Freebie Friday Audiobook Review: Love Beyond Time by Bethany Claire

Love Beyond Time 
by Bethany Claire
Series:  Morna's Legacy #1
Pub. Date:  June 16, 2016
Free Date:  Dec. 27, 2014
Publisher:  Bethany Claire Books
Narrator:  Lily Collingwood
Length:  7 hrs 36 min
Format:  Audiobook
Source:  Audible


My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

It began nearly four hundred years ago. The Conall clan and all their people were murdered in a surprise attack, their beloved castle and all evidence of who destroyed them burned to the ground with their bodies. In the centuries following, archaeologists searched through the ruins looking for any evidence of what or who had caused the untimely demise of such a powerful Scottish clan. All efforts were fruitless, until a spell put in place by an ancient Conall ancestor finally began to work its magic...

Texas kindergarten teacher, Brielle Montgomery, finds comfort in the mundane routines of her life, but when her archaeologist mother asks her to accompany her on a dig in Scotland, she decides to step out of her comfort zone. Once in Scotland, they discover a secret spell room below the castle ruins, and Bri finds herself transported back in time and suddenly married to the castle's ill-fated Laird. Now, she must work to change the fate of his people, all while trying to find a way to return to her home and century. But with each passing day, Bri finds herself falling more deeply in love with her new husband. If she can find a spell to bring her home, will she use it? And if she stays, will it ultimately mean her own death as well?

So I have seen this series compared to Outlander many times over the past year, and I was stoked to find it free on Amazon (I did add the Audible narration for $1.99). I agree that fans of Outlander may like this series... but I am not sure that I would compare the books. It would be an unfair comparison seeing as the Outlander books are 800+ pages, and the Morna's Legacy books all appear to be under 300 pages. You are just not going to get the same level of detail, plot and character development at that length. (I mention this only because I took a quick scroll through the reviews and saw some complaints.)

That being said - Love Beyond Time was a good start to a time travel series for fans of historical romance set in Scotland. I think if you are reading it (vs. listening to the audiobook), that the story is paced well and the plot conflict is interesting even though its somewhat typical of the conflict seen in most Scottish historical romances. I happened to listen to this book in audio, and the narrator read a little slow for me, which made the story drag in places.

The time periods are split between 1645 and 2013, and the time travel is triggered by a witch's spell originally cast in the 17th Century on a portrait of two doppelganger women separated by 400 years. Brielle (21st Century) and Blaire (17th Century) swap places in time when both of them see a portrait that looks like them and read the inscription (spell) underneath the painting. Brielle arrives in 1645 on the evening of her wedding to Laird Eoin Connall. Things do not start off well for Eoin and Brielle, and they had an uphill battle from enemies to friends to lovers all the while trying to uncover the unknown enemy in time to stop the entire clan from being slaughtered.

I liked Brielle and Eoin, though I wish the narrator would have infused more personality into the characters' speech and dialects. Between the slight character development and the somewhat monotonous narration, the characters sometimes felt one-dimensional. I was hoping that this series was going to follow one couple over their trials and tribulations through time, but after glancing through the first few books, it looks like there will be a new couple for each book. So I will be interested to see if the author's writing changes as the series progresses.

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Morna's Legacy Series

Review: How to Seduce a Scot by Christy English

How to Seduce a Scot 
by Christy English
Series:  Broadswords and Ballrooms
Pub. Date:  Dec. 1, 2015
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Casablanca
Pages:  352
Format:  eARC
Source:  NetGalley


My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

He's the terror of the ton...

The plan is simple:

1. Descend from the Highlands to face the aggravation of a London Season;

2. Foist his wild sister off on some gullible English lord;

3. Retreat before the ladies of the scandalized ton can get any ideas.

Determined to see his hellion of a sister wed, Highlander Alexander Waters is willing to face anything—even the English. He just didn't expect his own rough manners to cause such a riot...or for a blooming English rose to catch his eye.

Gently bred Catherine Middlebrook must find a respectable man to marry or her family will be ruined. She won't allow herself to be distracted by Highland barbarians...no matter how her body may thrill whenever Alex is near.

Catherine wasn't part of the plan, but as their battle of wills escalates, Alex comes to realize this "proper" English girl is as wild as the Highlands themselves...and nothing will stop him from having her. 

This is the first installment in Christy English's new Broadswords and Ballrooms series, featuring a family of rough and tumble Highlanders and their spitfire sister. I believe the premise will be matching each spirited Highlander with a prim and proper English woman/man. I have been wanting to read this author for a while, and have been eyeing To Be Queen: A Novel of the Early Life of Eleanor of Aquitaine. So I was glad to see she has this new series on NetGalley so I could give her a shot.

