Thoughts: Falling Hard

Falling Hard

by Pamela Clare
Book 3 of Colorado High Country

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.0 Stars


I had been anticipating the release of Pamela's newest book since there was an announcement that it would be published at the end of 2016.  When it still hadn't come out yet, I found myself a little disappointed.

But here it is, and as is per usual with me, I tend to devour Pamela Clare books like a favorite meal.

And I'll admit, while she seems to be breaking out the schmaltzy once again, I never cease enjoying her books, especially when she creates characters that are just so easy to fall in love with.

Truth be told, I liked this installment more than the previous one, as the romance develops in a more favorable and believable direction, and there is a lot less schmaltz, and a whole lot of sweet with the presence of the three-year-old twins.  This comes as a surprise to myself since I have a secret soft spot for firefighters, and was probably more surprised that I didn't end up loving the second book featuring Fire Chief of Scarlet Springs, Eric Hawke after I finished reading it months ago.

Moving along...


The Story:
Ellie Meeks is a Gold Star wife, raising a set of twins alone--her late husband having never even had a chance to meet his children.  For the past three years, she'd been surviving day-to-day just to raise her children, but not truly able to move on.  Even though Dan had made her promise she would move on and live a happy life if anything ever happened to him, Ellie has never found the pull to do so.

On a snowy night, with two sick children, a load of groceries, and a car that wouldn't start, she meets Jesse Moretti for the first time.  He helps her get herself and her kids safely home, then also offers to arrange for her car to be towed.  It's pretty much a mutual attraction at first sight, and knowing that Jesse is part of the elite Search & Rescue Team of Scarlet Springs, as well as a friend of friends, Ellie cannot help anticipating their next meeting, allowing a spark of interest in men to develop for the first time in three years since she lost her husband.  The best part, he lives right next door!

Jesse is a newcomer in Scarlet Springs, having settled in the small mountain town in order to find peace and get Iraq and war out of his head.  As an adrenaline junkie and a natural athlete, there isn't any dangerous sport he wouldn't participate in, and finds a natural high in mountain climbing and extreme sports.  While he's attracted to Ellie as well, he feels that he has no place bringing his own demons into her life, and in kind, he doesn't feel he could take on Ellie's baggage as a grieving widow as well.  He's got his own problems to deal with, least of all his currently recovering psyche, still feeling the guilt from having been unable to save a little girl from being washed away in rapids recently.

But as the two start to see more of each other, the chemistry is hard to deny, and soon Ellie and Jesse begin to feel more than just sexual tension and lust.  And maybe they can find a way to help each other move forward into a new life together.


My Thoughts:
I've always loved Pamela Clare's romantic suspense books, and while contemporary romance isn't the first genre I will reach for, it most certainly fills those in-between gaps when you want to watch a couple find their happily ever after without spending eighty percent of the book running for their lives.  Unfortunately, it means I need to be prepared to roll through 300+ pages of mundane, daily happenings...

Fortunately, Pamela has a knack for reeling you right into her books, falling in love with her characters, and feeling as if 300+ pages of mundane, daily happenings is just as exciting as watching a couple running for their lives.  Because as event after event takes placed, slowly bringing our sweet and sexy couple together, you get to a point where you're already reaching the end, and you wonder where the time went, and wish that there were more to the story because the enjoyment is real.

Ellie and Jesse are no different than other characters Pamela has created in the past.  They are good people, living hard lives, trying to make the best of things; then they come together and fill an aching hole in each other's hearts that they never even knew they'd been yearning to fill.  There are good people around them--supportive family and friends.

The interactions are good, the children are good, the kids are good, the developing relationship is good... the sex is good.  And somehow, I also love seeing those mundane, daily happenings such as Jesse's daily report on how many stupid people do stupid things on the ski slopes, or even how many unfortunate accidents can happen on a regular basis.  Ellie's daily activities were also interesting, including her interaction with her three-year-old twins, her set-up of the Snow Fest's first aid tent, her few workdays at the hospital as an RN...

You would think a couple--or three, or four--random rundowns of each other's days would get boring after a while, but all the different things that happen to Ellie and Jessie on a daily basis is too realistic to find boring, really.  Especially, for Ellie since I, myself, also work in a hospital and have a few stories of the random variety of things that can happen, both strange and sad.

