Review-To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters

Publisher: Atria Books

Published: April 7, 2020

Genre: Historical Romance

Source: Print ARC

Rating:

See what other readers & reviewers are saying HERE!

Blurb:
In this fresh and hilarious historical rom-com, an estranged husband and wife in Regency England feign accidents and illness in an attempt to gain attention—and maybe just win each other back in the process.

Five years ago, Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley met, fell in love, and got married. Four years ago, they had a fight to end all fights, and have barely spoken since.

Their once-passionate love match has been reduced to one of cold, detached politeness. But when Violet receives a letter that James has been thrown from his horse and rendered unconscious at their country estate, she races to be by his side—only to discover him alive and well at a tavern, and completely unaware of her concern. She’s outraged. He’s confused. And the distance between them has never been more apparent.

Wanting to teach her estranged husband a lesson, Violet decides to feign an illness of her own. James quickly sees through it, but he decides to play along in an ever-escalating game of manipulation, featuring actors masquerading as doctors, threats of Swiss sanitariums, faux mistresses—and a lot of flirtation between a husband and wife who might not hate each other as much as they thought. Will the two be able to overcome four years of hurt or will they continue to deny the spark between them?

With charm, wit, and heart in spades, To Have and to Hoax is a fresh and eminently entertaining romantic comedy—perfect for fans of Jasmine Guillory and Julia Quinn.

Review:

To Have and to Hoax is a fun romantic come in a historical fiction settting.This type a book is right up my alley—marriage in trouble, couple with a fiery connection, and marriage games galore. I loved it and yet at the same time I couldn’t help but think about how immature the two main characters were. 

Four years they went about no real conversation and ignore each other for three years! How can anyone, let alone a husband and wife, stay mad that dang long? It could all have been solved if they would have just communicated with each other. That's way too easy though-especially when you have two bullheaded main characters. Way too pride, in my honest opinion.

It annoyed me to no end that we had two grown adults, acting childlike. I could see teenagers acting this way because of emotional immaturity but adults? I expected a little more from them. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this so much and got a good chuckle in, but sometimes I can't jump on board with people who acted the way these two did. 

I had so much fun reading this despite some of my annoyances and I think a lot readers would enjoy it as much as me. Romance novels make my heart sing and this one was no different. I look forward to more from the author and I hope she explores more from this world!

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest an unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Buy the book:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

About the Author:

Martha Waters was born and raised in sunny South Florida and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She works as a children’s librarian in North Carolina and spends much of her free time traveling. To Have and to Hoax is her first novel. Sign up for her newsletter for periodic book news and reading & travel recs: http://tinyletter.com/marthawaters

Blog Tour Review + Giveaway-The Wallflower Wager (Girl Meets Duke #3) by Tessa Dare

Publisher: Avon 

Published: August 13, 2019

Genre: Historical Romance

Source: Print ARC 

Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads

Buy Links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Blurb:

They call him the Duke of Ruin.

To an undaunted wallflower, he's just the beast next door. 

Wealthy and ruthless, Gabriel Duke clawed his way from the lowliest slums to the pinnacle of high society—and now he wants to get even.

Loyal and passionate, Lady Penelope Campion never met a lost or wounded creature she wouldn’t take into her home and her heart.

When her imposing—and attractive—new neighbor demands she clear out the rescued animals, Penny sets him a challenge. She will part with her precious charges, if he can find them loving homes.

Done, Gabriel says. How hard can it be to find homes for a few kittens?

And a two-legged dog.

And a foul-mouthed parrot.

And a goat, an otter, a hedgehog . . .

Easier said than done, for a cold-blooded bastard who wouldn’t know a loving home from a workhouse. Soon he’s covered in cat hair, knee-deep in adorable, and bewitched by a shyly pretty spinster who defies his every attempt to resist. Now she’s set her mind and heart on saving him.

Not if he ruins her first.

Review:

Ha! The Wallflower Wager was amazing—Lady Penelope, Penny, is probably one of my most favorite heroines out there. She makes absolutely no apologies for who she is. I can dig and respect that. Especially since she cares deeply for animals that people don’t want—such as the ones that may have slight imperfections that others may find too much to deal with. Not Penny though. She’s a DOLL! 