In this first book, our hero is a proud braw Highlander who sticks out like a sore thumb among the English dandies. Alexander Waters is unapologetic about his size, his manliness, and his Scottish patriotism. He is drawn immediately to our heroine, Catherine, a country girl from Devon who is being ignored by all the other men in Almack's. While Alex was bonny and braw, he was also uber nice and honorable. I did like Alex, and his wondrous black leather gloves, but I wished he would have been a little more of a Highland caveman. I haven't read a good bride stealing book lately, and I was really hoping he was going to take matters in his own hands and steal Catherine away.

Catherine is a sweet and dutiful country girl who has fallen on hard times. After her father passed, her somewhat flighty mother has ruined their finances. In a last ditch effort, Catherine comes to London to have a one and only season to grab a husband who will take care of her and her family. Unfortunately her dutiful nature causes her to do things all wrong and she quite got on my nerves with it. I really lost a lot of respect for her towards the end when she was fouling things up with Alex.

This series has a lot of potential, and I am looking forward to the next book. Unfortunately this first installment didn't hold my attention all that well and I was not a huge fan of the heroine.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Broadswords and Ballrooms

Audiobook Review: The Billionaire Takes a Bride by Jessica Clare

The Billionaire Takes a Bride 
by Jessica Clare
Series:  Billionaires & Bridesmaids #3
Pub. Date:  Oct. 20, 2015
Publisher:  Tantor Audio
Narrator:  Jillian Macie
Length:  8 hrs 41 min
Format:  Audiobook
Source:  Hoopla


My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

Billionaire Sebastian Cabral loves his family, he just doesn't love their reality TV show, The Cabral Empire. So when his ex-girlfriend tries to rekindle their relationship on camera, Sebastian decides that drastic measures are in order.

By day, Chelsea Hall is a happy-go-lucky, rough and tumble roller derby skater. By night, she's still living in fear of her past. Most of all, she just doesn't want to be alone. And she really, really doesn't want to date. 

So when their mutual friends' upcoming wedding turns Chelsea and Sebastian into fast friends, they realize they can solve both of their problems with one life-changing lie: a quick trip down the aisle.

But with one kiss, Chelsea and Sebastian suddenly realize that their pretend relationship is more real than either of them expected...

In this third installment of the Billionaires and Bridesmaids series, we are dealing with a more serious subject matter than we have seen in the previous two books.

Our heroine in this book is Chelsea, who moonlights as a mean and sassy derby girl, Chesty La Rude. However this mean girl attitude is all an act, an outlet for Chelsea to take out her rage following a heartwrenching tragedy. In reality, Chelsea is afraid of the dark and strange men. She is insecure and needy to the extreme. Given what she suffered, I was able to forgive her those traits for the most part. I liked her well enough, but I didn't connect with her character to the extent that I could put myself in her place.

Our hero, Sebastian, is somewhat embroiled in the arena of reality TV (or at least his family is). He is independently wealthy, he doesn't work but instead rock climbs and dabbles in art. Sebastian was a very sweet beta male - the kind that will give you a toothache. Luckily he was able to temper that by being a decent dirty talker. I wish he would've been more ambitious with his time and money though.

To escape pressure from his ridiculous family and ex-girlfriend, Sebastian poses the idea of a marriage of convenience to Chelsea.  It was nice seeing the two grow closer together. However the plot conflict was predictable, and the serious subject matter didn't always mesh well with the light-hearted nature of the book.  The audiobook did keep my interest, but it's not my favorite of the series.

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Billionaires & Bridesmaids

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Cover Reveal: Russian Tattoos by Kat Shehata

Russian Tattoos
Kat Shehata
Published by: Limitless Publishing
Publication date: January 12th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Suspense

Falling in love isn’t a crime—but falling in love with a Russian mob boss could be deadly.

Competitive tennis player Carter Cook wants a taste of freedom. Her overprotective father monitors every aspect of her life, so when he becomes employed by Vladimir Ivanov –a sexy Russian with an array of tattoos and an accent that weakens her knees—a taste of danger is within Carter’s grasp. Behind her father’s back, she enjoys spending time with Vladimir at his lavish estate. But is he really the upstanding businessman she believes him to be?

Vladimir Ivanov—godfather of a Russian mafia crime ring.

Vladimir spent five years of his life in a Siberian prison camp and has earned every tattoo inked into his skin. He is a powerful man who gets what he wants, and after stalking the gorgeous tennis player for years—he wants Carter. A little charm melts her heart, and behind the scenes, he orders his henchman to track her every move.

He’s a tattooed stick of dynamite ready to blow at the slightest spark.

As their romance reaches deadly levels, Carter senses something’s not right. When she’s lured into a compromising position at the hands of a shady European drug dealer, she calls in Boris, Vladimir’s right hand man, to rescue her—without telling Vladimir. With his authority questioned, he sets out to teach Carter a lesson about loyalty she’ll never forget.

