Tag Archives: 5 hearts

Review: World After by Susan Ee

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World After by Susan Ee

World After by Susan Ee
Series: Penryn & the End of Days #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: November 19th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what’s left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn’s sister Paige, thinking she’s a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels’ secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can’t rejoin the angels, can’t take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

*There will be spoilers for those who haven’t read Angelfall!*

Susan Ee does it again! I fell in love with World After, and with Penryn and Raffe all over again. Oh, how much I love this series. Angelfall was absolutely genius and World After doesn’t disappoint. It’s got everything that I loved in Angelfall–a kickass heroine, a fascinating world, a badass, swoony angel, and an intensity that hooks you in and blows your mind.

After I read Angelfall, I wanted to get my hands on World After so freaking bad, but nope, I had to wait nearly a year for it to release. And Angelfall having a cliffhanger that nearly killed me certainly didn’t help with the wait. But now.. the time has come. I’ve finally read World After, and all I can say is… I WANT MORE. I loved World After, but I couldn’t believe it when I finished. I never wanted it to end. It was gorgeously written, and the characters are so real and relatable (I’m excluding the angels of course). The only bad part about World After was that it didn’t have Raffe in it as much as I’d have liked.

Alright, listen up. If you’re expecting World After to be a romance where Penryn and Raffe end up happily ever after–don’t. Because in the devastating world they live in, you don’t get happily ever afters, especially if you’re an angel and a human. As much as you wish they’d get together…

“Stay with me,” says a familiar masculine whisper from above my head. Even over the yelling of the mob and the roaring of the waves, something unfurls in my chest at the sound of that voice.

Sniffles. Yeah, okay I’m one of those readers who want Raffe and Penryn to have their own HEA, but I’m still perfectly content with the way Susan Ee is taking their story. World After mainly focuses on Penryn and her sister, Paige. Paige is an abomination now and Penryn doesn’t know how to deal with that. She’s terrified that Paige has lost her humanity, but it’s clear that Paige is frightened and terrified of what she’s become. Paige is run off by those who only see her as a monster, and once again, Penryn goes out in search for her.

I love Penryn. She’s awesome and kickass and fiesty and protective of those she loves. And she’s hilarious. I found myself laughing just as much as I did in Angelfall because of her. Penryn’s tough and brave, and she’s not afraid to go after Paige. She has to deal with killer angels and nasty, scorpion-like creatures, one of which had almost killed her at the end of Angelfall, leading Raffe to believe she died, and it’s so gripping and exhilarating to read. I was always at the edge of my seat, worried for Penryn and how she’d get out of situations alive.

As for Raffe, he’s still searching for his wings. His bat wings have caused the other angels to shun him, and he’s out for revenge on Beliel, the angel who stole his wings. We get glimpses of his past through his sword, which Penryn has, but unfortunately, Raffe doesn’t have a big part of the book until later on. And oh. my. goodness. I was squealing so hard when he and Penryn finally see each other again. I mean, come on, Raffe thought she was dead, and he was devastated over it. And it was such a relief to see them together again. They honestly belong with each other. They’re perfect together, they work well together, and their bantering is always so hilarious.

Okay, one more for the Raffe fans:

“Let go,” I say into his ear. Raffe holds me tighter like there’s no room for discussion.

World After is an incredible sequel to Angelfall. The ending isn’t nearly as bad as Angelfall’s, thank god, but I’m still eagerly awaiting the third book. I’m not sure if the series is a trilogy or not, but please Susan Ee, don’t make me wait long! This series is an absolute favorite, and I can’t recommend it enough!

5 hearts!

5-hearts

lacey

Reading Order: Penryn & the End of Days series

Angelfall by Susan Ee World After by Susan Ee End of Days by Susan Ee

#1 ~ Angelfall: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ World After: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ End of Days: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

Review: Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

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Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: February 1st 1996
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

Wedding Day

Pretty, flighty Daisy Devreaux can either go to jail or marry the mystery man her father has chosen for her. Arranged marriages don’t happen in the modern world, so how did the irrepressible Daisy find herself in this fix?

