Jade LeeRezensionen

This book was a good one where Connor and Gia shared a moment a few years back but when they find out that they work pretty much side by side they try to put feelings aside. Sometimes though chemistry and attraction is too much to withstand. Connor and Gia both had a troubled past at times it seemed they both overcame them but Connor’s family held him back. I wish Gia stood up for herself more to Connor but she also should have minded her own business when things weren’t willingly shared. Connor didn’t always treat Gia the best and his sister was the worst but Gia keeps coming back so Connor keeps up the pattern until it finally breaks. This story was a good one that kept me intrigued throughout and I will definitely read more.

Were-Geeks Save Wisconsin
Were-Geeks Save the World, Book 1

I Picked Up This Book Because: I liked the blurb

Media Type: eBook
Source: iBooks
Dates Read: 8/1/23 - 10/15/23
Stars: DNF - No rating
Narrator(s):

The Characters:

Josh Collier
Nero
Various other characters and a demon

The Story:

I tried. I tried for months but I just can’t get into it. The blurb led me to believe this would be right up my alley but every time I start walking I veer left and put the book down. So two and a half months later I have officially given up. I wanted to like Josh and Nero but ultimately I just don’t care. I would give this a chance on audiobook but I’m not paying almost $20 for something I’m already not enjoying.

The Random Thoughts:½

I remember thinking this was funny, but I read it back in August and it's end of December now, so um, I guess I liked it. Probly just need something to jog my memory.

One Rogue at a Time by Jade Lee
Rakes and Rogues #2. Historical romance.
Bramwell is the illegitimate son of a Duke. Because of his status, he works as a mercenary and bodyguard for the peerage. He meets Maybelle in a small countryside parish where she outmaneuvers him with intelligence and cunning. Maybelle is determined to be acknowledged in proper society but she knows that she needs to learn to speak properly. Meeting Bram is her perfect opportunity to learn, copy his speech patterns, and practice those “H’s” and “my” enunciations.

Entertaining oneupmanship, sensual pleasures, (steamy!) and acceptance. Maybelle is smart and determined and quickly able to pick up and mimic Bram’s speech. Listening on an audiobook, I could clearly hear his dialect and her original and corrected annunciation. The narrator did a wondering job dropping and changing her patterns.
The audiobook performance moved this from 4 to 5 for me.

Summary
Mellie, has zero suitors and prospects since she lives in the country with her father. but there is one man, that she and her father have had the opportunity to work with, Trevor Anaedsley. Mellie has her own goals for her life, including a new formula for a beauty product she hopes will one day be successful. She loves her father, but is lonely at times too. She wants more, but has no idea how to gain that until Trevor offers her a deal. Act as his fiancée and go to London, and have the opportunity to meet other young gentlemen she could set her sights on and marry one day. Trevor has been cut off from all of his funds until he marries, his grandfather is determined to show him the “true path” and Trevor knows he will have to find a way around it. So he decides to offer Mellie a deal, to soften his grandfathers hand. But there is one problem….Trevor is attraction to one woman, a woman he is supposed to help find another man for…he is in big trouble….because he is starting to love her but will he lose her to another man…

The Hero
Trevor has always had an interest in the sciences. He has studied under a respected scientist, and his daughter Mellie. Trevor is also a future lord, he is easy-going and intelligent, but a bit naive at times. He was charming and quite the rogue at times, and I loved how protective he is of Mellie. Trevor is quite cunning and can be creative in his plans, and I enjoyed how he pulls some run around his family and friends. When he wants something, he doesn’t let anyone stand in his way.He was a charming hero, and there were many qualities I liked about him, he never gives up and is very smart and romantic.

The Heroine
Mellie Smithson, is a winning heroine. I grew to really love her. She is spirited and lively, she doesn’t hold back on her opinions, and lets others know what she thinks. She is comfortable with who she is, she is very smart and sassy. I loved her attitude and the ways she views life. She could be a bit more firm in her certain aspects, but overall I grew to admire her overall. I loved the way she fights for what she loves and believes in, and I couldn’t help but adore her strength and courage to face new things with a positive attitude.

Plot and Story Line
I was very excited to read 50 Ways To Ruin A Rake, I have loved Jade Lee for years. I had high hopes for this story, and I did enjoy this story…it was enjoyable and humorous and very entertaining bantering. But I couldn’t fully get into the story like I wanted to. I felt like it was a bit predictable in certain areas, and it didn’t hold my attention like previous books from this author have done. I found other aspects quite enjoyable though, but I think I put my rating a bit lower because I became bored with the plot at times. It felt pretty uneven at times, but what I did love was the entertaining bantering between Mellie and Trevor. Quite a few giggles and snorts, the humor and light and witty and I enjoyed seeing how they interacted with each other. The love story was evenly paced and I felt that it had a consistency that wasn’t true with other portions of the story, which is why I kept with it. The ending was tender and sweet and I love it.

