Wronged, Betrayed & Beguiled by Sylvia McDaniel (The Curvier Widow’s 1, 2 & 3)

Available: Now

Type: Historical Romance

Publisher: Virtual Bookseller- Self Pub

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Pam

They Met Over His Dead Body Until the day of Jean Cuvier’s death, his wives had no idea that he had promised until death do us part to more than one woman. Now, the Cuvier Widows must deal with his duplicity, while wondering who poisoned their wayward husband. Can they ever learn to trust and find love again?

Wronged: Marian Cuvier didn’t know how to react when she learned that the man she called husband and father to her children, Jean Cuvier, had been murdered. Yet, the biggest surprise was when the detective informed her that she’s not the only woman Jean married. There are three Cuvier Widows and one is suspected of murder. Betrayed: Nicole Cuvier went to New Orleans to share the most wonderful news with her husband only to discover him in a hotel room murdered, with two other women claiming to be his wife. It seems there are three Cuvier Widows and one is suspected of murder. Beguiled: Jean Cuvier forced Layla’s father to sell his shipping company and marry his daughter, or so she believed. Until the morning the servants wake her with the news that Jean is dead and she quickly learns she’s not the only Mrs. Cuvier. Jean has three widows, but Layla is the only one accused of Jean’s murder.

The Cuvier Widows is a trilogy that has been recently re-released into a box set with nice new covers. The overall arc of the story is about three women who recently found out they were married to the same man at the same time. Marian, Nicole and Layla had no idea about each other until they are summoned to the hotel room where he died. Even the police are stunned when three different women claim to be Jean Cuvier’s wife. I love the concept and the story is very interesting as we track each widow through the months after Jean dies. Jean leaves a trail of tears as we see what type of man he was, how he treated his children, wives and business partners, he was an evil person that left many unhappy people in his wake.

As the will is read all three realize that only Marian is the true wife and will inherit it all with both Nicole and Layla getting nothing, however they will all have to live with the scandal of being married to a bigamist.

Wronged:

Marian Cuvier was married to Jean for twelve years and they have two children. At one time she was in love with him however as the years passed and he was rarely home and took several mistresses she began to hate him. She believes she can finally be free of this loveless marriage when she finds out he died.

Louis Fournet was Jean’s business partner and is hoping he will be able to now sell the business and move on with his plan to work with his family. However when he talks to Marian she tells him that she wants to keep the business for her son and learn to run it.

As Louis teaches Marian about the business there is a growing attraction between them however they are both keeping secrets and telling lies and there is little trust in the relationship.

Betrayed:

Nicole Curvier was married to Jean for four years and is currently pregnant with their first child. Now she is worried that her child will have the stigma of illegitimacy for the rest of his life. Nicole’s mother never married her father, so she knows what will happen and how they will be treated. She is looking for a husband in name only and finds the perfect person in a drifter who comes to help. Nicole’s name is still on the deed for the plantation Jean bought so she is lucky that even through there is scandal; she will have a place of her own.

Maxim Viel has been watching Nicole trying to find information about the plantation his family used to own, he wants to get it back for them. So he pretends to be a drifter without any money and will be happy to marry Nicole and give her his name.

As they work the plantation, they become close however with lies and secrets between them neither know what is going on and there is no trust. When tragedy strikes, Nicole and Max must learn to wade through the lies to trust and love.

Beguiled:

Layla Curvier was married for only a year and she hated her husband, she was forced to marry him when her father sold him their shipping business. She is very happy to be rid of Jean and was about to leave him when she found him dead in the hotel room. She is the last one to have seen him and the prime suspect of the murder. Her childhood friend, Drew Soulier wants to help her and will use his skills as a lawyer to represent her during her trial.

Drew has a specific reason for representing Layla, he knows this will gain a lot of publicity and wants to be mayor. With all the evidence they have gathered, even Drew does not believe her innocence.

Layla believes there is another woman who may have been involved with Jean and she is determined to find information about her. She must find something to show she is innocent and in the meantime she and Drew get close. However the fact that he does not believe her and he is not telling her everything, she has a hard time trusting him.

When the trial begins, she must put her faith in Drew and others as her life depends on it.

The concept of the trilogy was great, I love that the three widows were shocked when they found out what Jean did and must make their own way for their immediate future. The year was 1895 and although it was quite modern in many aspects, still the papers were alive with all the gossip and scandal. I liked all the women in the stories, Marian was very strong and willing to take the reins of the business, Nicole was willing to marry a man she did not know to give her baby something she never had and Layla was determined to prove her innocence even though those around her did not believe her. The fault I found is with the men and all the lies, secrets and downright manipulation they did to get what they wanted. I had a hard time liking any of them. Louis did not believe Marian could run a business so never told her anything that was going on, even when a strike was looming. Max never told Nicole about his family and that they use to own the plantation she lived on so she believed he was a poor drifter until late in the book. Drew only wanted to use Layla for publicity, only when she finds evidence to help does he look at her differently.

