response and how he's impressed with how much help she is when there is more trouble. I also approved of his protectiveness when he realized she was in danger. I ached for Michael when he thought the investigation was ruined and cheered when an unexpected twist turned things around. The resolution was very well done.

At the same time, Michael and Dara realize the truth of their feelings for each other but fear rejection if they say anything. I liked seeing Dara gain her courage first. Her confession was fun and quintessentially Dara-like, followed by the most Michael-ish response. I hope we get to see more of them in the following books.

I liked the dynamics among the three sisters and loved their aunt "Tweedie." Dara is the planner, but all three are intelligent, well-spoken women interested in more than your average debutante. As the book continued, you could feel their frustration at hiding who they were. Dara tends to be heavy-handed in her need to keep them on the straight and narrow, and eventually, her sisters rebel. Gwendolyn was okay, just more interested in having some time for her pursuits as well as their Society obligations. But Elise was a spoiled brat. Her popularity quickly goes to her head, especially regarding Michael's early attention. She doesn't seem to notice when he backs off and becomes insufferable when she discovers Michael is more interested in Dara. She desperately needs an attitude adjustment. The book finishes with an epilogue that appears to be a lead-in for the next book and is Elise's story. I have high hopes that she will get that awakening.

#netgalley

Starts off very well with good chemistry between the leads and charming secondary characters but it devolves into a comedy of errors that is more annoying than funny. It also relies heavily on several coincidences that simply stretch credulity and some extreme turn-arounds from the dude.

His Secret Mistress by Cathy Maxwell
A Logical Man Guide’s to Dangerous Women #1. Historical romance.
Kate Addison owns and manages a traveling acting troupe. Brandon doesn’t want her on his land because she broke his heart many years ago but he soon finds himself involved with her actors and designing sets. Maybe she can stay awhile.

An amusing plot and entertaining story that culminates is a grand romance and life changing decisions. Once they get past their history and trust issues.

I'll come back to this to read the rest of the book, but I really liked Frost's story, Devil to Pay. A touch of angst from a loner/hermit heroine who's shut people away. I love the Night Huntress world and characters, and this was a great read.

I also enjoyed the Irish Duke, being a fan of spinsters. He bits of insecurity made me like her all the more. None of the rest of the stories jumped out at me so this book will stay in my to-read queue.

3.5 stars.

This was a frothy, fun, historical, romantic read that was given to me by a friend and I have to say I enjoyed it. It can be read quickly and I love period pieces so I found it be a fun read. The descriptions of the time period were wonderful and the romantic chemistry between Elise and Ben was nice as well. This would make absolutely perfect beach reading. (Although I was not on a beach when I read it!) But I enjoyed it. If you are looking for something a bit lighter, a bit frothy with lovely descriptive writing I would recommend this book.½

It seems like this book was a little bit on the rapey side, I remember not loving it at all.

My first time reading this author. I liked it. It felt pretty true to the time period. The characters did not just seem like modern people in period dress.

Pros: The hero and heroing eloped as a convenient arrangement and encountered problems and eventually her father disowns her and they have to make it without money as the hero has only a very run down small estate. Instead of giving up she sticks with him and believes in him and they work together to better themselves. Another good point is that there was not a lot of shall we go to bed together back and forth foolishness. She mentions that she would rather not sleep with him and he says don't be absurd and takes her to bed. He doesn't force her but does make her realize that it is an expected part of marriage and makes it good for her. (He is a handsome Spanish hero after all) It was refreshing to see a realistic portrayal of this aspect of marriage. Instead of false tension achieved through the use of delaying the first sex scene.

The characterizations while not the most indepth I've ever read were good and believable. The plot also was not absurd. The love story was the only focus of the book, no spies or murderers or whatnot.

Cons: I think the book would have been stronger if less time had been spent on the build up to the elopement and more time spent showing them working together renovating Stonemore. Those were the scenes that were of the most interest to me. Showing him using his ingenuity to build a home for them.

A lovely regency and I will look up more of this author's books.

I'm fond of older woman stories so I picked this up. I couldn't get into two of the stories but I did read 'Forevermore' by Lauren Royal and 'The Demon's Mistress' by Jo Beverley. The Demon's Mistress was a really good novella. The characters were well developed and there was a bit of darkness to the hero. Some angst etc. I haven't read anything else by this author but this story was strong enough that I will probably go out and find the stories related to this one and give them a try.

Forevermore was fairly good. It was a bit shorter so character development wasn't as full. It was set in the Reformation period and was well done from both an historical aspect and as a sweet short love story.