The Cover
Can I say WOW!! I just adore this cover…that sensual pose, with the yellow colors, and I love the tone of the colors. It is probably one of the best covers I have seen all year.

Overall View
50 Ways To Ruin A Rake was a light and sweet romance, a story of humor and wit, poignant romance and following your dreams.

Lydia Smith es una dama inglesa que se embarca hacia Oriente para reunirse con su prometido. Sin embargo, será la traición la que salga a su encuentro.
Cuando llega a Shanghai, es drogada y vendida como esclava a un poderoso e influyente chino... un hombre que ha comprado su cuerpo con la esperanza de hacerse con su alma, porque lo que busca no es la virginidad de la muchacha, sino su yin, su esencia. Ella se da cuenta de que la única salida que le queda es consentirlo, por lo que decide dejarse llevar, permitirle que le dé placer y que le enseñe el arte de la seducción hasta el momento en que sea liberada, un camino repleto de peligros y también de recompensas.

Joanna Crane se unió a la Rebelión China por el vacío que sentía en su interior. Estaba cansada de ser la "niña rica de papá" y deseosa de dar un giro radical a su vida y hacer el bien. Pero cuando los rebeldes se volvieron más peligrosos que sus crueles enemigos Qin, la única esperanza de esta mujer de salir ilesa fue un maestro Shaolin con puños de acero y unos ojos como el hielo. Un maestro que no era para nada lo que aparentaba ser.

La muerte del padre de Lynette la ha dejado sin un penique. En lugar de molestar a su familia, se resigna a lo inevitable: venderse al mercado matrimonial. ¿Pero a quién?
El vizconde Marlock –un demonio oscuro, carnal y sin remordimientos– le ofrece arreglar una unión, pero por un buen precio. Él la enseñará todo lo que necesita saber para atraer a un hombre; utilizará su tacto, su lengua, la abrirá a los placeres de la carne. Ella, a cambio, le obedecerá sin hacer preguntas, confiando en sus susurrantes promesas. Pero en ese juego, ¿quién será pillado y quién se salvará?

For a NY Times bestseller, this was not too bad as it attempted to do something different. Fantine is the illegitimate child of Lord Penworthy and lives amongst the poor, but she chooses to use her unique skills to help her father to protect Lord Wilberforce who has introduced a bill to ban slavery. She also supports her friends with food and money when she can.

One of the interesting things about the book is the way it shows the tension between Marcus Kane, Lord Chadwick and Fantine. He wants her to be his mistress as he cannot contemplate her being his wife and she does not want to end up like her mother, an actress who gave her away. When she is taken in by his sister to train as a lady to uncover the plot behind who is trying to kill Wilberforce the dynamic between Fantine and Marcus changes. Even the seedy gangsters who seek to punish Fantine for her deception pale in comparison to the Lords who think they are above the law.

There is some nice historical detail that adds to the atmosphere and authenticity of the book. Also, Fantine’s use of dialect to show how she straddles two worlds adds colour to the book. Like all good romances there is a satisfying happy ending. From Dickens to George Bernard Shaw this a refreshing and entertaining read.

I bought this book when I was high on painkillers after having my wisdom teeth extracted, but I ended up actually really liking it?? It was fun and suspenseful (the book, not the extraction), and it reminded me of the early Sookie Stackhouse books.

3.5 stars

Lord Scot by Jade Lee
Always a Scot #1

Lady Clara has established the life she desires. She believes she is a bluestocking on the shelf, will never, can do as she pleases in London, attend gatherings and educational events, and use her dowry as she pleases. She does NOT want a husband and has made that clear to her family. And then Lord Liam Loughton appears on the scene with a plan to win Clara in five steps…or whisk her off by kidnapping if the wooing doesn’t work. Two determined clever tough and delightful people may have met their match in this story!