Alex Markov, as humorless as he is deadly handsome, has no intention of playing the loving bridegroom to a spoiled little feather-head with champagne tastes. He drags Daisy from her uptown life to a broken down traveling circus and sets out to tame her to his ways.

But this man without a soul has met his match in a woman who’s nothing but heart. Before long, passion will send them flying sky high without a safety net… risking it all in search of a love that will last forever.

This book is slightly old, but it’s so. freaking. GOOD. I fell so hard for the characters, their love, and their story. It’s a book about finding love, and finding love in the last person you’d ever expect to find love in. It’s a book about setting aside one’s pride to have a chance at happiness. Oh my goodness, this book is just divine. It’s got a heroine who learns and grows and toughens up, but still has a heart of gold. It’s got a domineering, alpha-male hero who’s a total jerk but you love him anyway (especially when you see his soft side starting to show). And there’s a circus! With animals!

Daisy Devreaux and Alex Markov are arranged to be married. They’re total strangers, but Daisy’s father has arranged their marriage anyway because Daisy has no money, and Alex owes her father a favor. And so they have to marry, at least for six months. The beginning of the book starts off with Daisy and Alex at the altar, and Daisy… has completely forgotten her groom’s name, and can’t even finish her vows. That right then made me laugh and fall in love with Daisy. And the book continues to be humorous and light-hearted. Daisy and Alex are both in a situation they don’t want, and while Daisy, being the old-fashioned girl that she is, wants to make the best of their marriage, despite them not even liking each other. But Alex is mean and cold-hearted and certainly doesn’t care about what Daisy wants. I wanted to hate him, but I never did. Alex was a jerk to Daisy, but he was honest and yeah, okay, sexy as hell too. 😉

Alex mostly was a jerk to Daisy because he wanted to scare her off and make her leave their marriage, but Daisy never does. She’s dumped into a marriage she doesn’t want, forced to work in the circus with Alex, but she’s a fighter and won’t give up so easily. Alex starts to be impressed with Daisy, but of course, he won’t show it. He works her hard, but she works even harder, and she falls in love with the animals in the circus. And slowly, she starts to fall for Alex too. But Alex has a painful past, and he doesn’t believe in love for himself. He truly believes that he doesn’t have the capacity for love, but Daisy has set her mind on making him believe he can love, and love her.

I actually came across this book on the Heroes and Heartbreakers website when I read this post about favorite phrases that come from romances, and Kiss an Angel was one of the featured books. Alex, being the über-alpha that he is, is prideful and slightly arrogant (in the sexiest possible way, mind you). He’s never had to bow down and beg for anything or anyone, and he’s not about to start anytime soon. But being with Daisy, growing to care for her, has made him open his eyes, and heart, just a little.

I’m begging you. Daisy said that all the time. The same words that had poisoned Sheba Quest’s spirit two years ago when she’d pleaded for his love rolled off Daisy’s tongue without a second thought. In the morning she’d stick her toothbrush in her mouth and call out, “Coffee! Please! I’m begging you!” Last night, she’d tickled his earlobe with a soft, sultry whisper. “Make love to me, Alex. I’m begging you.” As if he needed to be begged.
But begging didn’t threaten Daisy’s pride at all. It was simply her method of communication, and if he were ever foolish enough to suggest that begging might be demeaning, she’d give him that pitying look he’d come to know so well and tell him to stop being so stuffy.

And then, when Alex makes the biggest mistake of his life, and hurts Daisy in the process, things change for him. I cried like a baby at this part. Alex fucks up, he loses the best thing that’s ever happened to him, but he makes amends. He knows he made a mistake and he tries his hardest to fix what he did. And he has to forget about his pride, because it’s holding him back.

