Book Review: The Devil You Know (The Devil DeVere #3) by Victoria Vane **18 Yrs Above**

The Devil You Know (The Devil DeVere #3) **18 Yrs Above**
By Victoria Vane
Release Date: July 27th, 2012
Format: Ebook
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


Blurb from Goodreads:

When dealing with the devil it's easy to be burned… especially when passion ignites the flames. 

Who can find a virtuous woman… Beautiful, respectable, and dutiful, Lady Diana Palmerston-Wriothesley has long resigned herself to her decade-long loveless and childless marriage to a feckless husband…until his gambling pushes them to the brink of financial ruin.

Sometimes the devil is in disguise…as a gentleman… Viscount Ludovic, "The Devil DeVere", is a man accustomed to taking what he wants according to his whim and heedless of the cost…until he encounters a woman who won't be had at any price.

When dealing with the devil, it's easy to be burned… When Diana discovers a secret that shatters the carefully built façade concealing her private pain, she seeks aid and comfort from the most unlikely place…the devil's arms. But will a single night of heavenly passion damn them both forever?

My Review:

Oh, my, my, my. Viscount Ludovic DeVere has played a vital role in the first two novellas as a "matchmaker". He was a very interesting character and I was somewhat surprised that Diana and he had something in the past. Before this, I would never have thought of this coupling but The Virgin Huntress hinted at that and The Devil You Know revealed the events that happened four years ago.

On the surface, DeVere gave off a very nonchalant, confident, devil-may-care and I-live-by-my-own-codes attitude but this book showed us a glimpse of the lonely DeVere. He actually really cared for Diana and felt something he never felt before when with other women.

I'm really glad that our heroine is Diana as I absolutely adore her. She was a fiery, fierce and strong character and the perfect match for The Devil DeVere. The Devil has finally met his match but alas, it was short-lived. The effing duchess ruined everything.

Gah! I wanted to strangle the duchess. She was a true b****. I hate her with my whole being. It was a heartbreak and I almost teared up when DeVere presented Diana with his parting gift. I won't say more because I don't want to spoil the story. It was really saddddddddd after that because this scene actually revealed how DeVere actually felt for Diana.

I feel blessed and fortunate to have gotten my hands on this book earlier. A BIG THANK YOU to Victoria Vane for this lovely ARC. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I was so ecstatic over it and now it's torture to have to wait for The Devil's Match. I comfort myself that I just have to wait a month for it and not a year.

Book Review: A Wild Night's Bride (The Devil DeVere #1) by Victoria Vane **18 Yrs Above**

A Wild Night's Bride (The Devil DeVere #1) **18 Yrs Above**

By Victoria Vane

Release Date: April 25th, 2012

Format: Ebook

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Blurbs from Goodreads:

WITH THE DEVIL IN CHARGE...THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY... 

What happens when a struggling actress and a grieving widower come together in a night of unbridled debauchery orchestrated by a bored and machinating rake? 

She’s a lonely lady down on her luck... 

Phoebe Scott, alias Kitty Willis, is a struggling Covent Garden actress with a bruised heart and a closely guarded secret. 

He’s steadfast and eminently respectable... 

Sir Edward Chambers, Ned to his intimates, is guilt-ridden over his beloved wife’s death and avowed to live out a rustic and mundane life … of celibacy. 

With the devil in charge — there will surely be hell to pay. 

Devil in disguise, Viscount Ludovic DeVere, is determined to return his best friend, Ned, to the land of the living. His meddling machinations result in a night of mind blowing passion after which “dull dog Ned” awakes to find himself in the King of England’s bed! 

A WILD NIGHT’S BRIDE, a sexy, rollicking Georgian romp!

My Review:

** Only $.99 in Amazon Kindle!!! **

This is my second novel by Victoria Vane after A Breach of Promise and she has come to be another one of my favourite historical romance authors.

A Wild Night's Bride was extremely well written and indeed, quite naughty. Once again, Vane has managed to capture readers' attention and interest with her well rounded characters and engrossing plotline. I truly applaud her for her astounding skills in fleshing out her characters so well for a novella. 

Victoria Vane always leaves me wanting and begging for more.

Book Review: A Breach of Promise by Victoria Vane **18 Yrs Above**

A Breach of Promise 
By Victoria Vane **18 Yrs Above**
Release Date: December 23rd, 2011
Format: Ebook
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


Blurb from Goodreads:
When charm and persuasion fail...only seduction remains... 

