Review: Forbidden

Reviewed by Jen
 

Mallory is an honest, honorable and loyal ladies maid with a dream of one day opening her own confectioner's shop.  She has no idea she is the long-lost heiress to the Templemore title.  She was kidnapped as a child on the night her mother was murdered and her grandfather has been looking for her ever since.

If Mallory were never found, Henry would have inherited the estate. He is tasked to track her down and figure out if she truly is the missing Lady Marguerite. He ensconces himself into her life to better judge her character. Henry is taken with Mallory right away... and she can't believe this wealthy gentleman would want anything to do with her.  A walk together, a dance, and a few feverish kisses later, she finds out the truth of who Henry is and why he is there.  She feels angry and betrayed and vows never to be so foolish again.

Of course, it's not so easy to get away from Henry. He is her grandfather's godson and he goes with her meet the old man and become part of the family.  It's a difficult transition from maid to heiress, and although she has tender feelings for her grandfather, it's really Henry who makes her feel alive in her new surroundings.  The anger she has for him makes their interactions even more incendiary. There is passion between them... flirtation and banter... and fear.

Henry is determined never to fall in love again. A horrible first marriage cured him of any romantic illusions about matrimony. The thing is, Mallory refuses to marry without love.  So as she begins to fall for him, he isn't able to give her what she really needs for a future.

I liked Henry.  He's almost too good to be true in that he is willing to give up the inheritance he would have gotten to do the right thing by Mallory. This, even before he knew her.  He's got some emotional baggage, but it doesn't make him cruel, just... closed off at times.  Mallory is sweet and genuine and--it turns out-- quite passionate.  The sexual tension and the love scene between her and Henry were very, very good.

I didn't love that they were pushed into a relationship decision by external circumstances late in the book.  I also think I would have liked more loose ends tied up with Mallory's father. But overall, I enjoyed the story. There's a small mystery/danger side arc that managed to surprise me before all was said and done. And I liked the romance.

This is book six in the Scandalous Women of the Ton series.  Mallory has been a recurring character in previous books, but this can be read easily as a standalone.

Rating: B-

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

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Forbidden

by Nicola Cornick

Release Date: August 21, 2012

Publisher: HQN

Review: Desired

The last thing Tess wants is another husband. She's had three already. And through his abuse, one of them destroyed her ability to be intimate. So she is just fine being single. She spends her vast amounts of money supporting charities that help women in need. And she spends her time and considerable talents supporting the reformist movement.

But as the book begins she is faced with two problems. The first comes in the form of a vile man trying to blackmail her into giving up her 15 year-old stepdaughter for marriage. The second comes when she is nearly unmasked as a satirical cartoonist by Owen, an agent for the government. She realizes that she can solve both her problems at once by becoming Owen's bride. It's an idea that sounds even better with rumors that Owen is impotent and unable to force her into the marriage bed.

Owen knows there is more to Tess' proposal than meets the eye. But she captivates him to the point where he is willing to see where it all leads. Tess is a broken woman in some ways, but in others she is very strong. She is smart and loyal... and she does a fantastic job of hiding it all under the persona of a flighty wanton, a role thrust on her by society. Owen is a really solid guy. He sees beyond the façade Tess projects and grows to love and respect her for who she really is. The two surprise themselves and each other as the courtship that is supposed to be for show, becomes based on real affection.

Of course, Owen's not actually impotent, so it's only a matter of time before they have to deal with Tess' intimacy issues. I found this part of the story to be really anticlimactic. It's this big looming cloud throughout the whole book... one that has plagued Tess for a decade and suddenly she gets over it in a day. Literally, one day. The love scenes were hot, but if Tess was really that damaged, the road to their sexual intimacy should have been much bumpier.

There were times Tess made choices that annoyed me; and Owen held on to a secret that he shouldn't have, and it blew up in his face later. But overall, they're a good match.

This is book five in The Scandalous Women of the Ton series. The couples and storylines from previous books are woven into the plot. And there were a couple of times things got a little murky for me in the backstory of side character Tom Bradshaw. But for the most part, this works well as a standalone.  3 1/2 stars.