“Penny believed in a great many things. She believed that education was important, books were vital, women ought to have the vote, and most people were good, deep down. She believed that every last one of God’s creatures—human or otherwise—deserved love.”

Opposites do attract. Penny and Gabe can attest to that. As soon as they met each other, it’s as if a forcefield surrounded them and there wasn’t anything to do but slowly fall in love. Sigh... I really do love Gabe. He’s sensationally grumpy and that’s something I can’t help but like!

“He wanted nothing to do with delicate, pampered misses possessing no knowledge of the world beyond Mayfair. They were painted china on a high shelf, and he was the bull charging through the shop.”

The Duke of Ruin has many secrets and has so much character I couldn’t stand it. He’s more than just the old grump he claims to be. Who can resist a man such as that? If you haven’t yet started this series, I highly recommend changing that up. Dare’s books are so romantic and so much fun to read! 

“I have every luxury a man could desire. Hundreds of thousands of pounds in my accounts. I worked like hell to build a fortune, and yet . . .” His thumb met her cheek with a reverent caress. “Now I’d sell my soul for a Penny.”

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.  

About the Author:

Sign up for Tessa's newsletter and be the first to hear about new books and hot deals!http://tessadare.com/newsletter-signup/

Tessa Dare is the New York Times and USA Todaybestselling author of fourteen historical romance novels and five novellas. Her books have won numerous accolades, including Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® award (twice!) and the RT Book Reviews Seal of Excellence. Booklist magazine named her one of the “new stars of historical romance," and her books have been contracted for translation in more than a dozen languages.

A librarian by training and a booklover at heart, Tessa makes her home in Southern California, where she lives with her husband, their two children, and a trio of cosmic kitties. 

***GIVEAWAY***

Just comment on this post and I'll choose a winner to win a copy of this book!

Blog Tour Review + Giveaway-Say No to the Duke (The Wildes of Lindow Castle #4) by Eloisa James

Find out about the other Wildes if you haven't already!

Publisher: Avon Books

Published: June 25, 2019

Genre: Historical Romance

Source: Print copy

Rating: 4 stars

GOODREADS

Buy links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Blurb:
One little wager will determine their fate—a daring escape or falling into temptation with a rakish lord. 

Lady Betsy Wilde’s first season was triumphant by any measure, and a duke has proposed—but before marriage, she longs for one last adventure.

No gentleman would agree to her scandalous plan—but Lord Jeremy Roden is no gentleman. He offers a wager. If she wins a billiards game, he’ll provide the breeches.

If he wins…she is his, for one wild night.

But what happens when Jeremy realizes that one night will never be enough? In the most important battle of his life, he’ll have to convince Betsy to say no to the duke.

Review:

Say No to the Duke is a fun read! Betsy and Jeremy were a hoot to deal with. The delicious banter, the sexy kisses, and the way that they tried very hard not to fall for each other was what made me love them so much.

Betsy is a strong and independent lady—she also hides who she truly is because of stupid society rules. All the while, men are falling at their feet just to have a chance at marriage with her. Betsy’s having none of it though. The only one who seems to truly see her is Jeremy Roden.

Jeremy suffers PTSD from being in the war. The only time he feels light and free is when he’s around Lady Betsy. He wants her. Badly. Who can blame the guy? Betsy is awesome in all the ways that count.

Those looking for witty banter and a somewhat love/hate relationship; I can’t recommend this enough!

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a free copy for honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About the Author:
New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James writes historical romances for HarperCollins Publishers. Her novels have been published to great acclaim. A reviewer from USA Today wrote of Eloisa's very first book that she "found herself devouring the book like a dieter with a Hershey bar"; later People Magazine raved that "romance writing does not get much better than this." Her novels have repeatedly received starred reviews from Publishers' Weekly and Library Journal and regularly appear on the best-seller lists.

After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Currently she is an associate professor and head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University in New York City. Her "double life" is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she's written a New York Timesop-ed defending romance, as well as articles published everywhere from women's magazines such as More to writers' journals such as the Romance Writers' Report.