Alex spoke in tight, hard tones. “You know what the irony in all this is. Daisy’d do it. She wouldn’t even think twice about it.” He gave a rough bark of laughter that bore no trace of humor. “She’d be on her knees in a second because she’s got a heart beating inside her that’s strong enough to take on the world. She doesn’t care about honor or pride or anything else when the well-being of the creatures she loves is a stake.”
He turned his face upward, and his mouth tightened with scorn. Although he was on his knees, he had never looked more glorious. He was every inch the czar. The king of the center ring. “I’m begging you, Sheba,” he said flatly.

Even with the humor and adorable animals in Kiss an Angel, it’s a heartfelt, poignant book about transformation, and how love can heal and mend even the most broken of souls. “I’m begging you” is such defining phrase for Alex and Daisy. It’s Daisy’s go-to phrase, something she says lightly, but it’s a phrase that Alex can’t even imagine uttering before he meets Daisy. And you absolutely must read this book to see how Alex and Daisy have helped and changed each other in so many ways. Their love story is beautiful.

He began kissing her tears away, and she rubbed her fingers over his cheek. “You really love me, don’t you?”
“I really do,” he said huskily, “and this time I want you to believe me. I’m begging you, sweetheart.”
She smiled through her tears. “All right, then. Let’s go home.”

These were all the quotes that were featured in the H&H post, and after reading those, how could I not want to start reading Kiss an Angel immediately? This love story is truly an unforgettable one. I laughed and cried and laughed some more, and it was just a roller coaster of emotions.

5+ hearts! One of my favorite books of all time!

5-hearts

lacey

Blog Tour + Early Review & Giveaway: No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah Maclean

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No Good Duke Goes Unpunished Sarah MacLean banner

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean!

No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean

No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean
Series: The Rule of Scoundrels #3 (full reading order below)
Release Date: November 26th 2013
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A rogue ruined . . .

He is the Killer Duke, accused of murdering Mara Lowe on the eve of her wedding. With no memory of that fateful night, Temple has reigned over the darkest of London’s corners for twelve years, wealthy and powerful, but beyond redemption. Until one night, Mara resurfaces, offering the one thing he’s dreamed of . . . absolution.

A lady returned . . .

Mara planned never to return to the world from which she’d run, but when her brother falls deep into debt at Temple’s exclusive casino, she has no choice but to offer Temple a trade that ends in her returning to society and proving to the world what only she knows . . . that he is no killer.

A scandal revealed . . .

It’s a fine trade, until Temple realizes that the lady—and her past—are more than they seem. It will take every bit of his strength to resist the pull of this mysterious, maddening woman who seems willing to risk everything for honor . . . and to keep from putting himself on the line for love.

Buy Links:
Amazon Ebook • Amazon Paperback • B&N • BAM • IndieBound

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My god. My. God. What is Sarah MacLean doing to me? I simply cannot function when I’m reading one of her books in the Rules of Scoundrels series, because I become obsessed with the characters, the romance, the story–everything–while reading. I adore this series. I am completely, 100%, over-the-moon in love with this series. One Good Earl Deserves a Lover and No Good Duke Goes Unpunished are absolute gems (A Rogue by Any Other Name was pretty great too). I don’t know how Sarah MacLean does it, but the owners of The Fallen Angel are to. die. for. And Temple… He makes me swoon so friggin’ hard. And yep, I have another book boyfriend to add to my already long list.

I can’t even begin to do this book justice. It’s just… too amazing. The story blew me away, the romance was the divine, and I fell so hard for the characters. I honestly had no idea I would love historical romances as much as I love this series. No Good Duke just cemented my love of the genre. Sarah MacLean is a genius! I don’t know how you do it Sarah, but DON’T EVER STOP!

Okay, okay. So if you’ve read the previous two books in the series (and if you haven’t, get right to it now!) and loved them just like me, you were crazed to read Temple’s book. It’s the Killer Duke’s book! And have you read that synopsis? Like, hot damn. I knew Sarah MacLean would give us another incredible, heart-wrenching romance, and yes, she delivers! Quite perfectly, if you ask me.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure Sarah could top One Good Earl (book 2). I loved loved loved Cross so damn much that I didn’t think that any of the other characters in their group of four could beat him. And while I can’t say Temple is better, I can say that Temple is absolutely on par with Cross. If you make me choose between them, I won’t be able to! So, you know, I totally call dibs on the both of them. Cross AND Temple… Be still, my heart.

