Sportochick's Musings: October 2017

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Say Yes to the Scot by May McGoldrick; Sabrina York; Lecia Cornwall; Anna Harrington

Sportochick's Musings ~ A series of unique love stories that will delight any reader.

Say Yes to the Scot:

A Highland Wedding Box Set

by May McGoldrick; Sabrina York; Lecia Cornwall; Anna Harrington

Find The Book At ~ Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

Publisher ~ St. Martin's Press Swerve

Genres ~ Historical Romance

You are formally invited to the Highland wedding event of the year. These four lasses are about to meet their matches in an original digital anthology featuring stories from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Sabrina York, Lecia Cornwall, Anna Harrington, and May McGoldrick.

How a Lass Wed a Highlander by Lecia Cornwall
In this retelling of The Princess and The Pea, Laird Alex Munro of Culmore has just five weeks to find a bride and marry her...or else the clan will be cursed with ill luck. Cait MacLeod finds herself caught in a clan feud, and when she tries to stop a deadly raid, she ends up as Alex Munro’s prisoner. With timing running out, is this couple meant to be?

A Match Made in Heather by Anna Harrington
She was the laird's daughter. He was nothing more than a penniless, nameless Scot with nothing to offer but his heart. Fate tore them apart, but now he's back in her life with status, money and a title. Can they let go of past hurts and find love?

A Midsummer Wedding by May McGoldrick
Their marriage was two decades in the making. The young, educated woman and her highland, pirate husband, betrothed when they were still children. But on the day of their wedding, Elizabeth Hay and Alexander Macpherson are in for a surprise.

The Scot Says I Do by Sabrina York
Catherine Ross's world is turned upside down when her brother gambles away every penny they own. But to make matters worse? He’s lost everything to none other than Duncan Mackay, the rugged Scot who Catherine loved for years--but he never noticed her, and now she positively loathes him. But her brother’s in danger of going to Newgate, and the despicable Duncan has a plan– she can claim back the money and save her brother. If she marries him…

How a Lass Wed a Highlander by Lecia Cornwall
Adding fairy magic to this story is perfect and Laird Alex Munro of Culmore doesn't believe in such things so it is fun watching this non believer being forced to adhere to clan customs. Cait is a strong woman and I like her position regarding her cousin and the Laird. The back and forth between these two is like watching a table tennis match...exciting.

A Match Made in Heather by Anna Harrington
Garrick and Arabel are star crossed lovers with extreme anger towards each other and this lends to a tension filled read. The author's portrayal of their interactions are heartfelt moving this reader to want a happy ending for them.

A Midsummer Wedding by May McGoldrick
Elizabeth and Alexander both don't want to marry each other and this is where the story gets very, very interesting. This set of authors under the pen name of May McGoldrick knows how to tell an interesting story filled with historic details. I enjoy reading anything they write.

The Scot Says I Do by Sabrina York
What a great plot of intrigue and love lot! Full of rich detail and deep emotions this story squeezed my heart and then filled it up.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Monday, October 16, 2017

Lord of Lies by Amy Sandas

Sportochick's Musings ~ In the first three books to this series, each sister has an intertwining story giving unique perspectives to the same time span.

Lord of Lies

Fallen Ladies #3

by Amy Sandas

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Publisher ~ Sourcebooks Casablanca

Genres ~ Historical Romance

"You do strange things to me, Dell Turner. Tell me I am not alone in what I feel."
His voice was low and rough. His eyes burned. "You are not alone," he said.

Portia Chadwick knows she'll never have a life of adventure. But when a dangerous moneylender kidnaps her sister, Portia seeks help from a man known only as Nightshade. Soon she finds herself charging headfirst into his world of intrigue and danger―and unexpected passion.

Dell Turner grew up in London's back alleys and gin lanes. Vowing to escape his low beginnings, he hires himself out to society's elite. When he accepts a job from a beautiful young lady, he doesn't anticipate her relentless determination to join his mad occupation...or her unnerving ability to inspire emotions he thought long buried. She's as dangerous to him as his world is to her, and yet Dell can't bring himself to turn Portia away... even if it means risking her life.