What I liked:
* Clara: intelligent, inventive, sees the bigger picture, has no desire to lose her autonomy, has trust issues, is more capable than she realized and able to feel more than she realizes.
* Liam: educated, handsome, wants what is best for his clan, willing to do what it takes, ends up liking Clara more than he thought he would and really SEES her and wants what is best for her.
* Aaron and Lilah: engaged, brother and best friend of Clara, supportive but really not necessary in the story so they head off to London fairly quickly.
* Deirdre and Rhona: young women that work in the castle and help Clara learn how to run her new home.
* The wooing and how it does/doesn’t work on Clara
* Liam’s way of dealing with his father
* That when presented with the options for her future, Clara makes what proves to be a wise decision
* Watching Clara and Liam get closer, learn to trust and appreciate one another, and eventually work their way to a HEA ending
* The location – Scotland
* The growth in both main characters
* How things turned out between Liam and his father
* Wondering if Mairi and Connall will be up next in the series or if it will be Mr. Russell with someone new
* Reading a new-to-me author that I would like to read again

What I didn’t like
* The manipulations of Liam’s father
* Thinking about how difficult it must have been for women in the past

Did I enjoy this book? Yes, more than I thought I would at first
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars½

I am reviewing this book based on an ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

Romances involving "weres" are a bit overdone at this point so I was not sure how I would feel about this book but I was pleasantly surprised. It was well written and the romance part was engaging without being over the top.

There were a few stories that were okay (and "okay" is generally what I expect from this type of anthology), several I skipped, and several with repetitive plots. (Also many, many typos, which I also expect from this type of anthology. The worst in this case was all the times they used "Tatiana" instead of "Titania." 🤦‍♀️) My favorite was probably "A Prince in the Pantry" by May McGoldrick because the prince in question is Persian and the woman he ends up wandering through London with is a gentlewoman who now has to work for a living because her father is in debtor's prison, so that provided some different perspectives than you usually see. Also interesting to discover that "May McGoldrick" is a pen name for Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick, and Nikoo is of Iranian ancestry.

A Midsummer Night’s Romance

One magical masquerade ball,
The event of the season.
Love is in the air,
Fifteen couples’ lives will change
As you, the reader, watch.

I have only read a few of the stories so far but am enamored and eager to read more. I have decided the BEST way for me to enjoy these stories are to indulge in one at a time over a period of time. Perhaps reading a bit before bed or while soaking decadently in the tub with a tasty beverage.

There are authors I have read and know I love and others I am eager to befriend as I read about the couples they have created to be at this enchanted society gathering. I am sure there will be gorgeous costumes, music, dances, food, flirtation and much more as I enjoy pages filled with delightful surprises.

After reading of a foreign prince meeting the perfect woman and of a couple given a second chance to find their happily ever after, I am ready read the next story in this anthology when I head upstairs to run the bathwater, climb into the tub, and escape into this collection of delightful stories.

Thank you to author Erica Ridley for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Bruce eats fairy fruit to become a werewolf like his brother. Laddin has always known that someday he would change into a magical creature. They fall in (insta-)love and help Wolf, Inc to deal with the demon in the lake.
Don't make fairy deals, their friends learned in the last book, it won't go well. So this time they make more and more deals and it gets worse and worse. Don't try that at home. Hasty promises, ignoring the fine print of standard fairy contracts, and annoying or cheating fairies of all sizes rule this story.
I wonder what happened to the original Josh, Bruce's brother, of the current timeline.½

Masquerade with a difference!

Aha! A Lyons Den connection. That excited me! Lord Lucifer is Titan, the head of security at the Den. Beyond that he's a damaged war hero who finally returned to England a couple of years after Waterloo and has stayed removed from his family, allowing them to think he's dead. His brother Nathan takes up the reigns of the earldom.
Diana was his sweetheart in his younger years, indeed his reason for fleeing England. But now she needs his help and its Diana's brother who calls him to her assistance.
So we have a second chance romance, a woman forced into an arranged marriage, dreadful family interactions, and poisonous step children. Throw in a masquerade and murder and there's a gratifying array of plot enhancers. I really liked Lucas and Diana as individuals. Unfortunately I just didn't feel the burn, although many did.

A Dragonblade ARC via NetGalley

Were-Geeks Save Wisconsin by Kathy Lyon

Paranormal wolf-shifter adventure and M-M romance.
Amusing and surprisingly smart. A few laugh out loud moments and quite a few Convention references, in particular Book Lovers Con. More focused on the gaming side of the attendees than readers. Overall a satisfying adventure. A romance and storyline that leads me to believe this will become a series that I will happily continue. It is the first M-M by this author.

The werewolves recruit a few geeks to their covert organization. They need the help of the sciences in protecting humanity.

I purchased an early copy the author arranged to sell at the convention.

The Stone Men series
Rock Hard by Kathy Lyons

Cursed, or a bargain with a Goddess has turned Kane into stone for all but three days a year. In those three days, he must give a woman True Bliss to escape his servitude. For two hundred years he’s shagged female after female hoping to give one True Bliss.
Jacqueline Myles wants the true story, enough to sigh away her rights to the story. What she gets is return is a sexy male look-a-like to the compelling statue that will give her bliss for the night.