Temple is known as the Killer Duke because he woke up in his father’s bride’s room covered with blood. He remembers nothing from the night before, and Mara, the bride, had disappeared. Temple was accused of her murder, and for the twelve years since her death, Temple has been haunted and wrecked with guilt. He feels he doesn’t deserve anything good since he truly believes he’s a murderer. And he’s a fighter as well. He’s huge, bigger than Bourne, Cross, and Chase, and Temple’s job is to fight the patrons of the gaming hell. If a gambler loses everything, he has a chance at gaining everything back if he can defeat Temple. But no once ever does. Temple is undefeated.

And in the midst of this new life Temple has created, Mara reappears. She’s not dead, which means Temple didn’t kill her, and he’s not the Killer Duke. And understandably, Temple is pissed as hell. He was accused of murder, and all of a sudden, the girl he supposedly killed comes back? And only to gain back the money her brother lost while gambling? He’s pissed and he wants revenge. And so the two go head to head all the time and sparks fly. The amount of sexual tension is off the charts too, and Sarah MacLean is a master at building the tension between the two.

“Don’t you see, Mara.” He leaned in and whispered, “You’re mine, now.”

I always liked Mara throughout the entire book, even when I should have hated her on behalf of Temple. She had her reasons for her deception, and she pays a heavy price for it. I mostly felt sympathetic towards her, because she is not welcomed by Temple or his friends. And yet she never gives up, never stops trying to gain back her brother’s lost money to help her orphanage. Her kids in the orphanage (and her pig, Lavender, the most adorable thing ever) are the most important things to her, and there’s so much more depth to her than we could have realized.

He’d made her laugh and smile. He’d made her feel beautiful.
For the first time in her life.
For the only time in her life.

I was honestly smiling and grinning so hard every time Temple and Mara see each other, because I couldn’t wait to see how the Sarah MacLean would make them fall for each other. And when they do fall in love, slowly but surely, it’s a bit heart-wrenching, because you don’t see a happily ever after in sight. You want one for them of course, but things become complicated. Revenge is what fuels Temple, and taking care of her orphanage is what fuels Mara. With Mara willing to do whatever it takes to earn back the lost money, including spending time with Temple (there might be some kissing involved), and eventually coming out and confessing to the public about the truth of that night she was ‘killed’, and Temple knowing that once she confesses, he’ll lose her forever, neither Temple nor Mara can imagine themselves living happily ever after with each other.

“You want me.”
“Want does not begin to describe the way I feel about you,” his low voice promised. “Want is nothing compared with the level of desire I have. With the desperation I feel. With the way I long for you.”

But, oh god, the journey along the way to their HEA is perfection. They learn more about each other, fall more in love with each other when they shouldn’t, and there’s so much excitement going on, both in their romance and within The Fallen Angel. There are some seriously intense fight scenes that were so gripping and had me on the edge of my seat. And the tension and angst built up so much that this book made me TEAR UP. I rarely ever cry for books, and yet No Good Duke took my breath away and made me tear up a little for Temple and Mara. I laughed, I cried, my heart ached, and I couldn’t have imagined a better story for Temple and Mara.

“I love your laugh. I want to hear it every day. I want to be through all this darkness and devastation. I want happiness now. I want our due. I want what we’ve deserved from the beginning.” He paused and stared deep into her eyes, willing her to understand how much he loved her. “I want you.”

Look at what I found on Sarah MacLean’s blog! We’re finally going to find out Chase’s mysterious secret, and I for one CAN’T WAIT!

Readers of No Good Duke will learn Chase’s secret.

The deep, dark secret that would ruin Chase, The Angel and all my scoundrels if it got out.