Meanwhile, while Ellie might be a few positive traits shy of becoming a Mary Sue, I didn't really mind it all that much.  She's a very readily likable person, and that's what matters sometimes.

And then, as much as I'm not a fan of children in real life, the interactions between the twins, Daisy and Daniel, with just about anyone really DID make the book extra enjoyable.  Truth be told, the kids were the delightful part of the book amidst all the romantic angst that reared its ugly head a few times.

Anyway, I don't know who the next feature couple will be for Pamela's next great love story.  However, I DID enjoy the cameo appearance of the entire West family--Nate and Megan and Emily and Jack, and even the horsey, Buckwheat.  Each new Pamela Clare book always makes me want to go back and revisit her I-Team world!

***

If I had played my cards correctly, I think I could have shuffled a few squares around and inserted Falling Hard in somewhere for Romance Bingo 2017.  But it didn't occur to me until later that I might have used this book for the Guy/Girl Next Door square, and then move Sweet Little Lies to Blown Away (based on the cover),  I really considered Key to My Heart, but wasn't quite sure it would fit.

Thoughts: At Close Range

At Close Range

by Laura Griffin
Book 11 of Tracers

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.0 Stars


Tracers is one of my favorite crime thriller slash romantic suspense series.  While a lot of Laura Griffin's earlier work wasn't to my liking, I found that I slowly started becoming hooked to her Tracers series, and before I knew it, I'd read every single book available.

Now I devour each book as they are published and look forward to the next, as well as keeping tabs on other projects Griffin may be creating.

Granted, every so often, one of her books will come off as a regurgitation of something she's already written, with a few switch-ups, I still find myself enjoying them.  Because, if it's one thing she knows how to do well, it's being able to reel the reader into a gripping, un-put-down-able suspense that has you turning pages.

And also, it doesn't hurt that her characters aren't hard to relate with.


The Story:
A lakeside tryst turns into a double murder.  Select persons of interest turn up dead as Daniele Harper is tasked to lead the investigation.  Meanwhile, crucial evidence turns ballistics expert, Scott Black into the police's main suspect.  Having grown up with Scott, Dani finds it hard to believe that he would commit murder, especially after finding a solid alibi for Scott's whereabouts during the killings.  That means that someone is trying to frame the ex-Navy warrior.

When Dani and her team learn that these killings had been planned months in advance--starting from the selection of Scott as the scapegoat--they also uncover evidence that something much deeper is happening.  And as Dani's investigation leads her closer to the truth of the murders, a professional hit man might also be gunning for her life.


My Thoughts:
As I'd stated, sometimes Laura Griffin books feel like they'd been written before somewhere in her back list.  Fortunately, At Close Range feels like an exciting breath of fresh air, despite being another crime thriller and murder mystery in a sea of crime thrillers and murder mysteries.  And also despite there being a few elements that Griffin has used before.  Because we get to watch and follow very intimately as Dani and Scott uncover one piece of evidence after another, acquiring knowledge that slowly pieces the mystery together.

Granted, the ending twist felt a little far-fetched, and maybe a bit over-dramatic, I still found myself flipping pages until the very end.  A little before the mid-point of the book, the story becomes less of a "Whodunnit" and more of a "Why are we killing?"  Because a professional hit man is uncovered, but now we need to know who hired him, what connects all of these victims, why are they all dying, and why Dani is in his cross-hairs as well.

Meanwhile, we get introduced to a few new characters whom I believe will probably be featured in Griffin's next Tracers novel.

One of the things I appreciate about Laura Griffin is how naturally she incorporates new characters, because the introductions don't ever feel forced for the sake of setting up back story for a new novel.  Instead, Sean Byrne pulls his weight quite well as one of the police detectives working with Dani on her case.  Brooke Porter, a Delphi Center forensics trace evidence tech might have already been introduced before, but I don't recall for certain.

And then there are the previous characters, also included into the book quite naturally.  Of course, I must point out that Ric Santos seems to keep going through partners like a new trend.  Throughout the series, I think I've seen him partnered up with at least two other detectives.  This is a big town and a big world after all, and I suppose you don't always see the same officers and detectives and forensic scientists, but I'd still like to know what happened to the other guys Ric had worked with previously.

