Musings on Romance

Tag: England (Page 4 of 4)

Lovers Leap by JL Merrow, narrated by Mark Steadman.

Lovers Leap audioWhy I read it:  I received a review copy via the publisher.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads)  If they looked, would they ever leap?

Good-looking, confident, and doted on by his widowed mum, Michael is used to thinking only of himself. Getting shoved off an Isle of Wight pier by an exasperated ex ought to come as a wake-up call—but then he meets Rufus and he’s right back to letting the little head take charge. Rufus is cute, keen, and gets under Michael’s skin in a disturbing way.

Would-be chef Rufus can’t believe his luck when a dripping wet dream of a man walks out of the sea on his birthday, especially when Michael ends up staying at the family B&B. Life is perfect—at least until Michael has to go home to the mainland.

Rufus can’t leave the island for reasons he’s entirely neglected to mention. And though Michael identifies as bi, breaking his mum’s heart by coming out and having an actual relationship with a guy has never been his plan. With both men determined to keep their secrets, a leap of faith could land them in deep water.

What worked for me (and what didn’t):  This book was an audio delight. The narration was, with only small exceptions, excellent and the story entirely suited the audio medium. One of my favourite things about JL Merrow books is her sense of humour and here I was actually laughing out loud in places.

A word of warning however: Michael says things, most especially at the start of the story which are biphobic, homophobic and transphobic. While he does gain something of an education in the book, the time frame is very short and it is not clear that at the end of it, he has resolved all of his issues. He, at least, acknowledges that he has them and he’s working on them but he’s incredibly lacking in self-awareness (awareness in general, really)  at the start of the story and his journey doesn’t go into the kind of detail which fixes all of his… rough edges. Continue reading

Noble Satyr by Lucinda Brant, narrated by Alex Wyndham

Noble Satyr audioWhy I read it:  I was provided with a review copy via the author.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads)  France and England in the age of hedonism and enlightenment
A green-eyed beauty is abandoned at the court of Versailles
The predatory Comte de Salvan plots her seduction
An all-powerful adversary snatches her to safety
But is he noble savior or a satyr most despicable?

Antonia is pursued by the lascivious Comte de Salvan who wants her as a mistress. When the libertine Duke of Roxton snatches her from Salvan’s clutches, she believes herself rescued. Has she merely swapped one seducer for another? Will Roxton save Antonia from the Comte? Can Antonia save the Duke from himself?

What worked for me (and what didn’t):  I listened to Dair Devil recently. In that book, Rory and Dair row to Swan Island, on the Duke of Roxton’s estate in the country, Treat, and, among other things, admire some rather scandalous tapestries in a folly there. The tapestries tell the story of the marriage of Antonia, Duchess of Roxton and her duke. Ever since I heard the description of the tapestries, I wanted to know the beginning of the story. And so, I stalked Audible until Noble Satyr was available and shamelessly (honestly, there was no shame whatsoever involved) reminded the author of her (generous) offer of a download code. Continue reading

Tempting the Player by Kat Latham

Tempting the Player LathamWhy I read it:  After reading and enjoying Knowing the Score recently, I bought the rest of the books in the series. I mistakenly thought this was the second book but it’s the third. It works as a stand-alone and does not spoil the second book but my sense of order was nevertheless offended by my error!

What it’s about: (from Goodreads)  Libby Hart and Matt Ogden are perfect for each other—as friends. They’ve known each other for ages. They act as each other’s plus-ones. They even share custody of a dog. And if there’s always been a little spark between them, so what? It’s never been worth jeopardizing their friendship.

Professional rugby player Matt is fighting for a starter position with the London Legends—and that’s not the only thing he’s fighting. A crippling fear of flying means he’s struggling to get his career off the ground. He has no time for a relationship, even if Libby does make him ache. As an airline pilot, Libby’s looking for a stay-at-home husband so she can have a family without sacrificing her high-flying career. Matt’s certainly not that man.

But just because they don’t have a future together doesn’t mean they can’t have a right now. When Matt asks Libby for help overcoming his fear, they agree to take a vacation from their platonic relationship—whenever they fly together, they can have sex. It’s the perfect way to resolve all that built-up tension. As long as they can avoid getting a little too comfortable…

What worked for me (and what didn’t):  I do enjoy a friends to lovers story and, as I mentioned in my review of Knowing the Score, I like the author’s writing style and voice. All of those things worked for me here and I did enjoy the book.  But there were some things which didn’t work for me so the experience wasn’t quite as successful with this one. Not, I might add, in any way that would make me cautious about reading more from this author however.
Continue reading

Knowing the Score by Kat Latham

Knowing the ScoreWhy I read it:  I bought this one after multiple recommendations from trusted bloggers. When it came up in conversation again because of a special price, I dug it out of Mt. TBR.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads)  Rugby player Spencer Bailey is determined to win a spot on England’s World Cup team. But with a month break before the selectors start watching him, he’s eager to have fun with a woman who knows the score: the relationship will end when rugby season begins. The lovely American Caitlyn Sweeney seems perfect for the role of temporary lover, since her visa will run out soon anyway.

Caitlyn works for an international disaster relief organization and can handle the world’s worst crises, but she flinches from her own. Her past has left her with a fear of intimacy so deep that she has trouble getting close to anyone—until she meets sexy Spencer. His hot body and easygoing nature are too much for even her to resist.

Neither Caitlyn nor Spencer expects to fall hard for each other. But with their relationship deadline approaching, the old rules of the game seem less important than before…until past secrets surface, challenging everything they thought they knew about each other.

What worked for me (and what didn’t):  I’m pretty happy with myself at the moment because I’ve just found a new author and she has a BACKLIST!  Squeeeee!  I really liked this book.  The style worked for me as well so I know I will enjoy other books by this author.  This is the first book in her London Legends series and there are two other full length books and one novella available with the next book in the series out in May (and I have bought them all mwhahahahaha). Continue reading

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