The stories all were interesting and I enjoyed the time period, the turn of the century, where people had more choices in life, the world was changing and I enjoyed the semi-freedom women started to have. The books were fast paced I was glad I was able to read them all at the same time as they flowed well together since they all took place at the same time. All in all they were enjoyable books – I just wanted the women to live on their own without the men they selected in their lives.

I give The Cuvier Widows by Sylvia McDaniel 3.25 stars!

Princess In Disguise by Karen Hawkins (The Duchess Dairies #1.5)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Historical Romance

Publisher: Pocket

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Michelle

Princess Menshikov of Oxenburg, Alexandra Romanovin, is done being courted by men interested only in her position and wealth. Inspired by tales told by a beloved tutor of the bold and brawny men of Scotland, Alexandra visits that misty land, hoping to find true love. But while traveling without the protection of her royal name, she finds herself accused of thievery by an angry innkeeper. Rescued by the dashing and handsome Earl of Kintore, she thinks she’s found the answer to her prayers—a man worth falling in love with. But Kintore has other ideas. An avowed bachelor who long ago swore off marriage, the earl wants nothing more than a passionate interlude with this beautiful, exotic stranger. But soon Alexandra’s intoxicating beauty and seductive touch leave Kintore wondering if a mere interlude will be enough…

I enjoyed the setting and the premise for this unique novella. Alexandra, Princess Menshikov, was traveling from her home country of Oxenburg to Scotland in hopes of finding a husband. She had been in mourning for her first husband after only one short year of an arranged marriage. While she did grow to love Dmitri after they were wed, Alexandra was afraid of being married off to someone else in the same manner. She was aware that her uncle, the king, had been interviewing prospective suitors, so she decided to take charge of her own happiness and search out a husband of her choosing this time.

James Keith, Earl of Kintore, happened upon Alexandra when he stopped at an inn for the night. He was quite drunk, and had been that way for the better part of the last few years, ever since his sister died. He took the loss extremely hard, and was intent on going through life not feeling much of anything (hence the drinking). When he found Alexandra sleeping in the parlor, he immediately was attracted to her and assumed (incorrectly) that she was a servant at the inn. They end up sharing a bit of an interlude until he discovered she’s actually a princess. He had no intentions of being trapped into marriage and he knew that would be the natural consequence of dallying with royalty.

Kintore tried his hardest to keep his distance from Alexandra. He was determined to ignore his attraction for the mysterious princess in hopes of avoiding attachment, but he was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. Alexandra had no such qualms – she wanted the handsome earl from the minute she woke up to him kissing her, and decided that he would suit her perfectly. When a snowstorm left them both stranded at the inn, she planned to use their time together to her advantage to try to work her way into his heart.

The characters in this story were engaging and I didn’t dislike either the princess or Kintore. He was a flawed but thoroughly charming hero, and she was friendly and impulsive and a little spoiled. The plot was a bit far-fetched, though. I had a hard time believing Alexandra would travel all the way to Scotland to find a husband simply because her Scottish tutor filled her head with stories of his homeland. I don’t know if it was because this was a novella instead of a full-length book, but there was just something lacking. The chemistry between them seemed genuine, but I didn’t quite get caught up in their romance the way I would have liked. While I enjoyed this short story, it didn’t seem up to par with others by Karen Hawkins.

I give Princess in Disguise by Karen Hawkins 3.25 stars!

Dark Wolf Rising by Rhyannon Byrd (Bloodrunners #4)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Harlequin

My Copy: NetGalley

Reviewer: Nikki

Eric Drake, a powerful Dark Wolf, has never trusted himself around human females—preferring to mate only within his pack. That is, until he encounters Chelsea Smart snooping around Silvercrest pack land in search of her missing sister.

Secretly, Chelsea thinks Eric is the sexiest man she’s ever seen, though she is wary of his potent Alpha energy. Then it’s discovered that Chelsea’s sister is being held by a pack of vicious Lycans, and Eric heroically leaps into action. Now, Chelsea will risk everything—her body and soul—to surrender to the passion that will mark her as Eric’s woman for all eternity…if they survive.

 

Rhyannon Byrd usually proves to be a winner in my book and I’m happy to say Dark Wolf Riding was an enjoyable read. I didn’t know this was the 4th book in a series when I picked it up and I didn’t really have any problems reading it so I will say it’s okay to read as a stand alone.

Eric has been trying to keep his people together after the brutal dissension in the ranks that had his own father turning against their people in an attempt to take over. With his death Eric inherited his problems and with everyone now leery of him he spends most of his time patrolling their land and watching out for trouble.