Anyway, back to our main couple and their story...

Daniele is a tough, smart, and resourceful detective who is given her first case as lead detective, which kind of shakes her up a little bit since she's at that "I'm not sure if I'm up for that challenge yet" stage.  But that doesn't keep her from doing her job, even if it might rub others the wrong way.  So I like that she maintains her level head throughout the case.  Of course, except where Scott is concerned, obviously.

Still, she's a great character, even if a little detached.

Scott is a typical alpha male, who, unfortunately turns into a repeat of previously created male characters in Griffin's Tracers world.  He's ex-military, and somehow has decided to take it upon himself to investigate the case because he doesn't feel like he can trust law enforcement to clear his name.  I can understand his concerns since a crucial piece of evidence is pointing arrows at his head, but it also bothered me that Scott seemed a bit contradictory in his way of thinking.  And it also bugged me that he purposefully omitted his alibi, thus impeding the investigation, forcing Dani to go on a wild goose chase to find his alibi for him--in the meantime, she could have been following a different lead.

In some of his monologues, he is consistently thinking that Daniele is a great detective and will be able to handle a murder investigation--he even tells her so a couple times.  But then he turns around and talks about how he'd be damned to leave this investigation in law enforcement hands because he can't trust that they'd be able to do it properly.  In a round about way, that's like telling Dani to her face that he doesn't trust that she knows what she's doing so he's going to do it himself.

So... I kept wondering... he either believes that she can help him by tracking down the real killer, or he doesn't.  It seemed kind of frustrating that he couldn't quite make up his mind.

Of course, if he weren't so arrogant about his own superior investigating skills, then we wouldn't get to see Dani and Scott in action together, figuring out significant details of the case.

Meanwhile, Scott also goes a bit caveman on Dani, by pretty much telling her to sit back and let him do her job.  This is something that seems to come into play a lot with a few other Laura Griffin books, and really bugs me.  Daniele is a trained law enforcement officer, and lead detective of the current story line's murder case.  It seems rather insulting for Scott to suggest she should "call the cops" to deal with crime, or that she should go hide somewhere while he apprehends a suspect.

For some people, I'm sure it comes off manly and protective.  But I simply see it as an insulting gesture wherein he cements his subconscious distrust of Dani's skills as a police detective, even as he tells her aloud that he believes in her.  And so I DID like that Dani calls him out at some point in the book, when her house is broken into and she chases after the mysterious suspect.  He'd told her she shouldn't have gone after the guy who broke into her home; she snaps back something to the effect of, "Should I have called the cops instead?" clearly trying to point out that she is, after all, a cop.

Because given the same scenario with either of the male detectives in her place, I'm sure Scott wouldn't have bothered suggesting that said male detective NOT go after the culprit--probably would have gotten ribbed if he had stayed home obediently and dialed 911 instead.  Thus is the social double standard.

And also, Dani DID dial 911 and reported her break-in.  She just also went after the guy while she was at it.

Anyway... getting off of my soapbox...

To conclude:  At Close Range is an exciting, page-turning, intensely suspenseful new addition to the Tracers series.  I look forward to reading the next one.

***

I originally wanted to use this book as part of the Romance Bingo 2017 for the Blown Away square, trying to connect it with guns and shooting, as well as the explosions that happen in the book... but I decided that that would be stretching it too much.

Romance Bingo 2017 | Wrap Up

When January came to an end and I wasn't even a good ways into this Bingo card, I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to Blackout.  My personal life kind of got in the way, and while I'm not one to cast blame, being sick for a month and a half--starting with a cold, maybe some sinusitis, and ending in bronchitis--really put a dent in any and all motivation to do anything at all.

Reading became a backseat priority after getting some sleep (or not getting sleep, really).  Blogging was definitely something I wasn't getting into.

Truth be told, I probably could have gotten at least one or two Bingos, but my book selections didn't really take me in that direction.  And also, two or three of the books I read, I didn't really want to stretch too many liberties trying to get them to fit some of the more vague squares such as 'Blown Away' or 'Key to My Heart.'  I'm quite surprised I didn't find a book to fill in 'Insta-love'--well, actually I read several books with insta-love in it, but I had read those books for other squares, and my mindset was quite stubborn against moving them around.

