The Duke's Disaster by Grace Burrowes is a 2015 Sourcebooks Casablanca publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley The Duke's Disaster by Grace Burrowes is a 2015 Sourcebooks Casablanca publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
How nice, as always, to pick up a novel by Grace Burrowes. This is a such a wonderful story, with snappy dialogue, wit, mystery, and a clever reminder about double standards and drawing conclusions without all the facts, and learning to trust. but of course it was the slow, sensual, sweet, sexy love story between Thea and Noah that will absolutely melt your heart.
Thea is the daughter of an aristocrat, but after her parent's death, her lazy, drunken brother horribly neglects his sisters, forcing Thea to take a position as a lady's companion.
Noah Winters has decided to marry in order to preserve the family line. After finally choosing a prospective bride, the lady up and accepts another man's proposal instead. But, the lady's companion, Thea, just might be the perfect wife. So, Noah makes Thea an offer she can't refuse.
Noah is not a charming man, by any means. In fact, by his own admission, he isn't very nice. But, his actions belie his words, especially when he discovers his new bride has been less than honest with him and it immediately puts the tenuous marriage in trouble.
Not only that, it would appear Noah has been harboring a couple of secrets of his own, causing the chasm between them to widen.
But, through it all, Noah is the nicest person he can be, when he could have been perfectly horrible to Thea. Instead he is determined to see the marriage work, even though they got off to a pretty rocky start. But, the issue of trust sits heavily on Noah and he can't seem to let go of his insecurities and move forward in the marriage until he learns all the sordid details of Thea's past. By the same token, Thea can't seem to trust Noah with her story which would surely put things in an entirely different light.
While double standards still rule the day in many situations today, back in this era of time it was much, much worse. What is good for goose and all that. It's infuriating, but that was the way of things. It is also true we might find ourselves judging someone by the reputation of their family members, believing them to be of the same ilk, when in fact they are not.
So, Noah and Thea make mistakes by not being honest with one another from the beginning. But, their journey was an absolute delight as they soldier through some pretty rough times and come out on the other side of it totally in love with one another and with a rock solid marriage.
If two people were ever meant to be married it was these two. Right from the start the two had spectacular marital tug of wars, especially while eating breakfast. Noah is so tender and sweet, such a gentleman, and an honorable man, bearing the weight of his family's rather tarnished reputation. Thea is a strong woman who has endured so much and paid such a high price for something that was not her fault. As a woman she bore an internal shame she should never have had to feel, but didn't let it keep her from trying to make the best of things. The secondary characters were also delightful and I rather enjoyed James' marital advice to Noah on the few occasions Noah sought his advice.
The author keeps the pace steady, but had me itching to read ahead in hopes of discovering the secrets of Thea's past. While, I had some inkling of what may have transpired, I could never have guessed the way it would all be explained. The truth was stunning and left me feeling shocked and outraged. But, like Thea, there was also a sense of relief as the pent up pressure is finally released and the door was opened to start over with a fresh start. I giggled a few times , felt sad and angry, sat on the edge of my seat a time or two, but by the end of the story I was so proud of these characters and the progress they made and the lessons they learned. After turning the final page I felt warmed from head to toe and had a big smile on my face. This is a charming, delightful, and heartwarming tale I highly recommend. 4.5 rounded to 5...more
Ghosts by Noel Hynd is a 2013 Red Cat tales publication.
This book was published originally back in 1993. This book is the kindle edition which was updGhosts by Noel Hynd is a 2013 Red Cat tales publication.
This book was published originally back in 1993. This book is the kindle edition which was updated in 2013.
I read this book back when it was first published and it became an instant favorite of mine. I outgrew horror novels many years ago but I still enjoy a good old fashioned chiller. Every October I pull out a scary book to read for Halloween and this year's choice was Ghosts. I had the best of intentions to have this one read in time to feature it on my blog for Halloween, but my review schedule got in the way, so I am just now getting the book finished. Even after so many years, this book still packs a punch. One part horror/ghost story, one part mystery, and even a little romance thrown into the mix makes this novel a real classic. Annette Carlson is an academy award winning actress looking for a nice out of the way retreat. She decides on the island of Nantucket and moves into a quaint cottage style home. Needing to spend some time alone and away from her demanding career this looks like a perfect location. But, after one or two nights in the house it becomes clear Annette will not be getting her much needed R&R. Thinking she has a prowler, Annette calls the local sheriff's department and Timothy Brooks is assigned to her case. It doesn't take long for the pair to realize that something very sinister is taking place on the island of Nantucket and the spirit world is trying to send them a warning.
Some folks may not understand the novel's understated quality. This is not poltergeist or the Peter Straub or Stephen King sort of horror novel. This book has a slow build up, adding layers at a time until all pieces of the puzzle fit. There is one huge plot twist that took my breath away the first time I read the book. It still gave me the chills reading it the second time.
This is my kind of horror novel because it is so layered and psychological in nature. The one thing I would change would be to shorten the book just a bit. This one was written back in a time when this style of writing was the norm, but today it's just a little too drawn out. I wish more chillers were written these days, but they seem to have gone out of style and not too many are willing to attempt a slow moving atmospheric sort of tale. But, if you are looking for a really spooky and more traditional sort of ghost story I highly recommend this one. 4.5 rounded to 5....more
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