Fieldnotes:
London Theatres & On the way to Inverness, March 1810

1 Scottish Songbird Actress
1 Stick-in-the-Mud Accountant/Lawyer
1 Blackmail Scheme
1 Roadtrip to Scotland

Sex to Save Your Life

1 Attempted Kidnapping
2 Attempted Sexual Assaults
1 Attempted Drowning
1 Attempted Strangulation
Horse Thievery

1 Travesty of a Trial
1 Rather Unsportsmanlike Boxing Match
1 Marriage Ring (We knew that was coming)

2 Very Broken Families, Unhappy In Their Own Ways
2 Sordid Backstories
1 Almost Forgotten Fiancee

The Short Version:
For me...this just didn't age well. Our hero is angry at the heroine for blackmailing his family, storms down to her dressing room to confront her - only to save her from assault. But then in his priggish moral rectitude says something along the lines of "that's the price you pay for flaunting yourself/asking for attention". And I just wanted to flatten his nose.

He does get better, but the whole improbable crime-filled road-trip is just a lot, especially when it culminates in questionably-consensual-sex-to-save-you-from-hypothermia... When you then add how terrible the families are that our hero and heroine are trying desperately to win acceptance from, it just doesn't leave me with the warm and fuzzies that I would like from my romances.

I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another by this author, but this one doesn't need to live with me any more.

Lawrence Grant Talmadge Edington (Mars), the Earl of Marsden, is a driven man and has been since his father was killed during a duel. His father died in his arms and Mars swore revenge on the man, Lord Dervil, who killed his father. He also hasn’t spoken to his mother in those ten years because she was the cause of the duel. Mars has managed small bits of revenge over the years by preventing Dervil from purchasing a bit of land he wanted and thwarting some business associations, but the revenge he longs for, putting a bullet through the man’s heart, has illuded him so far. Of course, that thirst for revenge hasn’t slowed his other appetites – drink, women, opium. Yes, he is a rake and a reprobate, but he is also handsome, charming, and well-liked by all who know him. Well, all except his mother and Dervil like him. Oh, and that matron-in-training who lives in Maidenshop – she doesn’t like him either. But, since he doesn’t like her, there is no problem there.

Clarissa Taylor has long been the village of Maidenshops group project. She, nor the village, knows anything about her parentage. She was just found on the doorstep of the parsonage one day and the vicar and his wife took her in. They took good care of her and raised her well, but they weren’t particularly loving and demonstrative. After they passed, she was really at the mercy of the charity of others. She contributed, of course. She took care of others, took part in village functions, and did her very best to be useful. She was even betrothed for two years until she discovered her betrothed was really in love with someone else but was too much of a gentleman to break it off with her. She left the village after that to take a position as a paid companion to a demanding and grumpy old woman in London. She’s back in the village now – after a harrowing experience with the old woman’s nephew. That was a narrow escape! Except, now she doesn’t know what she’ll do. The matrons of the village will have a solution for her – she’s sure of it.

Mars had a particularly bad night of drinking and howling at the moon. Then, there is this loud, commotion downstairs – and it is getting louder and coming closer. OOOOhhhhhhh! He just needs a bit of a restorative to make his headache go away – but that is not what he is about to get. No, his former mistress is entering his bed-chamber – loudly – and handing him a small, squirming bundle. Uh Oh! It appears his parting gift to her was more than just an expensive coach and four. That sweet, smelly bundle turns out to be his daughter, Dora, and all it took was one look and he was totally and completely smitten. But, what did he know of caring for an infant? No problem – the matrons of the village will know how he can get the help he needs.

So, Mars needs a nurse for Dora, and Clarissa needs a position. How convenient! Except, they don’t like each other. Leave it to sweet Dora – all she has to do is smile at Clarissa and it is all over. Clarissa and Mars head back to Belvoir, his estate, only to find a very unexpected and unwelcome visitor is already there. Clarissa hasn’t even gotten in the door before Mars is introducing her to his mother – as his betrothed. Uh! Oh! Uh! Oh! Uh! Oh!

I thoroughly enjoyed this enemies-to-lovers story. The story was well developed and well written, but, goodness, the characters are so very lovely. Mars is a flawed man who doesn’t know what love is – nor is he capable of feeling it – or so he thinks. I loved watching both Clarissa and Mars come to understand themselves and each other better and to come to truly respect and love each other.