Maybe I could have done some shuffling.

Maybe not.

Still, I had a good amount of fun, started a few new series, and found some great books, even if I also found a lot of cruddy books.

I look forward to the next Reading Bingo, definitely!

Click here for my Romance Bingo 2017 summary page, and to see the original, unmarked card.

Books:
Insta-love:
Too Stupid To Live:  Forgotten Sins by Rebecca Zanetti
"Headless" Woman:  Sweet Bea by Sarah Hegger
Love is Murder:  Die for Me by Cynthia Eden
New Adult:  Overruled by Emma Chase

Young Adult:
Regency Romance:
Eyeshadow and Heaving Bosom:  A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James
Virgin & Best First Time:  A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare
Gothic Romance:  The Moon-spinners by Mary Stewart

Blown Away:
Man in a Kilt:  Highlander Claimed by Juliette Miller
Love (Free Space):  The Search by Nora Roberts
Rogue:  A Week to be Wicked by Tessa Dare
Historical Romance:

Secret Billionaire:
Twins:  The Switch by Lynsay Sands
Fairy Tale Retelling:
Wedding Bells:
Second Chances:  Fear for Me by Cynthia Eden

Key to My Heart:
Pirates Argh:
Guy/Girl Next Door:  Sweet Little Lies by Jill Shalvis
Interracial Couple:  Tempted into Danger by Melissa Cutler
Urban Fantasy Romance:  Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep


Currently Reading:
Cybele's Secret by Juliet Marillier || Pirates Argh

Reads I Never Got To:
A Lady by Midnight by Tessa Dare || Historical Romance
That's Amore! anthology || Wedding Bells
By Your Side by Kasie West || Young Adult
Treasures Lost, Treasures Found by Nora Roberts || Key to My Heart


Squares I Never Chose Books For:

• Insta-love -- I thought at least one of the Rom-Suspense books I read would have insta-love in it, and while they did, I used them for other squares.
• Regency Romance -- So many Regency romances... didn't choose a one... or just didn't get around to reading for this category.
• Blown Away -- Had one book, but it might have been stretching it.
• Secret Billionaire -- Had no idea what to read for this square.
• Fairy Tale Retelling -- I had decided to read Cybele's Secret for this square until I found out that it's not really a retelling.  Nixed the idea of reading Daughter of the Forest for Bingo since I wouldn't be able to finish it.  At least Cybele's Secret ended up having a pirate (see above), even though I haven't finished reading it yet.

See Also:  My Romance Bingo 2017 Page

Brief Thoughts: A Kiss at Midnight

A Kiss at Midnight

by Eloisa James
audio book narrated by Susan Duerden
Book 1 of Fairy Tales

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  3.0 Stars

Miss Kate Daltry doesn't believe in fairy tales . . . or happily ever after.

Forced by her stepmother to attend a ball, Kate meets a prince... and decides he's anything but charming.  A clash of wits and wills ensues, but they both know their irresistible attraction will lead nowhere.  For Gabriel is promised to another woman—a princess whose hand in marriage will fulfill his ruthless ambitions.

Gabriel likes his fiancee, which is a welcome turn of events, but he doesn't love her.  Obviously, he should be wooing his bride-to-be, not the witty, impoverished beauty who refuses to fawn over him.

Godmothers and glass slippers notwithstanding, this is one fairy tale in which destiny conspires to destroy any chance that Kate and Gabriel might have a happily ever after.

Unless a prince throws away everything that makes him noble...

Unless a dowry of an unruly heart trumps a fortune...

Unless one kiss at the stroke of midnight changes everything.

First of all, this is my first audio book narrated by Susan Duerden, and her performance was amazing!

Second of all, the author leaves a note at the end of the book that states that she takes LOTS of liberties with the time period, purposefully choosing not to be accurate in her representation of the Regency era.  As this is a fairy tale, and because I'm not entirely familiar with Regency anyway, this isn't something that really bugs me too much.

Finally, I find this book extremely difficult to rate or even give an opinion on, both because while I DID enjoy the book for it's entertainment value and Kate's subtle humor and sarcasm, I was rolling my eyes at all the over-dramatics displayed by our characters, the tacky dialogue between our lovers, and all the obvious presentations of romantic cliches scattered around the story.