On the night of her betrothal, Lydia Trent receives just a taste of what ecstasy will be at the hands of her fiancé…and then he leaves her wanting. After waiting six years, and tired of being neglected by her exceedingly reluctant husband-to-be, Lydia decides to break it off.

When Marcus, Lord Russell, receives Lydia’s letter requesting a release from their contract, he is stunned by her audacity. Confident he’ll have her eating out of his hand with his usual wit and charm, he’s determined to repair the damage. However, the headstrong woman she’s blossomed into is equally determined to thwart his every effort to win her back.

Marcus discovers, in spite of her conviction to end the union, Lydia is more responsive to his touch than he ever imagined. He just needs to get her alone to unleash the promised passion he sees within his wanton virgin. Marcus will use any tool in his arsenal to exploit her weakness—his kisses, his hands, his mouth…her own body. In short, he’ll just have to ruin her!

My Review:
This was a truly sweet, tantalizing, romantic, hilarious and sexy read. It left me wanting for more and dissatisfied for good reasons.

I totally loved Lydia's strength of character. She was an intelligent and delightful heroine.

While Marcus was a full of himself pompous prat and rake, you just couldn't help loving him. He was a good rake.

I also enjoyed reading about Nicholas and Mariah. Their dishevelled appearances towards the end hinted at something much more. It would be lovely if Miss Vane decided to pen a story about them.

And also not forgetting Marcus's mother. She was adorable, smart and persistant in her subtle and sly attempts to reengage Lydia and Marcus.

This novella is so well written. I am astouded and amazed at Miss Vane's ability to fully flesh out the characters in less than a hundred pages. How I wish it was longer.

Book Review: How to Dance with a Duke (Ugly Ducklings #1) by Manda Collins

How to Dance with a Duke (Ugly Ducklings #1) 
By Manda Collins
Release Date: January 31st, 2012
Format: Ebook
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


Blurb from Goodreads:

What’s a wallflower to do when she’s suddenly in need of a husband? Use all the pluck and moxie she can muster to get what she wants…

Miss Cecily Hurston would much rather explore the antiquities of Egypt than the uncharted territory of marriage. But the rules of her father’s exclusive academic society forbid her entrance unless she weds one of its members. To clear her ailing father’s name of a scandalous rumor, Cecily needs to gain admission into the Egyptian Club—and is willing to marry any old dullard to do it.

Lucas Dalton, Duke of Winterson, is anything but dull. He’s a dashing and decorated war hero determined to help Cecily—even if that means looking the other way when she claims the dance card of Amelia Snow, this season’s most sought-after beauty. But Lucas has a reason for wanting Cecily to join the Egyptian Club: His brother went missing during one of Lord Hurston’s expeditions to Egypt. An alliance with the explorer’s bluestocking daughter could bring Lucas closer to the truth about what happened…or it could lead him to a more dangerous love than either he or Cecily could have imagined….

My Review:

Oh, my. I'm feeling all dreamy and swoony. How to Dance with a Duke was absolutely wonderful. I enjoyed every moment of it and couldn't help giggling like a silly school girl throughout the book. It was so funny and romantic.

I truly adored Cecily, Juliet and Maddie aka The Ugly Ducklings. They were absolutely delightful to read about. Not forgetting Lucas too. Swoon. I enjoyed the secondary characters as well including the obnoxious Amelia and Felicia.

How to Dance with a Duke was an amazing historical romance spiced up with a dash of suspense and mystery. I'm dying for the day How to Romance a Rake releases as I will definitely be hounding Amazon Kindle.

Manda Collins has become my new favourite author. Weeeeeee!!

P/S: I LOVED the epilogue. I was really holding on to hope that it would happen...and it did. I have a weakness for such epilogues.

Book Review: Annie's Song by Catherine Anderson

Annie's Song 

By Catherine Anderson

Release Date: January 1st, 1996

Format: Ebook

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Blurb from Goodreads:

The Gift

Annie Trimble lives in a solitary world that no one enters or understands. As delicate and beautiful as the tender blossoms of the Oregon spring, she is shunned by a town that misinterprets her affliction. But cruelty cannot destroy the love Annie holds in her heart.

Alex Montgomery is horrified to learn his wild younger brother forced himself on a helpless "idiot girl." Tormented by guilt, Alex agrees to marry her and raise the babe she carries as his own. But he never dreams he will grow to cherish his lovely, mute, misjudged Annie—her childlike innocence, her womanly charms and the wondrous way she views her world. And he becomes determined to break through the wall of silence surrounding her;to heal...and to healed by Annie's sweet song of love.

My Review:

I don't think I can find a single fault in Annie's Song. It was too perfect for words.

Oh, god. I had tears in my eyes reading this. I had tissues with me all the time.

Annie's Song was so romantic, deeply moving, indescribably passionate, wonderfully beautiful and truly unforgettable.

And I truly have to thank Suz again for this wonderful read because if it isn't for her review, I wouldn't have discovered this precious gem.

Book Review: Evernight (Evernight #1) by Claudia Gray

Evernight (Evernight #1) 
By Claudia Gray
Release Date: May 1st, 2008
Number of Pages: 225
Format: Ebook
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ 1/2


Blurb from Goodreads:
Bianca wants to escape.

She's been uprooted from her small hometown and enrolled at Evernight Academy, an eerie Gothic boarding school where the students are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek, and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in.

Then she meets Lucas. He's not the "Evernight type" either, and he likes it that way. Lucas ignores the rules, stands up to the snobs, and warns Bianca to be careful--even when it comes to caring about him.

""I couldn't stand it if they took it out on you," he tells Bianca, "and eventually they would."

But the connection between Bianca and Lucas can't be denied. Bianca will risk anything to be with Lucas, but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart . . . and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed.

My Review:
== May Contain Minor Spoilers ==

I have two book buddies Nikoleta and Maria who were gushing about this series plus almost everyone is swooning over Lucas and Balthazar. Therefore, I decided to take the plunge and was expecting to be swept off my feet. I wasn't really. It bordered on lukewarm and I was holding on hope and wishing for it to burst into the volcanic hot zone.

Bianca was an okay character. I thought she was rather spineless mostly throughout the whole story and I just felt so frustrated over her. I just wanted to shake her up and shout at her to think for herself. I mean, in the beginning, she led me to believe that she did not know who she really was and I actually thought that she was maybe a witch because of those symbolic dreams she had. She behaved as though she didn't know she was a vampire. And then all of a sudden after she bit Lucas, she revealed that her parents had been preparing her all along and she was already aware of that fact. I mean, what the heck was that?

I enjoyed Lucas's character more. At least he had character and was rather consistent. I was looking forward to scenes that had Lucas. Balthazar too but there wasn't much about him for me to fully be all swoony over him yet. He was rarely there in the story. A pity really because Lucas and Balthazar were way more interesting than our deaar protagonist.

The rest of the secondary characters were a pass-and-go for me except for Vic and Raquel. They were cute. I did enjoy the evil demon of a headmistress, Mrs. Bethany though and the sinister secret surrounding the intake of human students into the academy. I had a rather crazy theory about it though. Haha.

Overall, it was a 3.5/5 stars for me.

Book Review: Someone Else's Fairytale by Emily Mah Tippetts

Someone Else's Fairytale
By Emily Mah Tippetts
Release Date: December 6th, 2011
Number of Pages: 310
Format: Ebook
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Blurb from Goodreads:
Jason Vanderholt, Hollywood's hottest actor, falls head over heels for everygirl, Chloe Winters, who hasn't gotten around to watching most of his movies. It's the ideal fairytale... for most people. The last thing Chloe needs is public attention. It brings back dangers from the past that she's worked her whole life to escape.

My Review:
**May Contain Spoilers**

I would like to thank Emily Tippetts for being so kind in giving me a copy of her book. Thanks Emily.

Someone Else's Fairytale was a really sweet story. Although the writing and dialogues were a bit choppy, I didn't mind so much because I was really invested in the story and the characters. I love how deep the characters were and how the romance was played out.

I was mad at Chloe over the Matthew situation but I believe that she was not in love with him as she thought she was. It was the familiarity of Matthew that she was drawn to. I was all "Finally" when she realized her true feelings for Jason. The poor lovely guy.

I was as blindsided as Chloe was over that thing. I was wondering what was really going on. The ending was so sweet and sniffle worthy. Made me all dreamy-eyed and wistful.

I ADORE the Vanderholt family.