Eloisa...on her double life: 

When I'm not writing novels, I'm a Shakespeare professor. It's rather like having two lives. The other day I bought a delicious pink suit to tape a television segment on romance; I'll never wear that suit to teach in, nor even to give a paper at the Shakespeare Association of America conference. It's like being Superman, with power suits for both lives. Yet the literature professor in me certainly plays into my romances. The Taming of the Duke (April 2006) has obvious Shakespearean resonances, as do many of my novels. I often weave early modern poetry into my work; the same novel might contain bits of Catullus, Shakespeare and anonymous bawdy ballads from the 16th century.

When I rip off my power suit, whether it's academic or romantic, underneath is the rather tired, chocolate-stained sweatshirt of a mom. Just as I use Shakespeare in my romances, I almost always employ my experiences as a mother. When I wrote about a miscarriage in Midnight Pleasures, I used my own fears of premature birth; when the little girl in Fool For Love threw up and threw up, I described my own daughter, who had that unsavory habit for well over her first year of life.

So I'm a writer, a professor, a mother - and a wife. My husband Alessandro is Italian, born in Florence. We spend the lazy summer months with his mother and sister in Italy. It always strikes me as a huge irony that as a romance writer I find myself married to a knight, a cavaliere, as you say in Italian.

One more thing...I'm a friend. I have girlfriends who are writers and girlfriends who are Shakespeare professors. And I have girlfriends who are romance readers. In fact, we have something of a community going on my website. Please stop by and join the conversation on my readers' pages.

***GIVEAWAY***

COMMENT ON THIS POST AND I'LL CHOOSE A WINNER TO WIN A COPY OF THE BOOK!
Please leave an email I can get in touch with in case you win.

Review Tour- THE GIRL FROM THE SAVOY by Hazel Gaynor

About the Book

Presenting a dazzling new historical novel … The Girl From The Savoy is as sparkling as champagne and as thrilling as the era itself.

‘Sometimes life gives you cotton stockings. Sometimes it gives you a Chanel gown …’

Dolly Lane is a dreamer; a downtrodden maid who longs to dance on the London stage, but her life has been fractured by the Great War. Memories of the soldier she loved, of secret shame and profound loss, by turns pull her back and spur her on to make a better life.

When she finds employment as a chambermaid at London’s grandest hotel, The Savoy, Dolly takes a step closer to the glittering lives of the Bright Young Things who thrive on champagne, jazz and rebellion. Right now, she must exist on the fringes of power, wealth and glamor—she must remain invisible and unimportant.

But her fortunes take an unexpected turn when she responds to a struggling songwriter’s advertisement for a ‘muse’ and finds herself thrust into London’s exhilarating theatre scene and into the lives of celebrated actress, Loretta May, and her brother, Perry. Loretta and Perry may have the life Dolly aspires to, but they too are searching for something.

Now, at the precipice of the life she has and the one she longs for, the girl from The Savoy must make difficult choices: between two men; between two classes, between everything she knows and everything she dreams of. A brighter future is tantalizingly close—but can a girl like Dolly ever truly leave her past behind?

Review- 

In the last year or so, I've gotten into historical fiction like nobody's business. So it was no surprise when I jumped at the chance to read 'The Girl from The Savoy'. A richly written novel about two girls who couldn't be anymore the same as they are different. Dolly wants to make it in the bright lights as a singer, while Loretta has already made it. Both are searching for something the other one has. 

While enjoyed reading about an era that I desperately wished came back, there were times when I felt the story fell just a bit flat. There were times when I just wanted to put the book down because I was bored to tears. But I trudged on...and I'm glad I did. By the end, I ended up enjoying the characters much more than I initially thought. Especially Dolly. 

I liked her story the best because I like the 'rags to riches' storyline and I feel it never gets old. Dolly starts off the book by tragically saying goodbye to her boyfriend as he goes off to war. Meanwhile, she goes to find work as a chambermaid at The Savoy Hotel. By doing this, it brings her that much closer to fulfilling her dreams. 

Overall, I think that the story was one that had heart and soul. Sure, there were some minor hiccups but for the most part it truly was able to catch the charm of the 20s. I look forward to reading more from the author seeing as how she truly has a gift of bringing characters to life.