I can definitely recommend this book – and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. I don’t know if this is the last book in the series or not, but the Logical Men’s Society was dissolved during the book, so it could be the last. Who knows? There didn’t seem to be any hints in this book to set up the next one.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Her First Desire by Cathy Maxwell
2nd book in the Logical Man’s Society series. Historical romance. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Gemma arrives in the village claiming ownership of a plot of land and building, displacing the local men’s club. Of course they are upset with her claim and her turning their play house into her home and healing business so pranks ensue.

I admired Gemma’s fortitude and strength. Her determination helps her succeed.
The hero needed waking up. Eventually he is worthy but he stumbles quite a bit to get there.

“She was seeing stars. He kissed her and she was seeing stars.”

🎧 I listened to the audio version narrated by Justine Eyre. Justine uses a British English accent in her performance for this audiobook. There was a distinct difference between Gemma and Ned’s voices which made for an excellent performance. I listened to the book at 1.3 which is my usual speed. 1.0 was wonderful but slower than actual conversation for me.
3.5 upped to 4 because of the audiobook performance.½

I received an ARC of this book to read through Edelweiss+. All opinions are my own. Her First Desire by Cathy Maxwell is the second book in the A Logical Man’s Guide to Dangerous Women series. The men in Gemma Estep’s life have not done right by her. Her father made no provisions in his will to protect her from her fortune-hunting gambler husband, and when that scoundrel died, his brother took what was left. She’s been leading a Cinderella-like existence as the poor relation in his household. The only thing she can claim as her own is the pub left by her uncle. Dr. Ned Thurlowe wants that pub for his Logical Man’s Club. Despite his instant attraction to Gemma, he’s going to grumble and moan and stomp about if he doesn’t get his way, not to mention he’s already engaged to another woman, whom he’s been stringing along for the past two years. I loved the heroine was meh on the hero, although he does improve eventually. Steam Level: Medium Publishing Date: April 27, 2021. #HerFirstDesire #CathyMaxwell #HistoricalRomance #HistoricalRomaceSeries #HarperCollnsCanada #AvonRomance #MyBookPledge #bookstagram #bookstagrammer

Her First Desire is a fantastic, enjoyable story. The storyline and characters were well thought out. Looking forward to Maxwell's next book! Highly recommend!

Widowed Gemma Estep has absolutely had it with men! She’s never met one she could trust and rely on – even her father who loved her left his fortune to her worthless husband rather than to her. When her husband died in a duel over another man’s wife, his brother inherited the fortune and ‘allowed’ her to live with his family – basically as a servant. Her final straw was when she discovered a letter in her brother-in-law’s desk. That letter – addressed to her – was months old – and it was the news that her beloved uncle, her only relative, had died. After a loud confrontation with her brother-in-law, she decided to leave because she had a letter that made her believe that her uncle had left her his establishment, The Garland. OMGoodness, the mess she found when she arrived to make her claim! That mess included the state of disrepair in which she found the Garland – and the animosity of the male population of the village – many of whom belonged to the Logical Men’s Society.

Doctor Ned Thurlowe is a well-respected physician and member of the village. He is of a scientific nature and really pays little attention to what is actually going on around him. People talk to him, but he pays almost no attention to what they are actually saying. He’s always thinking of something else entirely. He’s betrothed, but it is a pity betrothal that he was sort of shamed into. He is totally indifferent to the woman and has been putting off the wedding for over two years. He knows he’ll marry her someday – but not today. Then, that wicked, flame-haired harridan came to town, and he found he might actually have feelings. Who knew? Of course, they could never be friends because she is claiming the Garland – and worse yet – she plans to turn it into a tea garden where the Logical Men’s Society will not be allowed to meet! The nerve of her.

Ned’s character seems to be a caricature rather than a real person. He certainly needed to have a grand epiphany because he was not a particularly likable character for most of the book. Because of his background, he had a very insecure nature and wasn’t one for trusting – especially women.

I don’t care for infidelity in any book I read – and – while many of you will disagree with me – this book has infidelity in it. Ned is betrothed to a lovely young woman. He asked her to marry and she agreed – and then he never made any effort to get to know her or care about her – and then he has a relationship with Gemma. He should have dealt with the betrothal before he ever embarked on the relationship with Gemma. I’m not a believer in those ‘uncontrollable’ urges. I believe you always have a choice – even if you don’t like the available options.

I liked the IDEA of this story much better than I liked the execution. I thought it would be a bright, funny, entertaining romance, and for me personally, it just wasn’t. I have begun to wonder if all authors hate men or if it is just a wide swath of the Historical Romance authors. I’ve read several books within the last month whose common theme was that every female in the story was constantly referring to men as idiots, wastrels, untrustworthy, rakes, etc. To me, that sort of equates to thinking all blondes are dumb as in all of the blonde jokes. It isn’t true and it is insulting to my intelligence to try to make me think it is.

