Tamara Gill

I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Sarah is an Archaeologist sent back in time to retrieve a mapping device that she was unable to acquire during her first trip which led to the death of the Earl of Earnton. Now she must get close to his twin and get the mapping device no matter what the cost.

Time travel romances are one of my favorite genres and A Stolen Season doesn't disappoint! The era was well described, you could easily visualize yourself there. I felt drawn to the main character and my heart broke for her as she found herself falling in love with Eric. The story stayed true to time travel rules and the intense blossoming romance between Sarah and Eric is easily felt. This was a page turning novel that left me at the edge of my seat. There were also a few teary moments, so be prepared to get your Kleenex ready.… (meer)

A Wallflower’s Kiss by Eva Devon
This wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t what I look for in wallflower stories. There is almost a dash of insecurity, but it’s really just the heroine asking herself “he could never love me, could he?” a couple of times and saying that she’s not beautiful - no angst, which is what makes me read HRs. Really, Ophelia is quite confident in who she is and isn’t worried about marrying Peter; she takes an attitude of “I won’t settle for anything less than love.” There’s basically no conflict in the story, which some people might enjoy, but I like the drama. And it’s kinda instalove-y, which comes with the short story format, but it’s still not really my thing (though I did like the “unrequited” piece, even if it did fall by the wayside). There is some steam, but it’s not graphic, and the last chapter is mostly romantic declarations. It’s sweet, but that’s not really what I look for in wallflower/spinster books (2.5 stars)

A Brazen Agreement by Tamara Gill
This has a delicious setup, but the delivery didn't make the most of it IMO. There are a bunch of inconsistencies, from continuity (she has a full dance card, but later is free to dance with the hero) to character attitudes and beliefs (the hero goes back and forth between insisting that the heroine learn the truth, to keeping the secret o protect her). If the story had been longer, the main characters' mood swings between wanting nothing to do with eachother (though why is he so mad at her exactly?) to coming up with flimsy excuses to spend time together might have come across as inner turmoil, but here it feels like whiplash and more inconsistency. A bit too much repeated inner monologue instead of showing - like, I loved how the hero had a moment of distress realizing how the heroine had been humiliated when he sees her be acosted by a guy at a ball, THAT is how I want my angst, not from internal wishy-washiness. (2 stars)

A Duke at Midnight by Stacy Reid
I liked this one the best of the bunch. A nice dose of angst with the hero hurting the heroine and having to win her back. A brief mention of her being plain but it doesn’t play much of a role in the tale, though the heroine has a couple of dashes of insecurity. Good stuff! (3 stars)

Overall rating: 2.5 stars… (meer)