The deep, dark secret that no one (except for a very small band of merry men and women at Avon/HarperCollins) knows, because the bit of Temple’s book that reveals the secret was redacted from all early versions of the book. No reviewers know it. No early readers know it.

Everyone who reads the book when it’s released on November 26th will learn Chase’s secret together. And then, there will be spoilers. So watch out. 🙂

Are you excited? Like Sarah said, even though I’ve read the ARC, I still don’t know Chase’s secret! The epilogue was cut off, and AH the wait is killing me. I know for sure what I’ll be doing on No Good Duke’s release day. 😉

If there’s a historical romance book you need to read, it’s No Good Duke Goes Unpunished. And One Good Earl Deserves a Lover. And A Rogue by Any Other Name. Read. These. Books. They’re romance at its finest. And you will fall in love with everything about them. I can’t get enough of this series! I’m so, so unbelievably excited for Chase’s book now! It’s finally coming! Soon.

5 hearts of course! Loved it with all my heart. (You have no idea how happy I was to read an ARC of this book. So THANK YOU to the publisher, Avon!)

5 hearts
lacey

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: The Rules of Scoundrels series

A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover by Sarah MacLean

#1 ~ A Rogue by Any Other Name: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ One Good Earl Deserves a Lover: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ No Good Duke Goes Unpunished: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

about the author button

Sarah MacleanSarah MacLean grew up in Rhode Island, obsessed with historical romance and bemoaning the fact that she was born far too late for her own season. Her love of all things historical helped to earn her degrees from Smith College and Harvard University before she finally set pen to paper and wrote her first book.

Sarah now lives in New York City with her husband, their dog, and a ridiculously large collection of romance novels. She loves to hear from readers. Please visit her at www.macleanspace.com

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

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paperbacks of A ROUGE BY ANY OTHER NAME & ONE GOOD EARL DESERVES A LOVER, Book One and Two of the Rules of Scoundrels Series

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Early Review: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

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Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Crash into You Katie McGarry
Series: Pushing the Limits #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: November 26th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Harlequin Teen) in exchange for an honest review

From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane.

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that’s who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers…and she’s just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can’t get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they’ll go to save each other.

OH GOD. OH GOD. Excuse me while I compose myself after reading THE MOST AMAZING BOOK EVER!!! AAHHH!!! I love you, Katie McGarry. Like, SO. MUCH. And I can’t even begin to explain how much I love this series. It’s probably my all-time favorite contemporary YA series. Ever! Basically, I’m obsessed with the series. I just can’t get enough of it. I always want more! I totally squealed when I received an advanced copy of Crash into You. Because I’ve been dying to read this book. It absolutely did not disappoint. And I was so happy when I found out there are going to be more books in the series after Crash into You! AH!

Okay, okay, calm down Lacey! *takes a deep breath* Wow. There are no words to describe how I’m feeling after reading Crash into You. Maybe insanely happy? Maybe just insane? Because I went crazy over this book. Crash into You is a beautifully written YA contemporary romance. It’s young adult at its finest. The characters are real, they pop out of the pages and make you feel for them. You experience all their emotions alongside them, and I bow down to Katie McGarry for being able to make me feel this way.

Crash into You is Isaiah’s story, the third and last person of the trio that includes him, Noah, and Beth. Oh man, this boy. This boy just gets to me. I had been waiting for the day he’d get his story ever since Pushing the Limits came out. And after reading Dare You To? I just could not wait. Because I knew with absolute certainty that I would love Isaiah and fall in love with his story too. And oh my goodness, I did!

Rachel and Isaiah meet at an illegal drag race. Exciting right? Well, it gets even better later on in the book. I absolutely loved reading about the drag racing aspect of the story. it’s just so illicit, so exciting, so exhilarating to read! If drag racing is a part of a book, I’m SO there. And Isaiah? Plus drag racing? *fans self* Too. sexy.

