Escaping the Earl by Lauren Smith – a Review

Escaping the Earl by Lauren Smith – a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Google Play

 

Description
Peregrine Ashby, Earl of Rutland

A gentleman.
A reluctant aristocrat.
Desperate to avoid marriage.

Peregrine Ashby, the newly and unexpectedly titled Earl of Rutland, is muddling through the affairs of becoming a suddenly wealthy and titled man of means. The last thing he wants to worry about is a finding a wife. After the disaster of his parents’ loveless marriage, he’s sworn off wife-hunting.

But when he stumbles quite literally into a mysterious beauty wearing a mask at a ball who begs for his help he can’t deny her. Her request? Make love to her beneath the stars and save her from a terrible marriage herself. After the magic of the night is over and the mysterious beauty has vanished, he remains haunted by her and what might have been…

Sabrina Talleyrand flees her home when she learns her brother has sold her in marriage to a foul man. Knowing the one thing that will stop the marriage is no longer being a virgin, she seduces the first man at a masked ball that attracts her attention. But making love to the handsome dark haired stranger with amber colored eyes has left her changed in more ways than one…

 

 

Review:

Escaping the Earl by Lauren Smith is the 16th book in her League of Rogues series. This book starts with a young woman seeking help in escaping a marriage that she does not want and a man with a title and commitments he didn’t ask for! 

Peregrine is so confused with running his new title and everything that comes with it! He certainly doesn’t want to find a wife at the moment! 

Sabrina needs a man! Any man will do, except the man her family want her to marry! She needs to get rid of her virginity! If she does that, then the horrid man claiming her have in marriage won’t want “used goods”! Donning a mask, she is determined to attend a ball and become a “fallen woman” 

Both Peregrine and Sabrina fall for one another both literally and figuratively. And spending a magical evening together they both wonder about the other, but as masks were worn to this ball, neither know who they are! But it doesn’t stop them from thinking about each other. 

And when she takes up employment with a lovely man with a cute daughter, Sabrina breaths a huge sigh of relief. Her life will continue as a nanny to the lovely family that has taken her in. 

Peregrine on the other have is still wondering about the mysterious young lady he had a midnight tryst with. And so when he encounters her months later he is surprised that she’s only a nanny and not some lady! But he’s going to peruse her and maybe get what he’s been dreaming about for months. 

A historical romance with a slight twist. Most historical books I’ve read have the young woman hanging onto her virginity until either marriage or the right man. But this one has her seeking to just give it away to the first man! And usually the man is an arrogant bore or a rogue, but Peregrine is neither. 

This is the first book in this series I’ve read, and I’ll definitely go back and visit the League of Rogues Series at some point. But I have read other books by this author and I’ve been thoroughly entertained. 

Plenty of angst and a little steam for this book. Both it’s not a marriage Peregrine offers Sabrina, it’s a role of mistress! His parents marriage was a disaster and so he’s never going to fall into that trap. 

Sabrina is heartbroken! She wants a family with Peregrine, she’s given him her body and heart. What’s a girl to do? Luckily the family that have taken her in can supply the answer and they leave the town and Peregrine be find! 

It’s a shortish book with plenty going on. But you’ll want to know if Peregrine and Sabrina find a HEA, or will she fall for Rafe and his lovely daughter…..

Your going to have to find that out for yourself. ? 

Reviewed by Julie

Copy supplied for Review

 

Share

Vitality by Crysta Levere – a Review

Vitality by Crysta Levere – a Review

 

Amazon / Kobo / Google Play / Apple
August 25th – E-book of Vitality is on sale for $.99 on above links

Description:
She’s fighting for life. He’s fighting for death.

What does it take to live? What does it take to love?

To Ava, love is about as real as fairy tales. But it might be that fairy tales, myths, and magic have some truth to them after all — as well as the monsters that lie in the shadows. Or she could just be completely out of her mind.

After a mental breakdown and a move to a new town, everything changes when Ava clashes with a stranger with eyes as black as midnight and a terrifying sinister air. Her wishes to feel something again become granted. But Ava soon learns that not only is he as cold as he is beautiful, but he brings something out of her, stronger than ever, like fuel to fire — something she’s desperate to bury. He haunts her dreams and waking life, and staying away becomes harder than she could have ever imagined, risking her life, her humanity, and the people that she cares about. Not to mention the fate of the world.

A violent passion. A dangerous bond. A nightmare that will change everything.

She could spend a lifetime searching, and looking for the one thing that might make her whole, that made the reason for her existence, even though, possibly, she could be forever lost in doing so. She could feel that was the only way, even if it took a lifetime, an eternity, a forever. She could follow her heart. Or she could stay… where she was a person — only half, though still more than a drifting wind — only helpful to another’s existence and not anymore her own. She could stay, starving and wilting, knowing each day that this pull, this grab from reality she felt every minute of every day, could be seizing her… asking her… needing her to follow it — and knowing it until her last petal fell.

 

Review:

Vitality by Crysta Levere is a standalone novel.  Oooooh I liked this one….. 

Poor Ava, she’s just trying to get by. Recovering from a mental breakdown, she’s moved to a new town, and now she just wants to be left alone. Moving into a house with a housemate isn’t ideal. Dahlila starts out as a nuisance, she won’t leave Ava alone; introducing her to her friends Danny and Shane. Slowly she accepts the friendship they offer. Maybe she will get stronger, maybe this place can heal her. 

Layton is a vampire. After seeing Ava, she’s his new obsession, and with all his past obsessions it too will fade. But she doesn’t, she haunts him, she makes him crazy! Why can’t he just take her and drain her? 

The game he plays with her mind is cruel, but not to him, it’s only a game, the hunt, the whispering, the touches. But as he plays with her, she slowly lures him in, what’s so special about her? Why can’t he break he break her spell? 

The story does jump around, the points of views from both Ava and Layton had me a little confused! It’s not your usual vampire story, this is very dark. Dealing with depression is always a tricky subject. Dealing with loss needs to be dealt handled with care. And both these subjects were treated with respect and research. The authors idea of a vampire is very different.

My feelings towards this book, is confusion, but I did like all the characters, her new pack of friends were well rounded. The “Elite” group at college were all the people we loved to hate (pretentious, false and glamorous). Layton and his crew were shrouded in mystery. All we got was snippets (but that had me wanting more) 

I spent a lot of time wondering what was real, what was imaginary and what the hell was going on! And I did not see the end coming, totally threw me. 

Reviewed by Julie

Copy supplied for review

Share