This is a unique series with three sisters. In the first three books, each sister has an intertwining story giving unique perspectives to the same time span. So having read The Untouchable Earl #2 I found this book extremely interesting from Portia's viewpoint. The whole series to date is handled very well.

Dell Turner fascinates me. Everything about him is unique and refreshing. He isn't a typical main male character and this adds to his mysteriousness causing this reader to fall for him. Also, his rough edges and intriguing personality add much needed depth to the plot. I do like that he is from the other side of the tracks making his current lifestyle admirable.

Portia really cracks me up and her character adds flavor to this book. There are times I want to laugh at how her mind thinks and how Dell reacts to her but I really love her frankness and how intelligent she is. I wish more women were as determined and free thinking as she is.

Portia's sisters are prominent in this book and seeing their reactions from Portia's eyes is fun and interesting. Also seeing their personalities without being in their head like the other books it quite amazing.

I give this 4 STARS for being fast paced and unique.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

My Reviews Of The Fallen Ladies Series

Luck Is No Lady #1- Not Reviewed
The Untouchable Earl #2 - My Review
Lord Of Lies #3 - My Review
No Kind of Lady #4 - Coming Soon

Amy's love of romance began one summer when she was thirteen and complained of boredom. She ended up with one of her mother's Barbara Cartland books and an obsessive interest that expanded from there. Her affinity for writing began with sappy pre-teen poems and led to a Bachelor's degree with an emphasis on Creative Writing from the University of Minnesota--Twin Cities.

She writes in the early mornings while her young kids are still asleep and dreams of a future when she can write all day instead of going to her "other" job. In the evenings, Amy is a full-time wife and mother who enjoys pizza, wine and dark brooding heroes...namely, her husband.

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With This Christmas Ring by Manda Collins

Sportochick's Musings ~ In this romantic love story the author does a phenomenal job with a very interesting plot.

With This Christmas Ring

by Manda Collins

Find The Book At ~ Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

Publisher ~ St. Martin's Press Romance Swerve

Genres ~ Historical Romance

A wallflower determined to fulfill a dying promise, the rogue she jilted years ago, and an orphaned baby are all brought together amidst the magic of Christmas in this new novella from Manda Collins.

Miss Merry Parks makes a deathbed promise to a schoolfriend that her infant daughter will be taken to her absent father. There’s only one problem—to find the baby’s father, she’ll have to consult his cousin, Viscount Wrotham, the man she jilted five years ago. The man she couldn’t forget.

Alex Ponsonby, Viscount Wrotham, is stunned to find Merry Parks—looking more lovely than ever--on his doorstep with an infant in her arms. His shock soon turns to dismay when he learns his own cousin William is the man who abandoned his wife and child. As head of the family he’s duty bound to see right is done. But he can't let this opportunity pass. He’ll take Merry and the baby to his cousin, but he’ll woo her back in the process.

Merry agrees to travel with Alex and the baby to Wrotham Castle, where the entire Ponsonby family has gathered for Christmas, but her plans to see the baby settled then leave are ruined by a snowstorm. After five years apart, Alex and Merry will spend the week getting reacquainted. Perhaps it’s the spirit of the holiday, or the magic of the season, but there could be something else in the air this Yuletide…A Christmas Reunion.

I love books about lost loves coming back together or should I say seeing each other again. It is always interesting to see their reactions to each other and how each has a misconception about what tore them apart.

In this story, the author does a phenomenal job with a very interesting plot including a dying friend, a promise, a newborn baby and a lost love. Even more exciting is how redemption comes into the storyline from multiple angles.

Right from the start the reader is drawn in with the deathbed promise between Merry and her best friend. Merry's character is determined and she worries about others that she loves to the point of self-sacrifice. This is exhibited throughout the story on numerous occasions causing the reader to instantly love her. An additional aspect of this book is how the author shows Merry's maturity on how she handles what happened in the past and its effect to both Alex and herself.