Rachel was a frustrating character to read. Well, it was more like her family situation was frustrating. I felt sorry for Rachel, because her entire family never took the time to know her. When they look at her, they see Colleen, the daughter and sister who died of cancer. They never see Rachel. I was angry and frustrated at her family for being so unfair, for putting so much pressure on her to be who she’s not. And Rachel has severe panic attacks. She can’t handle too much attention, but I never saw her as being weak. She’s strong in a different way, in that she puts those she loves first.

With his love of cars, I knew Isaiah had to fall in love with a girl who knows her cars. And yes! Rachel is as much a car fanatic as Isaiah is. I adored Rachel and Isaiah. I thought they were perfect together. Rachel is the rich, good girl who is pressured by her family to be who she isn’t, and Isaiah is the tough bad boy with the tattoos and earrings who only wants to get out of foster care. They are complete opposites, except for their love of cars, but they work. They balance each other out, and maybe I’m a sucker for the good girl-bad boy love story, but who cares? It was SO good. Their story made me smile, made me laugh, made me giggle, made me swoon, made me gasp, made my heart pound, and made me fall in love all over again with all of Katie McGarry’s characters. Yes, Noah and Echo, Beth and Ryan, and everyone else is in this book!

We also get introduced to Rachel’s older brothers. Four older brothers, to be exact. They’re all jerks, but lovable jerks. And they’ve got the older brother protectiveness in spades. Ethan is Rachel’s twin brother, West is less than a year older than them, and the oldest brothers are Jack and Gavin. I’m SO excited to read West’s book, Take Me On! I was really hoping the next book would be about Logan, the adrenaline junkie, but it doesn’t even matter because I’ll read anything Katie McGarry writes. I highly, highly recommend this series. The romance is perfect, the characters are incredibly written, and the boys are just so damn swoon-worthy!

5 hearts
lacey

Reading Order: Pushing the Limits series

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry Crossing the Line by Katie McGarry Breaking the Rules by Katie McGarry
Dare You To by Katie McGarry Crash Into You by Katie McGarry Take Me On by Katie McGarry

#1 ~ Pushing the Limits: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#1.1 ~ Crossing the Line: Ebook • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Breaking the Rules: My Review • Ebook • Goodreads
#2 ~ Dare You To: My Review • Shirley’s Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Crash into You: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Take Me On: Ebook • Hardcover • Goodreads

Review: One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean

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One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean

One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean
Series: The Rules of Scoundrels #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 29th 2013
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

The second in the incredible new Rules of Scoundrels series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean.

Lady Philippa Marbury is odd. The bespectacled, brilliant fourth daughter of the Marquess of Needham and Dolby cares more for books than balls, flora than fashion and science than the season. Nearly engaged to Lord Castleton, Pippa wants to explore the scandalous parts of London she’s never seen before marriage. And she knows just who to ask: the tall, charming, quick-witted bookkeeper of The Fallen Angel, London’s most notorious and coveted gaming hell, known only as Cross.

Like any good scientist, Pippa’s done her research and Cross’s reputation makes him perfect for her scheme. She wants science without emotion—the experience of ruination without the repercussions of ruination. And who better to provide her with the experience than this legendary man? But when this odd, unexpected female propositions Cross, it’s more than tempting . . . and it will take everything he has to resist following his instincts—and giving the lady precisely what she wants.

I. am. in. love! One Good Earl Deserves a Lover was incredible–it had the perfect amount of edge, angst, humor, sexiness, and sweetness. This book was everything I never knew I wanted in a historical romance!

I was fairly impressed with the first book in The Rules of Scoundrels series, but I didn’t LOVE it. And then I read this gem and WOW. Just WOW. I fell head over heels in love, and I couldn’t put the book down! The characters are incredibly written and the storyline hooked me from start to finish. And I’m hoping other historical romances set in England will be this divine!

I love Philippa Marbury, aka Pippa. She’s quirky and cute and lovable. She’s incredibly intelligent–she knows random facts about anything and everything, but this makes her odd in her society. She’s meant for more in life, but she has to settle for marrying boring old Lord Castleton. Okay, so he’s not old, but he’s just not right for Pippa. She doesn’t make her breathless, her heart race, her body flush… but Cross does.