*Thank you the publisher for providing a finished copy for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Purchase Here:

THE GIRL FROM THE SAVOY –https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062403483/the-girl-from-the-savoy

About the Author:

Hazel Gaynor is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of A MEMORY OF VIOLETS and THE GIRL WHO CAME HOME, for which she received the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award. She was selected by US Library Journal as one of ‘Ten Big Breakout Authors’ for 2015 and her work has been translated into several languages. Hazel is a contributing author to WWI anthology FALL OF POPPIES: Stories of Love and the Great War. As features writer for national Irish writing website writing.ie Hazel has interviewed Philippa Gregory, Sebastian Faulks, Kate Mosse, Jojo Moyes and Cheryl Strayed, among others.

Connect with Sandra Hill

Website - http://www.hazelgaynor.com/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/HazelGaynor

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/hazelgaynorbooks

Goodreads –http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5774172.Hazel_Gaynor

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/hazelgaynor/

SECRETS OF THE LOCH Trilogy by Candace Camp

 Publisher: Pocket Books

Pub. Dates: June 17, 2014 - March 24, 2015 - January 19, 2016

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Print ARC from publisher

Rating: 4 Stars

GOODREADS

 

 Blurb 1:

Love is in the cards for a young Scottish heiress in the first book of a delicious new trilogy of historical romances, Secrets of the Loch, from New York Times bestselling author Candace Camp.

A family legend of hidden treasure mingles with the mist over the shores of Loch Baille . . . But it’s not the cache of gold dating back to Culloden that Jack Kensington claims when he arrives in the Highlands; it’s the house he won in a London card game from a luckless Scotsman.

Stunned to learn that her wastrel brother wagered their family estate, Isobel Rose must find a way to save her home and the people she loves . . . even if it means accepting a loveless marriage. Or perhaps not so loveless? Isobel unlocks the secrets of desire in the arms of the mysterious and handsome Englishman, but a series of “accidents” makes her fear that she will soon be a widow instead of a wife.

As their hunt for lost riches turns into the search for a killer, Isobel fights her attraction to the man who stole her birthright . . . but can Jack convince Isobel that he can provide a home for her heart, and a love to treasure?  

 

 

 Blurb 2:

From New York Times bestselling author Candace Camp comes the second delicious novel in her trilogy of Scottish historical romances, Secrets of the Loch.

Damon, the earl of Mardoun, is smitten the moment he meets Meg, the village healer—but she rejects every advance from the earl, and will have none of him, even if he is the most handsome man she’s ever laid eyes on. But when unforeseen circumstances bring them together, her conviction begins to fade…

Damon’s daughter falls gravely ill, and distraught, he turns to Meg for help. During the course of nursing his beloved daughter back to health, Meg and Damon fall madly in love, but they both know an earl must wed a noble bride. And Meg will be no man’s mistress.

Will the two lovers overcome the seemingly insurmountable odds and be together at last? Find out in this sweeping, romantic novel in which love is the greatest treasure of all.

 

Blurb 3:

 In the enticing new novel from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Candace Camp’s “poignant, sensual, emotion-packed” (RT Book Reviews) Regency romance series, Secrets of the Loch, an unlikely duo discovers love may be the greatest prize of all when they join an exciting treasure hunt through the Scottish Highlands.

When Coll Munro finds himself supervising an archaeological dig on the sprawling Highlands estate of Duncally, the handsome Scot’s only worry is his former crofter friends, who seem to delight in making his job as hard as possible. Little does he know his biggest problem comes in a much smaller package. Gorgeous Violet Thornhill is an exasperating, meddling bluestocking who came to the site to examine the ruins and instead finds herself studying Coll. The unyielding Highlander and the headstrong English beauty clash at every turn. But when a midnight intruder threatens Violet and the excavation itself, these polar opposites must work together to solve a decades-old mystery. As Coll and Violet race to decipher long-buried clues, will they discover riches hidden years ago...or an unbridled passion more precious than gold?