A sexy and steamy fantasy story that turns sentimental and altruistic.
A cliffhanger for a secondary character.
Fun read. I ordered the second series book about half way through this first story. Can’t wait for the follow-up.

Excerpt:
“Mrs Myles said “but if you get your wish, what would you do?”
“Not kill anyone ever again.” The words were out before he could stop them. It was his fondest wish. That and to eat good food and have a dog. So simple and yet so unattainable. And perhaps, he’d like it if she patted his hand again. In private. Somewhere where he could howl out his devastation or sob like a child.”

Made Flesh by Anna Argent

Sue inherited the duties of taking care of the lifelike, gorgeous male statue in her farmhouse. Someday she’ll get to reading the manual. When she’s attacked and the statue comes to life, she thrust into a fight between the sister Goddesses Stonemen war.
Dalton has old fashioned manners and is protective of Sue. It’s been a really long time since he’s been able to feel like a man. Sue is only wearing a robe so he does his best to avert his eyes. Their relationship takes the turn to sexual and emotionally as they work together to avoid the wrath of the Goddess.

Fantasy or paranormal when a statue comes to life? Either way, it’s sexy and heartwarming.

This book was painful to read. It was good enough that I wanted to finish it, which is embarrassing. The good part was that it was somewhat amusing and that sometimes I couldn't figure out where the author was going. The bad parts were the total lack of historical accuracy and authenticity, and the author's prose just felt leaden. If someone didn't want to write a book but felt that they had to, and they had read a fair sampling of books in the genre, that's what the prose felt like. So not recommended and I wouldn't read any other regencies by this writer. If the book hadn't been free through Kindle Unlimited, I would have felt bad about spending money on it.

Taming Her Mate by Kathy Lyons

7th book in the Bear shifter series and series wrap up.
This last trilogy of books had the city of Detroit under lockdown and drinking bottled water only. It wasn’t just the shifters, but the entire population in danger.
Bears, wolves and hybrid battle for territory and domination.
In this book, the daughter of the wolf alpha teams up with a bear shifter cop try to mitigate the damages and the two end up working very closely together.

This is best read as part of the set and in order.

Fast paced, thrilling and tense at times, this romance is the ultimate in a diverse couple.
Mostly dark with smidges of humor.

Excerpt showing a bit of humor for the wolf and bear shifter couple:
“Am I in trouble?” she asked, trying to keep her voice light despite the butterflies in her stomach.
“Depends on your answers.” He did a mock glower, pointed his fork at her, and said with a really bad accent, “I have ways to make you talk.”
“Hit me with your best shot, bear,” she said with a wolfish grin.
Excerpt from Taming Her Mate by Kathy Lyons

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to keep.

A heroine with something to prove meets a smooth talking athlete with more than sports on his mind. Will these two be a match in the game of love or will one call foul? I thought this was an adorable look at love. It was interesting because Tori was the pursuer and Mike the big basketball star was the wary one. Kathy Lyons' The Player Next Door is a winner. It supplies an entertaining spin on an age old theme. I received an ARC of this story in exchange for an honest review.

What does a man do to appease the woman he loves? Embroil her in a scandal. I received an ARC of As Rich As A Rogue by Jade Lee in exchange for an honest review. For six years Mari has fumed over the hurtful worlds delivered by Peter. Now faced to face with her nemesis she wants retribution. Not an easy feat when Peter can't remember what was said. What ensues is petty squabbling, unwanted attraction and mutual frustration. Once the childish banter wore off, I found the romance to be enjoyable.

It's been said that opposites attract. Sliding Home takes that common occurrence and runs with it in the sweetest of ways. Kathy Lyons pulls at the heart while keeping hormones on full alert. Ellie is an introvert with a kind heart and little less confidence. Jake is an extrovert with a boisterous nature but a heart no less kind. They shouldn't fit, but they do. They bring out the best in each other. He encourages her to take risks and she helps him tone down. Along the way each becomes more secure in their skin and their hopes for the future. Cute read.

My Fair Lady has scored a regency makeover. Jade Lee has smartly put her own spin on a literary classic. Her innovation and skill has netted a story that has subtle similarities that have a modern feel but all the poise and mystery of regency era romance. I received an ARC of One Rogue at a Time in exchange for an honest review. Behind the polished demeanor Bramwell is well of secrets. Charm and etiquette are the tools he used to hide the pain of past hurts and hidden talents he has picked up over the years. Maybelle is his equal in that she is searching for acceptance just like her, she just pursues it differently. What I liked about this novel is that there is always something new to discover around the corner. I found One Rogue at a time to be a great way to past the time and would recommend to any fan of classic historical romance.