Cross–the enigmatic part owner of the gaming hell The Fallen Angel, who has just as many quirks as Pippa.

Pippa thinks purely in the scientific sense. She believes in cold hard facts, not in frivolous things like love. She’s never experienced passion and lust, and figures she should know what to expect when her wedding night comes. And so this leads to her research, research about passion, about desire. She goes to Cross, because of his scandalous reputation, for help in her “research.” But she never expected to actually feel things for him, to fall in love with him.

“My whole life . . . two and two has made four.”
He nodded, utterly focused on her, and she loved him all over again for paying attention . . . for understanding her.
“But now . . . it’s all gone wrong.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t make four anymore. It makes you.”

Pippa is just wonderful. She’s tough and stubborn and honest. She’s relatable and just so freakin’ adorable! Ever since she met Cross, she’s become someone more than just her über scientific self. She experiences passion and love. And yet I love how she retains her quirks. Cross just brings out the best in her, both her intelligent side, and her emotional side.

Oh my, Cross. Cross, Cross, Cross. He makes my heart flutter! This man is beautiful, inside and out. He’s so unusual for a main male lead, but that ended up being so endearing to me. Let’s see–he’s abnormally tall, even taller than what you would expect a hot male alpha to be (and he is such a hot male alpha *swoon!*), and he has a head full of red hair. Yes! He’s a redhead, and he makes having red hair sound hot! Personally, I think he could make anything look and sound sexy. There was one scene where Cross’s shirt was unbuttoned a little at the top, and his shirtsleeves were rolled up, baring those delicious forearms… *sigh* The forearms, they just do me in. Can you tell I’m in love with him? And not just with his physical traits either. This man, when he wants to be, is the sweetest man on earth. It may seem as if he’s a scoundrel and a selfish man, but in reality, everything he’s done, he’s done for those he loves. His remaining family has always been his number one priority ever since an incident years ago. But ever since Pippa came into his life, he’s never been the same.

She was everything he’d never known he wanted.
And he did want her. Enough to make him wish he were someone else. Enough to make him wish he were more. Different. Better.

Oh, this man made my heart swoon madly.

The angst! Oh gosh, it was perfect. Cross doesn’t believe he’s good enough for Pippa because of his past and what he’s done. So he pushes her away, doesn’t allow himself to be happy with her. And this just raises the tension off the charts!

I loved every single interaction between Cross and Pippa. There were the funny parts, where Cross would deny himself about feeling anything for Pippa and make an absolute fool out of himself. There were the parts that were so intense and filled with tension between Pippa and Cross. It made my heart flip flop and go crazy!

The secondary characters are so well written too. I became even more intrigued with the other owners of The Fallen Angel, Temple and Chase.

“No toast?”
“Not to love,” Temple said wryly. “Women may be warm and welcome . . . but they’re not to be trusted.”
“Now that you’ve said it, you know what that means.” Temple raised a black row as Chase toasted him with a grin. “You’re next.”

When I read this, it made me laugh so hard. Because yes, Temple will be next!

The book was perfect. Perfect characters, perfect story, perfect ending. I don’t think I’ve ever smiled as hard as I did at that scene right before the epilogue. SAH-WOOON!

I’m not usually a reader of historical romances, at least those that are set in England during the Regency era, but this book was wonderful. If you love historical romances, you should read this book. If you don’t read historical romances, you should read this book. If you don’t like historical romances, you should read this book. You don’t even have to read this first book before diving into this one, it’s that good. (And I’m a stickler for reading books in order!)

*Sigh* I just loved everything about One Good Earl Deserves a Lover. And I cannot WAIT for the next book in the series. TEMPLE!!

5 hearts
lacey

Reading Order: The Rules of Scoundrels series

A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover by Sarah MacLean

#1 ~ A Rogue by Any Other Name: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ One Good Earl Deserves a Lover: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ No Good Duke Goes Unpunished: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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