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Desired

by Nicola Cornick

Release Date: November 15, 2011

Publisher: Harlequin 

Review: Mistress by Midnight

Merryn has devoted the last decade of her life to learning the details of her brother's death and plotting to make his killer pay. It's common knowledge that Stephen died in a duel at the hands of his friend Garrick. Stephen had been having an affair with Garrick's wife, who also died young. Garrick left town in the scandal, but now that he has returned, Merryn intends to find proof that something was amiss at that duel... and she won't rest until she finds justice.

There is, indeed, more to the story of Stephen's death than meets the eye. But the truth is very slowly unveiled, even to the reader. Garrick feels great remorse for his actions and has all but written off the possibility of happiness. But as his path crosses with Merryn, he begins to feel emotions he has long thought dead. And despite her disdain and distrust, she is drawn to him in a way she can't deny.

Reviews like these are always the hardest to write. The book was ok; pretty standard Regency romance. Self-castigating hero, plucky but naive heroine: they fall in love despite their best intentions... a secret looming that could destroy them all. Throw in a little sex, a little scandal, and voila!

I found the heroine awfully innocent (and not just sexually) for a 25 year-old; and the idea that she could lust after Garrick after hating him so thoroughly and for so long, was kind-of a tough pill to swallow. And speaking of far-fetched, I had real trouble with the idea of two people getting intimate after being soaked in old beer and a caved-in building for two days. They were hurt; they were dirty; they had to stink... and they're having awesome sex - without a bath? Nuh-uh.

Otherwise, it was fairly good, I guess. The twist on the "big secret" was surprising in the end. And other than the beer-sex, I enjoyed the love scenes. 3 stars.

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Mistress by Midnight

by Nicola Cornick

Release Date: November 23, 2010

Publisher: HQN

Review: Notorious

On its surface, Notorious is a sexy Regency Romance... a battle of wills between two former lovers with conflicting agendas. But underneath, it's a story of loss, regret, and self-realization. It is, in turns, sad, steamy, frustrating, and rewarding.

Devlin and his sister Chessie have always had to scrape to make ends meet. But they finally seem to have a comfortable future in their grasp. Devlin is engaged to a wealthy woman of the Ton. He doesn't love her, but he is pragmatic about the marriage. Chessie is in love with a wealthy peer named Fritz. And while they are not betrothed, he has been seriously courting her for some time.

All their grand plans go out the window, however, when Devlin's former wife shows up with an eye for Fritz. (No one knows that she has really been hired by Fritz's parents to lure him away from Chessie.) Devlin is floored by her presence. She abandoned him nine years ago, the morning after they wed... and he has thought her dead for years. It turns out that Susanna left him in an act of innocent self-sacrifice, but she lets him believe the worst of her, to keep him away. Of course, that doesn't work.

For two people who consider themselves puppetmasters of other people's emotions, there are very real feelings between these two. It's kind of ironic that their initial parting is what hardened them both in so many ways. But when they are together, they are unable to maintain the walls they have worked so hard to build around their hearts.

As more and more of Susanna's backstory is revealed, the story grows heavier and heavier. She has been through so much... and to a lesser extent, so has Devlin. Their past heartbreak is set against their flirting and fighting in the present day. And it doesn't just make me ache for them to give in to their mutual attraction, but makes me beg for them to find a little bit of peace and real happiness. Unfortunately, their financial positions make any hopes of a happily ever after seem unlikely, if not impossible.

It was a good love story with a surprising depth. But on a side note, I have to say I had a hard time relating to Chessie and the choices she makes. The resolution of her arc left me scratching my head a little.

This is book four in the Scandalous Women of the Ton series. I haven't read the previous books, and though Devlin's uncle Grant and his wife were featured in an earlier book, I never felt lost.

4 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

Notorious

by Nicola Cornick

Release Date: July 19, 2011

Publisher: Harlequin