Review: The Perfect Imposter

Reviewed by Jen
 

Ever since the death of her brutish husband, Katrina has been trying to make something of her talents as a modiste.  She finally feels like she'll have a real chance at success when her friend Julia offers to become her patroness.  After all, Julia married in to wealth and nobility, and if anyone can endear Katrina to society, it's her.

But her childhood friend is going to make her jump through hoops to get the exposure she promised.  Katrina must take Julia's place at a house party she doesn't want to attend.  You see, Katrina and Julia look a lot alike and in the right circumstances, few could tell them apart.  Katrina doesn't want to give in to Julia's demands, but Katrina owes an old debt to Julia's father.  That, coupled with the chance to show off her dresses, convinces her to finally acquiesce.

At the same time, Leo is tasked by the government to find the person behind a string of jewelery heists among the upper crust. The very house party that Katrina is attending is expected to be the setting for the next theft.  And for a variety of reasons, Julia is on the short list of suspects.  The fact that the two of them share a romantic history only complicates matters.

So the story basically follows Katrina's attempts to fool Julia's peers at this week long affair, as the obstacles in her path grow exponentially.  Somehow, Leo is the only one who sees through her schemes from the get-go and he must wrestle with his attraction to her as his suspicions lead him to believe her to be part of the jewel theft scheme.

It took a really long time to get to the romance, which made me want to skim ahead at times.  Katrina is a good person, but she is so downtrodden, it's hard to enjoy.  She puts up with so much and forgives so easily, it bothers me.  I appreciate her allegiance to Julia's dad, but frankly I couldn't fathom why she did not walk out when things started falling apart. And later, when it's revealed all that has been hidden from her, she takes it in so much stride... that bothered me too.

There were good moments between Katrina and Leo, but frankly there weren't enough of them and it took too long to get there. I also thought the ending was a little abrupt and after all she went through, I would have liked to see Katrina bask a little in her richly deserved HEA.  (I wouldn't have minded a swift kick in the butt for Julia either.)

It was ok, but the execution didn't quite live up to the promise of the premise.  3 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

Click to purchase: Amazon

The Perfect Imposter

by Wendy Soliman

Release Date: April 2, 2012

Publisher: Carina Press

Review: A Scandalous Proposition

Reviewed by Jen
 

Adam first lays eyes on Florentina when she runs into his room at an inn, being chased by another man. He sees her fear and helps her hide, eventually escorting her out of the city to safety. She claims to be a widow on the way to a vicarage. So imagine his surprise to come face to face with her again, while visiting a brothel. He immediately jumps to the conclusion that she is a courtesan and wipes his hands of her.

Adam has been away from home for some time, fighting with the army, and is only now returning to his family home. But it's there he sees Florentina once again. It seems she has become his mother's companion in his absence. And he figures she must be whoring on the side. He demands that she spend the night with him in exchange for him keeping her activities from his mother.

Florentina agrees to his demands, in order to protect her secret that she is rescuing would-be slaves from human traffickers and her friend (the madam at the brothel) is helping her do it. Of course, once she is in his arms, Adam realizes he was wrong about her. He slowly figures out her nature and makes it his mission to help her, while dealing with his own family problems inside the ducal estate.

For at least the first third of the book, Adam was a total ass. He was condescending and rude to Florentina and seemed to think himself way too entitled. She, on the other hand, came off as kind of stupid. For someone who has her history and her courage to fight slavers, she lacks clear thinking and surety when dealing with Adam and his boorish demand. The sex was ok... though it annoys me when characters give a nickname to their penis. There are so many great things you could call it, but "bayonet" is not one of them. It came across as pretty cheesy.

I never really felt the couple falling in love. Perhaps because it happened so quickly. Oh, and I was totally turned off by the fact that Adam had sex with Christine, the brothel madam, at the beginning of the book. No, he and Florentina weren't together yet, but she listened to them do it from the next room and later, when it was clear she and Adam were going to get together, Florentina gets the rundown from her buddy on what he's like in the sack. And nobody was uncomfortable about this. How much time had passed? A day or two? It just bothered me.

The plot was fair. The most interesting element was probably Adam's scheming sister-in-law, who we later find out (*spoilers*) had a gang-bang at a dirty masked ball. And goes on to try to blackmail Adam into an affair. But the resolution of her storyline was a little too easy.

It wasn't great for me. A little less than 3 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

Click to purchase: Amazon

A Scandalous Proposition
by Wendy Soliman

Release Date: September 12, 2011

Publisher: Carina Press

Review: Of Dukes & Deceptions

Reviewed by Jen
 

Nicholas is used to having women throw themselves at his feet. He is, after all, a Duke and all the ladies want to be Duchess.  All the ladies except Alicia.  She meets Nicholas when he comes to her family's stud farm to inspect the horses.  But he was really invited so that her cousin could get her hooks into him.

Right away, Nicholas realizes Alicia is different. She is far more interested in tending animals that snaring a husband. She is fiery and independent. And creates a challenge he can't ignore. So he makes it his mission to seduce her. But things really get interesting when someone tries to kill Alicia.  Nick decides he must protect her and find out who is trying to hurt her, while he continues to work at getting her in his bed.

OK, I tried to like Nick. I really tried, but I just couldn't.  He is beyond arrogant.  It was bad enough when he was just trying to get into Alicia's bed.  Honestly, I expected him to change once the two of them got together. But if anything, I liked him even less in the bedroom.  His "schooling" of Alicia was nearly smarmy. He's blindfolding her, spanking her, and talking about his mistress while they're in bed together.  And this is how he initiates an untried virgin?  Hmpf.

I liked Wendy Soliman's writing style. The plot was good... and I liked Alicia and the supporting characters.  But Nick and his sexual "punishments" were a real turnoff. 3 1/2 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley