Out with the Old & in with the New…

Here we are yet again, the Old year is about to give room to the New one and I suspect that if you are a true bookworm, your ‘To Be Read’ pile, Kindle or Nook, shelf, box or in some cases floor, is littered with books that you’ll either love or hate once you’re done with them in 2013.

This year, more than any before, I went all out in search of new authors and I am happy to say each one I tried was a win. And that’s what I’d like to recommend for you this last day of this year.

Most of the bloggers are doing the best of, and while I eagerly read each one of those posts to make sure some of my bests made their list, I went through the list of some books I never got to review, but think them excellent reads.

Before I get to it, I’d like to thank you all for stopping by, commenting and just being there for me through good and not so good times in 2012. It has been a privilege to bring you my reviews and I hope you stick with me through next year…Wishing you the best of health, happiness and many reads in new year!

And now here they are in no particular order as all are number one on my list….

‘Her Ladyship’s Companion’ by Joanna Bourne

STORY: When Melissa Rivenwood accepted the position of companion to Lady Dorothy, she had no idea what intrigue enveloped remote Vinton Manor. Why was 7-year-old Robbie, the future Earl of Keptford, so terrified? The trio of fascinating men who surrounded Melissa hid some dangerous family secrets that undoubtedly led to peril—and her suspicions fell on the one man she loved.

MINI REVIEW: This book was on my TBR for the longest time, and this year I finally got to it. For the life of me I couldn’t tell that this was Ms. Bourne’s first book! She is someone who is superb when it comes to telling a tale. Her telling of this Gothic regency is pure genius. Everything in it is as it should be.

As with her later works, she gives us details on everything thus painting us a picture after picture of all we encounter and adding the dialogue to those pictures she brings us to a place and time of long ago Regency. She plots a tale that you won’t be able to put down, and if you do, you’ll end up welcoming the morning with the end of it. It was worth every penny and then some!

‘Rogue’s Honor’ by Brenda Hiatt

STORY: To escape her stepmother’s matchmaking machinations, Lady Pearl runs away, pretending to be a common housemaid, with the help of her abigail. When she is rescued from the near-disaster of recognition by a charming serving-man, Pearl pretends to be simple-minded to safeguard herself from any unwanted advances. But soon she begins to suspect that her rescuer is far more than the common servant he seemed at first.

Luke St. Clair lives a double life, pretending to be a gentleman while in reality sustaining himself and the needy as the notorious Robin Hood-type thief, the Saint of Seven Dials. The last thing he needs in his life is a beautiful simpleton in need of protection. But “Purdy” proves to be anything but simple—or common! Once he learns the truth, does he dare continue, in the ballrooms of the élite, the flirtation that began in the slums of London? The risk is enormous, but Lady Pearl’s sweet kisses may just be worth it.

MINI REVIEW: I’ve never read this author, but that’ll change for sure! She did an outstanding job in retelling the Robin Hood tale and gave us a hero that is so cute, charming and just too delish! It is such a… high for a lack of a better word, I guess, to find an author that takes this ‘ordinary’ story and makes it an extraordinary read. I enjoyed every moment of reading it and it was FREE!

You’ll love everything in it, I promise. There are secondary characters that you’ll want to know more about and if you’d like to know more about Seven Dials, you’ll continue reading this series. Now, go get it while it’s still FREE!

‘Rake with a Frozen Heart’ by Marguerite Kaye

STORY: Waking up in a stranger’s bed, Henrietta Markham encounters the most darkly sensual man she has ever met. The last thing she remembers is being attacked by a housebreaker—yet being rescued by the notorious Earl of Pentland feels much more dangerous!

Since the cataclysmic failure of his marriage, ice has flowed in Rafe St. Alban’s veins. But meeting impetuous, all-too-distracting governess Henrietta heats his blood to the boiling point.
When she’s accused of theft, Rafe finds himself offering to clear her name. Can Henrietta’s innocence bring this hardened rake to his knees?

MINI REVIEW: This one will melt your heart! I’ve never heard of this author! Have you? Are all her books like this one? If they are then I need to stock up as soon as possible.
From the first encounter of these two souls, you’re in for a bumpy ride, so fasten up, as they take you on a ride of their life. Character driven, plot driven, exciting and sensual to the end! A must and worth every penny!

‘China Rose’ by Marsha Canham

STORY: China Rose is a story of intrigue and betrayal, a tale of deceit and treachery between three brothers vying for the same woman.

When China Grant arrives in Portsmouth, her wedding to Sir Ranulf Cross is two weeks away. The first night there her life is threatened, and as the days unfold, threads from a decade-old mystery on the high seas begin unraveling faster than her wits can keep apace. Soon China is forced to choose between a promise made to her dying father…and the reckless desire to follow her heart’s destiny.

MINI REVIEW: Marsha Canham has been writing novels for a while now, yet until this year I failed to read any of them. It was such a pleasant surprise to discover her through a free read, which it is not available any longer, of ‘Swept Away’ which I highly recommend as well.

‘China Rose’ is a love story filled with sensuality, intrigue and action. I liked everything about it and recommend it to any of you that haven’t tried this author.