Alex is a very determined man. He wants answers and he wants Merry. His character shows persistence in how he handles the baby, his cousin, his grandma, the female houseguests who are trying to be his Viscountess and maneuvering Merry to win her back.

There is much in this book to keep the reader happy and satisfied. For this reason, I give it 4 STARS.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Manda Collins is the author of The Lords of Anarchy series, which includes Good Earl Gone Bad and A Good Rake is Hard to Find, as well as several other Regency-set romances. She spent her teen years wishing she’d been born a couple of centuries earlier, preferably in the English countryside. Time travel being what it is, she resigned herself to life with electricity and indoor plumbing, and read lots of books. When she’s not writing, she’s helping other people use books, as an academic librarian.

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Monday, October 9, 2017

The Duke of Defiance by Darcy Burke

Sportochick's Musings ~ I give this 4 stars for making me cry, smile, cheer and fan myself.

The Duke of Defiance

The Untouchables #5

by Darcy Burke

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Publisher ~ Darcy Burke Publishing, Inc.

Genres ~ Historical Romance

Difficult and defiant as a child, Bran Crowther, Earl of Knighton left England as a young man to pursue independence and adventure. He never expected to inherit the title and when duty calls him home, he still finds Society’s codes constricting and others’ expectations oppressive. Nevertheless, he needs a wife to be a mother to his young daughter, preferably a woman of intelligence and warmth who is, above all, immune to his idiosyncrasies—and to falling in love.

Widow Joanna Shaw isn’t interested in a second marriage, not after the loveless, passionless union she endured. She’d much rather dote on her young niece and nephew since they will likely be the only children in her life...until she meets a precocious girl, in desperate need of a mother. But her father, the so-called Duke of Defiance, is as peculiar as he is handsome, and Jo won’t take another risk with her heart. Their rules, however, are made to be broken, even when the consequences could destroy them both.

Excuse me while I fan myself..... Wow the heat between Widow Joanna Shaw and Bran Crowther, Earl of Knighton is off the charts making this a very sensual romance book. It is much more than that though. It has a developed plot involving a rather picky Earl, a woman not willing to expose her heart and a most often shy but utterly charming little girl, Evie.

This is an enjoyable read full of love, romance and historical detail. The author does a phenomenal job of keeping this book interesting with dialog and intense interaction between the two main characters. Additionally Evie adds a charming perk to the storyline keeping the reader involved in whether or not her father will marry again and who.

Joanna's heartbreak and secret is portrayed in a believable manner and I actually wanted to cry for her. This twist to the story takes it up a notch giving the reader a book full of emotions and understanding for her plight.

I give this 4 stars for making me cry, smile, cheer and fan myself.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

My Review Of The Untouchables Series
The Duke of Desire #4 - My Review
The Duke of Defiance #5 - My Review

The Duke of Danger #6 - My Review

The Duke of Ice #7 - My Review
The Duke of Ruin #8 - My Review

Darcy Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, emotional historical and contemporary romance. Join Darcy's Reader Club for free books and other exclusives at http://darcyburke.com/readerclub. Darcy wrote her first book at age 11, a happily ever after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan who loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations.

A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her devoted husband, their two great kids, and two Bengal cats. In her “spare” time Darcy is a serial volunteer enrolled in a 12-step program where one learns to say “no,” but she keeps having to start over. She’s also a fair-weather runner, and her happy places are Disneyland and Labor Day weekend at the Gorge.

Find The Author At ~

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5 🌟 Duke with Benefits by Manda Collins

Sportochick's Musings ~ An entertaining hot hot read that keeps the reader guessing to the very end who did what, when, where and why.

Duke with Benefits

Studies in Scandal #2

by Manda Collins

Find The Book At ~ Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

Publisher ~ St. Martin's Press Romance

Genres ~ Historical Romance

LADY + DUKE = TRUE LOVE?