While I wouldn’t read this book a second time, I hope you’ll enjoy it if you choose to read it. I also think I’ll skip any remaining books in the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cathy Maxwell
Historicals that were good enough to have me looking for more.

car reading on the family road trip...middle of the road hilarity.

Good second chance story. Fifteen years earlier, Bran and Kate were in love. He was an engineering student, and she was a young actress - not precisely an approved relationship. They had just shared one passion-filled night together when Fate tore them apart. Each believed the other betrayed them. Bran left for India and buried his heartbreak in work, becoming a respected architect and engineer. There he stayed until the death of his brother-in-law forced him home to be the guardian of his nephew. Kate suffered terribly because of what happened. She eventually left London and resumed her work as an actress, forming her own company. Her goal is to return to London and produce her plays there.

However, Fate is not done with Bran and Kate. Bran receives a frantic message from his sister, claiming that his nephew plans to marry an actress he just met. Bran is stunned at the identity of said actress because surely it can't be the same Kate. Furious, he tears off to save his nephew from the clutches of a gold-digger. Kate is frustrated. The troupe's wagon broke down in a small town, and it will take days to repair it. Meanwhile, the local young nobleman is making a nuisance of himself, pledging his undying love and interfering in her rehearsals. She can't be rude to him for fear of reprisals, but she just wants him to go away.

I loved the first meeting between Bran and Kate. He comes tearing in, full of righteous fury, and she takes the wind out of his sails by pretending she doesn't recognize him. I loved watching her stand up to him. She does go a little overboard though in her determination to get back at him. The events at that night's dance are both amusing and heartbreaking as Kate lives down to Bran's expectations. Their confrontation after the dance was emotional as they discover the truth about that night so long ago. It also becomes clear that the attraction between them has not died.

I enjoyed the rekindling of the relationship between Kate and Bran. Neither can deny the sparks that still fly between them, but can they overcome the past to be together? In addition to that past, they must also deal with the smitten Duke, judgmental neighbors, and a drama queen sister. The interactions between Kate and Bran are witty and fun, with underlying passion during their private encounters. I liked Bran's support of Kate's dream and his realization that he still loved her and dreams of a future with her. Kate also accepts that she still loves Bran. But trouble rears its head when Bran jumps to conclusions over his nephew's actions and says some terrible things to Kate. After responding with some pointed remarks of her own, it's no surprise when she refuses his apology. I ached for them both as they parted once again.

I loved seeing Kate continue to pursue her dream despite her heartbreak. The details of the process were fascinating, and I enjoyed watching it come together. I hurt for her over the betrayal by one of her troupe members and liked her determination to succeed. Opening night of her play was a nail-biter. I liked her surprise and pleasure at Bran's arrival, and that both of them admitted their mistakes. I was glued to the pages during the play, as Kate faced down those who tried to destroy her. Bran's words were just what she needed, and I loved the effect they had. The ending was awesome, and I loved the unexpected twist.

The secondary characters were great. Bran's fellow Society members are intriguing, and I look forward to their stories. I have my suspicions about the direction of the engagement between Ned and Miss Taylor and can't wait to see if I am right. I adored Miss Taylor's actions at the dance. Bran's nephew, Christopher, Duke of Winderton, is a spoiled brat. However, he isn't entirely to blame for it. His mother has indulged him, and even Bran hasn't done anything to wake him up to his responsibilities. Bran's sister is a pain in the butt drama queen. She refuses to let her son out from under her thumb. She insists on keeping the truth about the estate's finances from him. Everything Christopher or Bran do is a disaster in the making, in her opinion. I wanted to shake her many times. I was also frustrated that Bran caved into her wishes every time. If he had stood up to her more often, Christopher might not have been as much of a brat.

It is always interesting when two characters have a joint past and come together years later. In this case, Leonie was a 17 year old girl when she met Roman in India. He had a rising career as an officer when he dueled with a fellow officer and killed him. After that, his career was blocked. Leonie was in the middle of the fight but actually, she was the one who had shot the other officer after he had raped her. To save her reputation, Roman took the blame and her family whisked her off to London. Five years later, Roman returns to England with a title of Earl but a ton of debts. The only way out was to marry an heiress and guess who happened to be one - and who owed him for saving her reputation.
As an interesting character twist, Leonie took to taking a nip now and them, when she couldn't sleep or when she was nervous. Her drinking didn't really seem to be a problem until she passed out at her wedding. Roman realizes that he loves her but doesn't know if he can trust her to not drink. The couple each struggles with the problem - alone and together. This provides an interesting tension to the story that makes the Happily Ever After all the better when it comes.