 

 

Review:

Instead reviewing each individual book, I'll be reviewing all the books as a whole. Hopefully my words will convince you enough to pick up these wonderfully written historical romances. Even if you aren't much of a fan with historical, I still suggest picking up the books. Why? One, the characters are all well written and easy to identify with. The male leads are all swoon-worthy and dreamy. Ever single one of them have one thing in common; they're honorable, loyal, and loving men. 

Two, each book is uniquely different in its own special way. The heroines all had a way of making their stories their own, and I loved it every step of the way, in every book. Now, there were times that the stories would be a standstill and I would struggle to get through chapters. Some were boring and too long. But I don't think it takes away from the overall goodness of the books. 

In short, if you're looking for well written romance stories that will take you away to another time, then this is for you. I would love to read more from the author, and more in the genre in general. Historical fiction is fast becoming one of my go to books; I can't resist a good old time romance. And these books offer is a slow burn love, which makes it that much better when the respective couples finally make it to each other!

 

Buy the Books!!!

Amazon 

Amazon UK

 

About the Author:

Candace Camp is the New York Times bestselling author of over sixty books.

Her first novel, *Bonds of Love*, was published by Jove Publishing in 1978, under the pseudonym Lisa Gregory. Two pseudonyms (Kristin James and Sharon Stephens)and many books later, Candace writes under her own name Candace Camp and still loves creating stories.

Candace lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and is the mother of Young Adult author Anastasia Hopcus.

 

Review: Midnight at St. Petersburg by Vanora Bennett

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Pub. Date: January 19, 2016

Genre: Historical fiction

Source: Print ARC

Rating: 1 Star

GOODREADS

Blurb:
St. Petersburg, 1911: Inna Feldman has fled the pogroms of the south to take refuge with distant relatives in Russia's capital city. Welcomed by the flamboyant Leman family, she is apprenticed into their violin-making workshop. She feels instantly at home in their bohemian circle, but revolution is in the air, and as society begins to fracture, she is forced to choose between her heart and her head. She loves her brooding cousin, Yasha, but he is wild, destructive and devoted to revolution; Horace Wallick, an Englishman who makes precious Faberge creations, is older and promises security and respectability. And, like many others, she is drawn to the mysterious, charismatic figure beginning to make a name for himself in the city: Rasputin.

As the rebellion descends into anarchy and bloodshed, a commission to repair a priceless Stradivarius violin offers Inna a means of escape. But which man will she choose to take with her? And is it already too late? A magical and passionate story steeped in history and intrigue, Midnight in St. Petersburg is an extraordinary novel of music, politics, and the toll that revolution exacts on the human heart.

Review:
Do you ever read a book and at the end of it, all you can find yourself saying is wow? Well, this story has the opposite effect. Instead, I found myself saying, "thank goodness it's over!" because this was just way too long and way too boring. I seriously thought I would love this because of the time period: pre-revolutionary Russia. I don't read many books involving Russia, so I jumped at the chance to read Midnight in St. Petersburg.

The story started off very strong with our female lead, Inna, a Jewish girl on the run to find refuge with a distant relative. It's through this relative, Yasha, that she meets and ends up staying with, the Lemans. A very interesting family that owns a workshop making violins and the place that Inna becomes an apprentice at. And that's where it stops for me. As I stated before, it was long and boring. I think the book could have been cut down a lot; maybe then, I wouldn't have felt as bored.

Aside from that, I don't quite think this is historical fiction, it's more of a romance novel. There's nothing wrong with that but I know some people in the historical fiction genre expect it to stay that way. I was okay with the romance, it may have been the only upside for me. I really would wish to read a book from this timeline and one a little more interesting.  

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Buy the Book!

Amazon

Amazon UK  

About the Author:
I became a journalist almost by accident. Having learned Russian and been hired after university by Reuters (to my own surprise and the slight dismay of traditionally-minded editors who weren’t sure a Guardian-reading blonde female would be tough enough for the job), I was then catapulted into the adrenaline-charged realm of conflict reporting. While on a trainee assignment in Paris, I fell in with the Cambodian émigré community and ended up reporting in Cambodia myself, a decade after the Khmer Rouge regime ended, as well as covering Cambodian peace talks in places as far apart as Indonesia and Paris. That led to a conflict reporting job in Africa, commuting between Angola and Mozambique and writing about death, destruction, diamonds and disease, and later to a posting in a country that stopped being the Soviet Union three months after I arrived. I spent much of the early 1990s in smoky taxis in the Caucasus mountains, covering a series of small post-Soviet conflicts that built up to the war in Chechnya.