Meanwhile, I lost count of how many times Kate cynically rolls her eyes at her physical beauty, and has to be told over and over again by friends, new acquaintances, and even her godmother that she is, indeed, very beautiful.  Once or twice is fine; several times throughout the book gets a little annoying.

And the prince was just plain frustrating and I found myself kind of hoping that Kate would end up becoming attracted to the prince's majordomo, Berwick, instead.  Now there's a character you can come to like.

I liked that Kate's stepsister, Victoria, was a lovely, sweet girl from beginning to end.  I loved Kate's godmother, Lady Henrietta Roth's openly blunt personality.  The presence of animals--the three dogs, the lion in the cage, the elephant and the monkey--were nice.

And while I liked how Kate and Prince Gabriel's relationship developed over time... I didn't really like the circumstances of which they start falling in love in the first place.  And then when the angst started, I might have lost interest in them as a couple.  I also found their first encounter alone together a bit hard to be happy about since the prince all but gropes her forcefully, and all she feels is lust, even though she wasn't inviting the attention.

All-in-all, the book was entertaining, but I'm still trying to figure out whether I actually like the romance or not, even if I DID enjoy Kate's non-romance interactions, as they were able to showcase her as a witty, intelligent, and reasonable-headed young lady, rather than the besotted, love struck teenager she becomes when she's around Gabriel.

***

I read this book for Romance Bingo 2017 for the Eyeshadow and Heaving Bosoms square... because just look at the cover.

Other possible squares:

• Insta-love
• Too Stupid To Live -- Some of Kate's actions are hard for me to accept.
• New Adult -- The characters are in their twenties.
• Regency Romance -- Even though the author states that she chose to portray the era inaccurately.
• Virgin & Best First Time
• Historical Romance
• Secret Billionaire -- For reasons.
• Fairy Tale Retelling -- This book is based on Cinderella.
• Wedding Bells -- Two weddings are mentioned in this book, even if none actually take place.
• Love (Free Space)

Brief Thoughts: The Switch

The Switch

by Lynsay Sands

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  3.0 Stars

When they first met Lord Jeremy William Radcliffe, Charlie and her twin sister, Elizabeth, were escaping from their uncle--taking turns acting the young gentleman to avoid detection.  But Charlie couldn't help falling head over heels--and out of a window--for the handsome lord.  Of course, that was only the beginning; Lord Radcliffe insisted on showing "him" and her lovely sister to London.

But how could he do that?  With every touch, Radcliffe seemed unknowingly to incite indecent desires in Charlie, and his fraternal intent was certain to land her in a fine mess.  Though it was a great game to play a boy, there was more fun in being female.  And after one brush of his fiery lips when her guise was gone, Charlie swore to be nothing but his woman forevermore.

I love a good cross-dressing plot device.  In fact, it is actually one of my favorite devices because of all the delicious possibilities for comedy, drama, and angst.  Embarrassing situations are also the icing on the cake.  Yes.  I love watching fictional characters squirm.

So when I read the summary for The Switch, I got really excited.  First of all, this book would satisfy one of the squares for Romance Bingo 2017.  Secondly, CROSS-DRESSING PLOT DEVICE!

The Switch was an enjoyable book, though to be honest, a couple days after completing said book, I'm not entirely sure I can recall anything that really stood out about it.  On the other hand, I actually found some of the tangents in this book a little hard to suspend disbelief for, namely Lord Radcliffe's reactions towards the twin sisters dependent on who was playing the boy and who was playing the girl that day.  Unless pheromones are really as strong as media tends to make them seem in humans, I suppose.

Otherwise, if you don't think too hard about some of the logical fallacies in The Switch, the book was actually quite entertaining.  I DID love watching the brief self-revelation plot point take place with our twins, each sister learning something significant about herself, and then moving forward with that newly discovered knowledge.

I did not quite care for the dragging on of the ending.  While it seemed like a significant part of the story, the last few chapters just felt kind of forced--like tying up loose ends in the form of a prolonged epilogue or something.  Or like forcing a last minute suspenseful encounter to balance out the romance heavy story.

Something like that.