Lady Daphne Forysthe is a brilliant young math prodigy with a burning passion for puzzles. When she learns that the library belonging to her benefactress houses the legendary Cameron Cipher a mathematical p that, once solved, holds the key to great riches Daphne is on the case. Unfortunately, her race to unlock the cipher s code is continually thwarted by a deliciously handsome distraction she hadn t counted on. . .and cannot resist.

Dalton Beauchamp, the Duke of Maitland, is curious as to why Daphne is spending so much time snooping around his aunt s bookshelves. He s even more intrigued by her bold yet calculating manner: she is unapologetic about her secret quest. . .and the fiery attraction that develops between them both. But how can they concentrate on decoding a mathematical mystery once the prospect of true love enters the equation?

Seriously Lady Daphne is brilliant but hysterical in her lack of understanding how to relate to people. I can honestly say I know several people just like her and at times they frustrate me and other times they astound me with their high intelligence and way of looking at certain things. So yes Daphne's character is relatable and well written. I also felt that a situation that happened in her past was brought into the storyline with supreme finesse showing part of why she acts a bit strangely and also enriched the mystery part of this book.

Dalton Beauchamp, the Duke of Maitland, is just yummy and ever female reader will love him right from the start. His character is honest, caring and thoughtful. Additionally intriguing about him is how he takes his childhood and creates a man with integrity as an adult.

There are lots of secondary characters in this story and all of they are fully developed adding full body to an already fun romantic mystery book.

I give this 5 STARS for being an entertaining hot hot read that keeps the reader guessing to the very end who did what, when, where and why.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

My Reviews Of A Studies in Scandal Series
Ready Set Rogue - My Review
Duke with Benefits - My Review

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Monday, October 2, 2017

REVIEW The Reluctant Highlander by Amanda Scott

Sportochick's Musings ~ A most unusual read with rich historical detail and wording appropriate for it's era.

The Reluctant Highlander

The Highland Series #1

by Amanda Scott

Find The Book At ~ Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

Publisher ~ Open Road Integrated Media

Genres ~ Historical Romance

An uncertain bride looks for love with a man as wild and mysterious as his Highland home in this new Scottish romance from a USA Today–bestselling author.

Ordinarily, Lady Fiona Ormiston wouldn’t think of forming an alliance with an ungroomed, barbaric Highlander, despite the protection he offers. But now, by request of the king, Sir Adham MacFinlagh, a brazen stranger and outsider unlike anyone she has met before, is to be her husband. Torn from solitude and the comfort of her family to make a home with the rugged knight, Fiona surrenders to Adham’s powerfully passionate—and shockingly tender—touch, only to discover her new husband’s family ties may lie with an enemy of the king.

A sense of duty may have brought Adham to the marriage bed, but it’s his powerful feelings for his beautiful, willful wife that will be his undoing. Ultimately, the bold knight will have to decide: Does his allegiance lie with his blood ties to the man who hopes to bring down the king or with the bride who has stolen his heart?

From the author “frequently credited with creating the subgenre” of Scottish romance with her Lairds of the Loch and Secret Clan series, The Reluctant Highlander is a rich historical tale of intrigue and desire (Library Journal).

A most unusual read with rich historical detail and wording appropriate for its era.

Adham is the main male character who is presented as a man full of integrity, superb warrior abilities and is embedded with a hidden caring that continues to present itself throughout the book. His dealings with Lady Fiona Ormiston and her father caused me to think that there were two extreme sides to his personality. The hardened warrior he presents to all people and the caring side that he rarely shows but those close to him know. Because of this he caught my interest early.

Lady Fiona as the main female character drove me a little batty at times. I wanted to shake her because of her carelessness in certain aspects of her life. But this part of her character is indeed her strength at the end of the book and I could see how no other woman would of been the one to be there for Adham in the manner he needed.

Seriously, I got wrapped up in the history that is throughout this book and I could feel myself going back in time. It was well done.