My fascination with the cultural and religious differences between Russians and the many peoples once ruled by Moscow grew into a book on the Chechen war (Crying Wolf: The Return of War to Chechnya). A second, more light-hearted book followed, about post-Soviet Russia’s illegal caviar trade, once I’d got homesick for London and moved back to writer leaders on foreign affairs for The Times. This book was The Taste of Dreams: An Obsession with Russia and Caviar.

I now lead a more sedate life in North London with my husband and two small sons, enjoying the reading, research, writing and metropolitan leisure activities that I grew up expecting adult life to involve. I’ve found that writing books is much of a surprise, a pleasure and an adventure of the mind as it was to become a foreign correspondent.

As a journalist I’ve written for, among others, The Times and its website, TimesOnline, the Los Angeles Times, Prospect, The Times Literary Supplement, the Guardian Saturday magazine, the Daily Mail, the Evening Standard, Eve magazine, The Observer Food Monthlyand The Erotic Review.

Website

http://www.vanorabennett.com/

Review- One-Eyed Dukes Are Wild (A Dukes Behaving Badly Novel, #3) by Megan Frampton

Publisher- Avon

Pub. Date- December 29, 2015

Genre- Historical Romance 

Source- Print ARC

Rating- 3.5

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1JirM4x

Blurb:

When does proper behavior deserve a deliciously improper reward?

The scandalously unmarried Lady Margaret Sawford is looking for adventure—and is always up for a challenge. Her curiosity is aroused by a dangerous-looking stranger with an eye patch, an ideal companion for the life she longs for, no matter what Society might say. So when the piratical gentleman turns out to be a duke—and just as boringly proper as any other nobleman—she can't help but incite him to walk on the wild side.

Well-heeled, well-mannered, and well beyond any interest in society's expectations, the Duke of Lasham is tired of being perfect. Margaret's lush beauty and gently laughing eyes are an irresistible temptation to embrace the imperfect—and her. But if a little misbehavior is appealing, unleashing his wild side is completely seductive—as long as the lovely Margaret is the object of his passion. 

Review:

One-Eyes Dukes Are Wild is the third book in the Dukes Behaving Badly series but I haven't yet ventured into the first two. Yet. The story started off kind of slow for my taste but it eventually got to a point where I enjoyed both the storyline and the characters that slowly earned their way into my heart. Lady Margaret has some serious spunk; one that I think most ladies will appreciate. The Duke of Lasham is dreamy, broody, off-limits, and utterly proper. In short, the dude is a "good" boy. 

Lady Margaret is known to society as scandalous for the main reason being, she refused to marry the man her parents set up for her. Why be with a man who doesn't love you? And vise versa? To make matters worse (or better) she's the author under the name of A Lady of Mystery, writing serials. Lady Margaret doesn't care what people think of her, she just wants to be happy. Since her parents disowned her after the whole refusing to marry situation, she starts playing cards. 

She finds she's quite good at playing cards too. It's how she makes her living to survive and she also uses the money for good. Lady Margaret saves women who are in terrible distress. It makes her
character that much more amazing. The moment she spots a delicious man with an eye patch, well let's just say that the rest is history. The poor Duke never really stood a chance once Lady Margaret set her eyes on him. 

If it helps any, I don't think the Duke minded all that much. He's very proper, very by the books, and never, I repeat never, has time for fun. And why would he? He's the Duke and he's got a million and one responsibilities to take care of. But the more time he starts spending with Lady Margaret, the more his walls start to come down. The love, the passion, and the thrill of such a beautiful woman, who also happens to be forbidden, is just what he needs to let go. 

I deeply enjoyed the the witty banter, the slow burn romance, and characters who were able to prove that love is worth it. I don't know when I started loving historical romance because I used to hate the genre. But ever since I started reading and enjoying the books, I can't get enough. I want more. Overall, I recommend this classically told romance book too all starry-eyed readers who're in need of some loving. 