Looking for her sister and running low on funds Chelsea decides to spend the night in her car in the woods. When the dangerously sexy Eric approaches her demanding she get off their land for “her protection” she figures he must know something about her sisters whereabouts. Though he doesn’t she’s incredibly persistent and he agrees to help her look.

It took me quite awhile to warm up to Chelsea because she starts the book out being an incredible pain in the ass. I figured her as a bitch and thought Eric was being incredibly nice helping this woman out because she was just so bull headed and unwilling to listen to reason. It’s difficult to get on board with a character like that. She doesn’t start to let down her walls until she gets dosed with sexually arousing drugs that make her need to rely on Eric for….ummmmm….help. Heh. And help he did. That semi sex scene goes on FOREVER. Never let it be said that Byrd doesn’t know how to front the sexy. Chelsea has such a hard time trusting Eric and goes as far as leaving him at the worst possible time. I wanted to throttle her because he lays everyone out for her and she just walks away. Her fears rule her and learning to let them go is incredibly hard for her.

Byrd’s Lycan books focus a lot on the animalistic side without having characters shifting all the time. Sight and smell as well as protectiveness are what the characters rely on making shifting unnecessary until a fight scene which generally don’t happen until towards the end. She relies on her characters connections and interactions which works sometimes and other time I’m left wanting Eric to just shift and eat some bad guys.

Overall I enjoyed this one even with my issues with the heroine. When I crack open a Byrd book I know she’ll transport me to her world with her colorful writing and hot heros who know no boundaries when it comes to their women.

I give Dark Wolf Rising by Rhyannon Byrd 3.25 stars! 

Caressed By Night by Amanda J Greene (Rulers Of Darkness #2)

Available: Now Amazon/ B&N

Type:  Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Self Pub

My Copy: Sent

Dimitri Arsov, the last remaining pure vampire, was thought to be dead for the past four hundreds years. Now, he is back and has a score to settle with the traitor that had tried to kill him centuries ago. But as he waits for his prey to blindly step into his carefully laid trap, his overwhelming hunger for blood is triggered when he saves a beautiful art historian.

Kerstyn Ingmar’s life was normal and straight up boring until the night she is rescued by the dangerously sexy, powerfully mesmerizing, Dimitri. Unable to resist his diamond blue eyes and intense kisses, she is drawn into his world of darkness and closer to her impending doom.

While their desire consumes them, Dimitri is haunted by images of a bloody and deadly future. As his enemies draw near, he must find a way to save his mate from her destiny before fate destroys them both.

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Kerstyn is just not having a good week. She barely escapes a brutal attack, she lost her job, and now her friend is kicking her out. Jobless and homeless Kerstyn isn’t sure what step to make next. A good friend points her in the direction of Dimitri, who has a room she may be able to rent. She never expected that room to be in a mansion or that the elusive man was the same man who saved her from the viscous attack.

Vampire king Dimitri has been waiting centuries for his one true mate and now he’s found her. He has no plans of letting her go or putting her in any danger. She’s special. She’s his. He will have to face a old foe to ensure she stays safe and sacrifice might just be his undoing.

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Caressed By Night is the second book in Amanda Greene’s self published, Rulers of Darkness, series featuring age old vampires. I did not read the first in the series simply because it’s a historical and since I don’t read much of that, after reading the blurb, I decided not to read it. When I saw the blurb from this one and that it wasn’t historical I jumped all over it.

I was pleasantly surprised by Greene’s writing skills. This was plotted out nicely and followed a lively timeline that didn’t really leave me bored….much. I liked the addition of all the secondary characters and even though I didn’t read Caressed By Moonlight, I enjoyed Dorian in this book immensely. The camaraderie with Dimitri livened up some of the dull scenes since it is a decently lengthy novel. Some of the world building got to be a bit much at time and so I think that may have added to the dull moments I experienced briefly.

Where this one fell a bit short for me was in the connection between Dimitri and Kerstyn. When it worked it worked…and when it didn’t, it fell flat. I had a hard time believing a woman, even one as desperate as Kerstyn, would shack up with someone she didn’t know. Especially after she finds out he’s a vampire. She gave some meager attempts to talk herself out of it, but Dimitri’s hotness trumped all  I suppose.  Don’t get me wrong, the heat (aka the sex) was great but there was a something missing in the conversation, something I can’t put my finger on exactly, that made me distance myself a bit.

I also don’t understand starting a series with a historical and then jumping forward so far for the rest of the books. It seems like you’d be alienating readers that way. Readers like me that don’t enjoy historicals much won’t read the first one and lovers of historical might not embrace the different era. I would think since they jumped into the 21st century with Caressed By Night, there will be no going back. I don’t think the series suffered really, just thought it weird to do.

So while I enjoyed the story itself, the connection with the characters was a bit off for me and because of that, the rating suffered a bit.

I give Caressed By Night by Amanda J Greene 3.25 stars!