When Carter realizes she’s in too deep, she must fight for her freedom before the attraction turns fatal. But the Russian mafia plays for keeps, and Vladimir’s fierce lust to possess her spirals their romance out of control.

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About the Author

Kat Shehata went to school with a bunch of animals--literally. She is a graduate of the Cincinnati Zoo's Animal Conservation and Care Program. Her first career involved caring for exotic, dangerous, and adorable animals as a zookeeper. She has had her shirt ripped off by a jealous orangutan, hand-fed grapes to fruit bats, played tug-o-war with a three-toed sloth, and escorted an elephant down Pete Rose Way in the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day Parade. As an author, Kat weaves her love of animals into her work. She is the co-author of New York Times bestseller Animals on the Other Side.

She is a competitive tennis player and spends her free time smashing tennis balls, cheering on her teammates, and playing matches in a recreational league. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, three kids, and an enthusiastic poodle. She holds a bachelor's degree in theatre from Wilmington College, a professional writing certificate from the University of Cincinnati, and a master's degree in creative writing from Spalding University.

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Audiobook Review: One Rogue at a Time by Jade Lee

One Rogue at a Time 
by Jade Lee
Series:  Rakes and Rogues #2
Pub. Date:  Dec. 1, 2015
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Casablanca / Tantor Audio
Narrator:  Carmen Rose
Length:  10 hrs 38 min
Pages:  384
Format:  eARC / Audiobook
Source:  NetGalley / Hoopla


My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

USA Today bestselling author Jade Lee continues her saucy, vibrant Rakes and Rogues Regency romance series with a high-society outsider who may have met his match… 

A brown-eyed bastard with nothing to lose

As the illegitimate son of a duke, Bramwell Wesley Hallowsby grew up tough, on the fringes of society, learning to hide his hurt and cynicism with charm and Town polish. He’s carved out a place for himself as a mercenary, serving as bodyguard and general strong arm for the peerage. Bram has nothing to lose… and he’s exactly what Maybelle “Bluebell” Ballenger needs.

Meets his match in a blue-eyed beauty with everything to hide

Maybelle needs a mentor to teach her to speak and act like a lady, so she can claim the place in society she was denied. As they team up to take on the ton, Bram knows she’s hiding something even from him. Despite the deception he sees behind those sparkling blue eyes, Bram wants to believe that Maybelle’s love is no lie. But it seems fate has served him up his just desserts in the likes of this determined damsel.

This is my second book from Jade Lee, and I think she will be on my auto-buy list for historical romances in the future. Her characters are really engaging and I get lost in the story easily.

Our hero in this installment is Bramwell Hallowsby, the bastard son of a duke. Bram is the half-brother of Elinor, who you may remember as the horrible snob from 50 Ways to Ruin a Rake. Bram is a historical bad boy.  The circumstances of his birth have forced him to live on the edges of the Ton, and he has taken to protecting others. Stories of his heroic deeds abound, yet he is still not accepted in the inner circles of society. I really didn't like Bram at first - he was so cynical and it seemed like he was really only looking out for his wants and needs.  At one point he performs a such a masterful seduction of our heroine using Bible references and feet washing of all things, that I felt sorry for her. But by the end Bram had totally won me over and even made me shed a tear or two.

Similar to 50 Ways to Ruin a Rake, our heroine in this installment is also a country girl. Maybelle Ballenger is granddaughter to an earl, but has been hidden away in the country because her mother was a simple housemaid. Growing up in the small town of Hull has been very hard on Maybelle because everyone speculates about her birth and assumes she is a bastard. She has tried her whole life to prove that she is just as good as everyone else in town.  And now that her mother has passed and she is a female all alone, she also has to fend off lecherous advances from every man she passes. I admired Maybelle's determination to right the wrong done to her mother, and prove herself a lady. I was frustrated right along with her when Bram was being a dunderhead, but was so happy when they got their HEA.  And that proposal - OMG super romantic and caused a few happy tears.

As far as secondary characters, Bram has a few annoying ones to deal with. Then we have Elinor in this story again, and she was not as bad this time as she was in the first book. If you remember from that book, she was always putting Mellie down and I just really didn't like her.  But maybe Elinor's snobbishness is tempering a little because she didn't deliver as many cutting remarks this time. It will be really interesting to see if Elinor herself falls for someone who is not considered "good ton."

I received an advanced copy of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Although I received the free copy, I ran across the audiobook on Hoopla and decided to listen while I was cleaning the house today. This series has translated well to audio and the narrators have done a really good job keeping my attention from wandering.  I am looking forward to the next book, The Richer the Rogue.

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Rakes and Rogues