***

I read this book for Romance Bingo 2017, the Twins square.

Other possible squares:

• Insta-love -- While we could argue that Charlie and Lord Radcliffe's story wasn't insta-love, Beth and Tomas's story was definitely insta-love.
• New Adult -- The twins are eighteen, I think.  I don't recall reading how old Radcliffe or Tomas are.
• Regency Romance
• Eyeshadow and Heaving Bosom -- The original cover from 1999 doesn't show bosom.  The cover from Avon in 2013 shows a generously more amount of bosom.
• Virgin & Best First Time -- There is no monologue about whether or not the sex was great, but the virgin part is true.
• Historical Romance
• Love (Free Space)

Brief Thoughts: Sweet Little Lies

Sweet Little Lies

by Jill Shalvis
audiobook narrated by Karen White
Book 1 of Heartbreaker Bay

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  3.5 Stars

Choose the one guy you can’t have...

As captain of a San Francisco Bay tour boat, Pru can handle rough seas—the hard part is life on dry land.  Pru loves her new apartment and her neighbors; problem is, she’s in danger of stumbling into love with Mr. Right for Anybody But Her.

Fall for him—hard...

Pub owner Finn O’Riley is six-foot-plus of hard-working hottie who always makes time for his friends.  When Pru becomes one of them, she discovers how amazing it feels to be on the receiving end of that deep green gaze.  But when a freak accident involving darts (don’t ask) leads to shirtless first aid, things rush way past the friend zone.  Fast.

And then tell him the truth...

Pru only wants Finn to be happy; it’s what she wishes for at the historic fountain that’s supposed to grant her heart’s desire.  But wanting him for herself is a different story—because Pru’s been keeping a secret that could change everything.

I think one of things that Jill Shalvis excels in is creating a set of characters you come to love almost immediately, despite some of the flaws that come to happen over the course of the story (or series), as well as some of the stupid, frustrating things that said characters allow themselves to do.

Pru is absolutely a wonderful character, though she's a few Mother Theresa acts shy of becoming a standard Mary Sue.  If it weren't for some of her more realistic, down-to-earth charms, I'm not sure I would have been able to relate with her, nor fall for her.  But between her affection for her scaredy-cat dog, her quirky behavior around people, and a handful of moments that had me wincing in secondhand embarrassment for her, she came off so likable that I could almost forgive her for dragging out her conflict to the point of frustration.

And therein lies the one, biggest reason why this book wasn't a complete love for me.  The idea was great from page one, because it served as a vehicle for all sorts of delicious romantic angst to come.  Pru's little secret about her identity and her reasons for keeping said secret at the beginning was a great start to the story.  And as her relationship with Finn grew stronger and she continued to avoid telling him this truth, an almost predictable romantic trope wormed it's way to the surface.

And then about the fourth time she monologues about needing to tell Finn before their relationship got too far, and then changing her mind because she was too caught up in playing sexy times with him... well, their relationship was already at a pretty far level, and her wishy-washy avoidance started getting a bit frustrating.  Because we've all seen this story before in many other variations, and while I enjoyed it the first time around, I think I would have enjoyed it more in this particular book if something had turned out a little different.

But Finn's reaction to Pru's revelation was standard.  Pru's reaction to Finn's reaction was standard.  And then the reactions of their friends were also standard.  And so the whole climax of the story's main conflict somehow came off a bit anticlimactic.  Then, on top of that, the ending "Declarations of Love" scene kind of came off a bit tacky.

Don't get me wrong, the FEELS were still present.  I felt a pang for Pru--this formula is tried and true after all--I loved following the characters, and the witticisms and humor were standard Jill Shalvis fun.  But that doesn't mean it doesn't frustrate me.

Anyway, again I absolutely love the characters created in this first installment of a new series.  The crew of Heartbreaker Bay are fun, unique, and I very much look forward to the rest of their stories.  And also, I hope more animals are involved, because the presence of the little growly Thor just made this book so much sweeter!

***

I read this book for Romance Bingo 2017, the Guy/Girl Next Door square.

Other possible squares:

• Blown Away -- The cover gives off a windy feel.
• Love (Free Space)

Thoughts: Sweet Bea

Sweet Bea

by Sarah Hegger
Book 1 of Sir Arthur's Legacy

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.0 Stars

Is anything sweeter than revenge?

