Sophia Nash: Secrets of a Scandalous Bride

Secrets of a Scandalous Bride: B+
Elizabeth Ashburton & Rowland Manning
Historical - British Regency

Elizabeth Ashburton lives behind a charming, happy façade in an effort to forget her former life. But when she is forced to confront the devil from her past, her friends in the dowager duchess’s widows club can not save her, and Elizabeth turns to the last man on earth willing to help her…

The extraordinarily powerful Rowland Manning has never pretended to be anything but a bastard, in every way imaginable. Through innate grit and determination, he built an astonishing empire and he’ll do anything and everything to save it. Yet, the one thing he secretly craves . . . something even he cannot name, can never be purchased with his kingdom of riches.

Each has something to win. Each has something to lose. Only love will determine if the price of redemption and sacrifice is too high. (author's website)

Elizabeth Asbhurton has a secret. She is also running from someone who really wants to marry her, but he happens to be someone she cannot trust, so she runs into the arms of Mr. Rowland Manning (tall, dark, and handsome - why would you not run into his arms?).

I don't really remember the back-story with Rowland, but apparently he has done some low, scum-like things in previous books: something along the lines of kidnapping someone and trying to hold her ransom...from his legitimate, half-brother. But then, you find out Rowland's past and you realize why he is the way that he is.

One thing that was really interesting was Rowland's dislike of food and of hunger, in general. When Elizabeth runs into his arms, he covers for her and demands that she repay her debt by temporarily working as a housekeeper and cook in his home. Rowland works hard and spares little time and resources for unimportant things like food. She sees this and cooks him (and his men) sumptuous meals, forcing him to eat it as he tries to deny it.

It's pretty much representative of the love he feels for her.

But in the end, all of the nastiness gets solved and Elizabeth gets him, despite having sacrificed herself (in having plans to marry untrustworthy man to save Rowland).

Aw! Happily ever afters are awesome!

Bottom line: Good read. Alice recommends!

Sophia Nash: The Kiss

The Kiss: A
Georgiana Wilde & Quinn Fortesque

He had once been her cherished childhood companion, and then the man she lusted for in secret, but Georgiana Wilde hasn't seen recently widowed Quinn Fortesque since the day he married another woman and shattered her heart. Then fate intervenes and brings the man she dreams about each night back to her . . . .

Returning to the estate on family business, Quinn would like nothing more than to turn the land over to Georgiana and leave the memories of his former life behind. But then the brooding marquis finds himself under the spell of the beauty he once left behind. With her barely concealed passions, Georgiana melts his coolly guarded heart. Suddenly his well-ordered world is in danger of crashing down. And it all began with just one kiss . . . (amazon)

Have you ever read something out of a book, gasp in shock, then moan for the characters?

Ms. Nash’s story was full of those moments. It got to the point where my sister told me to shut up (I was reading in her room, keeping her company as she studied). But it’s not my fault! I couldn’t help it! It’s Ms. Nash’s fault for creating a story full of wit, romance, love, angst, and overall drama (that we all love, even though we claim we don’t). Man, it was one satisfying read!

(I realize that this is another reunion story. Man, I love those!)

Georgiana, Quinn, and Anthony were childhood friends. Quinn and Anthony were cousins, with Anthony as the heir to the Ellesmere Marquis-ship. Quinn was an orphan, one that Anthony’s parents had grudgingly taken in. And Georgiana? She was the daughter of the Ellesmere estates’ steward.

The story starts out with Georgiana and Anthony’s wedding night. She had given up on Quinn, who years ago, married and went away to work as a foreign diplomat. Shockingly, Anthony dies on their wedding night and Georgiana is the newly widowed Marquess of Ellesmere, to the horrification (is that a word or did I just create it?) of Anthony’s mother, the Dowager Duchess.

With the death of Anthony, Quinn is handed the title, and he returns to Penrose, Cornwall with his cutie-pie nine year old daughter, Fairleigh.

There is a strong attraction between Quinn and Georgiana, however, the conflict and drama surrounding Anthony threatens to harm their relationship.

I loved Georgiana’s spunky and independent nature; I also loved Quinn because… well, he was hot. (lol) And as the story unfolds, it is heartbreaking to see the angst and trial that they all go through. It makes you think about how much your actions have on other people – because Anthony and Quinn’s late wife both impacted Georgiana and Quinn in a number of ways.

While this is the sequel to Nash’s A Dangerous Beauty, it can be read as a stand-alone and is utterly wonderful. I’m so disappointed that her next novel is going to be released next February! What, are they nuts?! I can only count down the days for Grace’s story – Lord knows she deserves one.