I received an ARC of this book to read through Edelweiss+ in exchange for a fair review. His Secret Mistress by Cathy Maxwell is the first book in her new series A Logical Man’s Guide to Dangerous Women. As a young man, Brandon Balfour was madly in love with an actress, and when he thought she betrayed him behaved as young men do and left everything behind and went off to make his fortune and many years later is still bitter about the experience. Now returned a man of wealth Brandon is acting as guardian to his nephew when the nephew falls madly in love with a beautiful actress who happens to be the same woman who broke his heart. Kate Addison was shattered when the young man she was in love with abandoned her, but she’s put her life back together and has put together a theatre company, and she intends to return to London and take back that which was taken from her. This is a lovely second chance at love story, and I enjoyed it very much, but I would have perhaps made Brandon grovel just a bit more. I adored Kate and cheered her on each time she put those silly men into their place. Medium Steam. Publishing Date February 25, 2020. #EdelweissPlus #HisSecretMistress #CathyMaxwell #Avon Romance #HarperCollinsCanada

Brandon Balfour and Kate Addison have a history. Fifteen years ago they were young, in love, and shared a magical night together. The very next afternoon, she abandoned him for a man with riches and a title. Or did she? You’ll just have to read the story to find out.

Imagine Brandon’s surprise when his sister summons him from London demanding that he do something about her son who has declared his intention to marry an actress whose acting troupe has broken down on the edge of their lands. As guardian to his nephew, the Duke of Winderton, it is his responsibility to see to the boy, except he isn’t a boy anymore. When Brandon’s sister, Lucy, mentions the actress's name – Brandon is shocked – it can’t be the same Kate Addison!

Kate and Brandon had parted with huge misunderstandings between them. Each thought the other had betrayed them and both were still extremely angry to this day. Can they put aside their anger and find peace with each other? Can they find their way back to love?

One thing that I loved about the story was that the two main characters were older – he was thirty-six and he was thirty-five.

The first fifty(ish) percent of the book covers only one day in the story – it was a very busy day for Brandon. The story moves along well enough, but it is a bit slow and in a few places, I found myself skimming.

This is an excellently written, well-plotted, and very modern contemporary story appearing in period dress. It fits in perfectly with the current “women’s rights” trend in historical romance – even though women didn’t have any rights in the Regency period. I’m giving it a 4-star rating because it is well written, but for my own reading preferences, I wouldn’t give it above a 3-star rating. I might try the next book in the series to see if it is more of the same, and if it is, I'll discontinue reading the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Scottish Witch by Cathy Maxwell

A curse, a witch and a book of spells. And a cat. Maybe.
Historical romance set in Scotland. 2nd book in the Chattan Curse series. It can be read as a stand-alone romance.
Harry Chattan believes his family is cursed so he goes in search of a witch to remove it. Portia overhears the amount of money that is being offered to a witch that can remove a curse and after finding a book of spells, decides to try her hand at deceit.

First, historical romance is not my favorite genre. So saying that, there were several things that pissed me off in this book. Her deceit and not much guilt at taking money for it, but more the need for her to do that in the first place. No money left in the household because the women are supported by family, paying rent to a landlord that isn’t keeping the property up, and having to host properly simply because they are of a certain class.
Soapbox...
It also made me mad that he “forcefully” had to have her (yep, sex) with no foreplay whatsoever, and she still liked it? Ugh. More than once!
A relationship starts, and it does have a happy ending and a surprising twist that was interesting to the curse.
Overall an entertaining romance, probably best tho if you like the genre. For me, I couldn’t really like Harry after his forcefulness.

3.5

The Bride Says No by Cathy Maxwell

Forced to follow society rules? No thank you.
But it’s Scotland in the times of arranged marriages and absolute levels of proper society. Tara agreed to marry Blake but runs away to be with the horse wrangler. But he’s already engaged to someone else. Aileen, Tara’s sister, and Blake then fall in love but Tara won’t release him from his promise. Not to mention the bride price that her father has already received.
What a mix up.

Sweet and entertaining.
It took until the end to like Tara.
That Aileen and Blake were so committed to do the right thing was admirable but sad they couldn’t just ignore society rules. So glad that’s not my world.

First in a series. Historical romance.

I listened to an audio version of this book. The narrator had a lovely accent and did a tremulous job with the different voices and intonation.