I give this 3.75 STARS only because I had trouble following the story at times because of the old language that was used and most of us are not familiar with.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Amanda Scott, USA Today Bestselling Author and winner of Romance Writers of America’s RITA/Golden Medallion (LORD ABBERLEY'S NEMESIS) and Romantic Times’ Awards for Best Regency Author and Best Sensual Regency (RAVENWOOD'S LADY), Lifetime Achievement (2007) and Best Scottish Historical (BORDER MOONLIGHT, 2008), began writing on a dare from her husband. She has sold every manuscript she has written.

Amanda is a fourth-generation Californian, who was born and raised in Salinas and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in history from Mills College in Oakland. She did graduate work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, specializing in British History, before obtaining her Master’s in History from California State University at San Jose. She now lives with her husband and son in northern California.

As a child, Amanda Scott was a model for O’Connor Moffatt in San Francisco (now Macy’s). She was also a Sputnik child, one of those selected after the satellite went up for one of California’s first programs for gifted children. She remained in that program through high school. After graduate school, she taught for the Salinas City School District for three years before marrying her husband, who was then a captain in the Air Force. They lived in Honolulu for a year, then in Papillion, Nebraska, for seven. Their son was born in Nebraska. They have lived in northern California since 1980.

Scott grew up in a family of lawyers, and is descended from a long line of them. Her father was a three-term District Attorney of Monterey County before his death in 1955 at age 36. Her grandfather was City Attorney of Salinas for 36 years after serving two terms as District Attorney, and two of her ancestors were State Supreme Court Justices (one in Missouri, the other the first Supreme Court Justice for the State of Arkansas). One brother, having carried on the Scott tradition in the Monterey County DA’s office, is now a judge. The other is an electrician in Knoxville, TN, and her sister is a teacher in the Sacramento area.

The women of Amanda Scott’s family have been no less successful than the men. Her mother was a child actress known as Baby Lowell, who performed all over the west coast and in Hollywood movies, and then was a dancer with the San Francisco Opera Ballet until her marriage. Her mother’s sister, Loretta Lowell, was also a child actress. She performed in the Our Gang comedies and in several Loretta Young movies before becoming one of the first women in the US Air Force. Scott's paternal grandmother was active in local and State politics and served as president of the California State PTA, and her maternal grandmother was a teacher (and stage mother) before working for Monterey County. The place of women in Scott’s family has always been a strong one. Though they married strong men, the women have, for generations, been well educated and encouraged to succeed at whatever they chose to do.

Amanda Scott’s first book was OMAHA CITY ARCHITECTURE, a coffee-table photo essay on the historical architecture of Omaha, written for Landmarks, Inc. under her married name as a Junior League project. Others took the photos; she did the research and wrote the text on an old Smith-Corona portable electric. She sold her first novel, THE FUGITIVE HEIRESS - likewise written on the battered Smith-Corona in 1980. Since then, she has sold many more books, but since the second one she has used a word processor and computer. Twenty-five of her novels are set in the English Regency period (1810-1820). Others are set in 15th-century England and 14th- through 18th-century Scotland, and three are contemporary romances. Many of her titles are currently available at bookstores and online.

Find The Author At ~

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Pages

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Say Yes to the Scot by May McGoldrick; Sabrina York; Lecia Cornwall; Anna Harrington

Say Yes to the Scot:

A Highland Wedding Box Set

Monday, October 16, 2017

Lord of Lies by Amy Sandas

Lord of Lies

by Amy Sandas

My Reviews Of The Fallen Ladies Series

With This Christmas Ring by Manda Collins

With This Christmas Ring

by Manda Collins

Monday, October 9, 2017

The Duke of Defiance by Darcy Burke

The Duke of Defiance

by Darcy Burke

5 🌟 Duke with Benefits by Manda Collins

Duke with Benefits

by Manda Collins

Monday, October 2, 2017

REVIEW The Reluctant Highlander by Amanda Scott

The Reluctant Highlander

by Amanda Scott