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Buy the Book!

Amazon- http://amzn.to/1MJXbI2

Amazon UK- http://amzn.to/1MJXeUi

About the Author:

Megan Frampton's love affair with books began when her parents moved her to a remote town in New Hampshire where there was only one television station. And then the TV broke. She devoured every book of fiction in her well-read parents' library, finding special joy in Georgette Heyer and the fairy tales collected and translated by Andrew Lang. Megan majored in English literature at Barnard College and worked in teh music industry for fifteen years. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband (her former intern) and her son. (Book jacket, "A Singular Lady")

Review: The Violinist of Venice by Alyssa Palombo

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Pub. Date: December 15, 2015

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Print ARC

Rating: 4.5 Stars

GOODREADS

Blurb:

A sweeping historical novel of composer and priest Antonio Vivaldi, a secret wealthy mistress, and their passion for music and each other

Like most 18th century Venetians, Adriana d'Amato adores music-except her strict merchant father has forbidden her to cultivate her gift for the violin. But she refuses to let that stop her from living her dreams and begins sneaking out of her family's palazzo under the cover of night to take violin lessons from virtuoso violinist and composer Antonio Vivaldi. However, what begins as secret lessons swiftly evolves into a passionate, consuming love affair.

Adriana's father is intent on seeing her married to a wealthy, prominent member of Venice's patrician class-and a handsome, charming suitor, whom she knows she could love, only complicates matters-but Vivaldi is a priest, making their relationship forbidden in the eyes of the Church and of society. They both know their affair will end upon Adriana's marriage, but she cannot anticipate the events that will force Vivaldi to choose between her and his music. The repercussions of his choice-and of Adriana's own choices-will haunt both of their lives in ways they never imagined.

Spanning more than 30 years of Adriana's life, Alyssa Palombo's The Violinist of Venice is a story of passion, music, ambition, and finding the strength to both fall in love and to carry on when it ends.

Review:

Secret trysts. Lovers. Music. Betrayal. And the forbidden love of a priest and girl. The Violinist of Venice isn't anywhere near what I thought it would be. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect which is why I chose to review it. I like Vivaldi' music so I thought, why not? This could be interesting. It was a little more than interesting. There are pages and pages of beautiful description, whether it be Venice or music, it was absolutely lovely. 

Adrianna loves playing the violin but her father forbids her from her one and only passion. In turn, she seeks out Antonio Vivaldi for secret violin lessons. What starts off as innocent lessons, turns into a beautiful affair filled with so much love and passion. But since Adrianna has a strict father intent on finding her a wealthy husband, Adrianna and Vivaldi know they are on borrowed time. The more the world tries to pull them apart, the more they cling on to each other. 

Also vying for our dear Adrianna's hand is very prominent young boy who's both charming and comes from a very promising family. But Adrianna can't give her whole heart to him due to the fact that she's in love with one and one alone. I'm not going to lie, I found this book hauntingly beautiful but majorly depressing. Women were treated so badly back then and it just makes me appreciate living in present day America where I am free to have a voice. I'm free to choose whom I love, the profession I want to do...

Adrianna didn't have those choices. They were all taken away from her the moment she was born. I want to stomp my feet and cry out about how unfair it all was. Having to sneak around with the one you love can be thrilling for a time. But what happens when you don't want to hide anymore? Or worse, what happens when you have to give that person up in order to fill family obligations. Such as marrying a man who you don't love. Sure, you could grow to love them but it would never be the same as if you got to choose for yourself. 

I really didn't expect to read such a profound and engaging story. It's bittersweet, it gorgeously told, and the research the author to get everything right is so amazing to me. I felt like I was in Venice. Overall, this is a book for all music lovers and historical romance fans. The book will make you feel so many different kind of emotions and I guarantee you that you won't be able to put this down. 

*Thank you the publisher for providing a copy for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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About the Author:

My name is Alyssa Palombo, and I am a writer living and working in Buffalo, NY. My debut novel, The Violinist of Venice, will be out on December 15th, 2015 from St. Martin’s Press. I am represented by Brianne Johnson of Writer’s House.

You can follow me at Twitter at @AlyssInWnderlnd.