In a family of remarkable people, ordinary Beatrice strives to prove herself worthy.  When her family is threatened with losing everything, she rushes to London to save them.  Unfortunately, she chooses as her savior the very man who will see her family brought low.

Garrett has sworn vengeance on Sir Arthur of Anglesea for destroying his life when he was a boy and forcing his mother into prostitution for them to survive.  He has chosen as his instrument Sir Arthur's youngest daughter, Beatrice.

Can Beatrice’s goodness teach Garrett that love, not vengeance, is the greatest reward of all?

I'm actually quite pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book.  I was expecting some historical fluff, and while the book was definitely fluffy, it was actually also kind of inspirational, even if not on any global levels.

Beatrice is kind of the odd sheep in her family of extraordinary people, as the summary states.  Her mother, the Lady Mary, is well-respected and authoritative; her father a great knight and warrior whom even the king has become envious of.  Her brothers readily follow in Sir Arthur's footsteps in kind, and her sister, Lady Faye, is the perfect beauty, wife, and mother.

Meanwhile, Bea is simply known as the one with hair-brained ideas who keeps finding herself in one form of trouble or another.  But when her family is in trouble, she takes it upon herself to seek out her father with hopes of saving the day.

In truth, Beatrice could have been that heroine I love to hate.  Bea is naive and innocent, too trusting of others, at times kind of ditzy.  And her main hair-brained idea in this book truly DOES get her and her companions into a lot of trouble.  But aside from all of that, she's a Mary Sue of epic proportions as even one of her fellow companions states that she's a rare person with a big, warm heart.

And so while she's a heroine I normally can't stand, somehow, Bea comes off kind of endearing, and manages to show us that she's so much more than what she's always described as.  There's a lot of feisty and a churning mind under her lovely, sweet personality that I don't think characters in the book give her enough credit for.

One thing that bugged me includes how Bea's family treats her, even by the end of the book.  If she's ignorant about current events or even family goings on, it's because nobody ever tells her anything.  And when she actively seeks out answers, they either omit facts or lie to her or just tell her that she doesn't need to know, keeping her completely in the dark.  So I feel like the whole "Bea shouldn't do anything if she doesn't know what's going on" mentality is a bit unfair to her.  Hard to keep a wandering child from falling off a cliff if you don't warn her that it's there, or what will happen if she gets to close.

Even as the conclusion rolled around, I still didn't know whether or not Bea's adventure was pointless.  The family still isn't really saying anything about what they already knew, or what kinds of precautions were already active--there are STILL secrets being kept.

Which brings me to the second thing that didn't work for me as the ending.  Truth be told, it was a nice, well-rounded ending.  But it was well-rounded because we pretty much pick up all of the story's stray eggs and stick them all in the basket and call it good.  I mean, everything just fell together like we were in a hurry to wrap up the show or something.

Anyway...

The book started off a little hard to get into, as I had a hard time with caring about the characters.  It wasn't that I didn't like them; they just didn't mean anything to me, and neither did the story.  So I'm glad that things picked up pretty quickly, and with the short length of this novel, the progression was straight-forward.  We set off on a journey, and despite a few random detours, the book pretty much took us where it meant to take us since day one.

On a side note, I loved the rag tag group that Beatrice manages to collect along her way.  I mean, she really only picks up two people to join her gang, and one of them was a little brat boy of a thief who kept trying to manipulate Bea's emotions; however, it DID make the adventure a little more amusing.  I definitely loved the inclusion of Ivy and her subtle, budding friendship with Bea, and the small spark of romance with Tom.

Again, this book was more enjoyable than I'd expected, and that is always a good thing.  I can't say that I completely fell for Garrett by the end of the book, but I don't dislike him either.

I may or may not continue on in this series.

***

I read this book for Romance Bingo 2017 for the "Headless" Woman square.

Other possible squares:

• New Adult - Bea and Garrett are fairly young, and I doubt they are any older than their mid-twenties.
• Virgin & Best First Time - For obvious reasons.
• Rogue - I would label Garrett as this.
• Historical Romance - I think this book takes place in the Middle Ages.
• Love (Free Space)