Book Review: Tremaine's True Love by Grace Burrowes

Tremaine's True Love
by Grace Burrowes

Genre: Romance / Historical

Ages: 17 and up

I received an e-copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Description:

Wealthy wool magnate Tremaine St. Michael is half French, half Scottish, and all business. He prowls the world in search of more profits, rarely settling in one place for long. When he meets practical, reserved Lady Nita Haddonfield, he sees an opportunity to mix business with pleasure by making the lady his own.

Nita Haddonfield has a meaningful life tending to others, though nobody is dedicated to caring for Nita. She insists the limitations of marriage aren't for her, then Tremaine St. Michael arrives-protective, passionate, and very, very determined to win Nita's heart.

My Thoughts:

I am sad to say this book was a disappointment. I love Grace Burrowes, but this book was just...a little off. It was still an entertaining read, but not up to her usual standards. The story wandered a little, the path littered with conversations largely concerning either sheep or medicine or both, leaving me with several questions and the realization that I would rather have been reading a book about the much more interesting side plot. Now that I've finished complaining, I'll tell you what I actually liked about it.

Nita is a great heroine. Her passion for healing and her empathy for the unfortunate made her instantly likable, and her strength against the disapprobation of her won me over completely. Tremaine was likable as well, if a little bland in comparison to Grace Burrowes' other heroes. He has a tender heart that he doesn't want anyone else to know about and shows a huge amount of respect for Nita throughout their courtship.

The side characters stole the stage more than once, particularly George Haddonfield, Nita's wayward younger brother, and Elsie Nash, their widowed neighbor. I would have liked to see more of them and less sheep.

Overall, this book was okay so long as you don't get your hopes up too high.

Content Ratings: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).

Profanity:
I give it a 4.10 for some mild to mid-level profanity.

Sexuality:
I rate it 7.10 for a couple of scenes of varying explicitness as well as several references and some innuendo.

Violence:
I give it 4.10 for attempted murder (sort of), illnesses and injury.

                                   Lieder Madchen

Book Review: The Duke's Disaster by Grace Burrowes

The Duke's Disaster
by Grace Burrowes

Genre: Romance / Historical

Ages: 17 and up

Note: I received an e-copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Description:

Noah Winters, Earl of Anselm, spent months sorting and courting the year's crop of debutantes in search of an ideal bride. When the sweet, biddable young thing he selected accepts another's proposal, Noah decides to court her companion instead.

Thea Collins, though, is anything but biddable. She has learned the hard way that men are not to be trusted, especially the handsome ones. When she reluctantly accepts, Noah rushes Thea to the altar before she can reveal her deepest secret. Can she finally move on from her past, or will it come back to haunt her?

My Thoughts:

I really, really liked this book. Don't let the cover fool you; Grace Burrowes books aren't really bodice rippers, even if they sometimes look like it. Which is not to say that they don't have plenty of steamy romance - because they do. It is just that the term 'bodice ripper' implies a certain amount of shallowness that her books do not possess. While I have loved all of her books that I have read so far, The Duke's Disaster is one of my favorites.

Noah is adorable. He's a grouchy bear of a man who is honest to a fault, slow to anger, and eminently cuddle-able. Thea is very nearly as good a character with her practical attitude and mysterious past. Each one of their conversations was wonderfully realistic and made me want to hug them both as they struggled to learn to trust each other and slowly fell in love.

What I really loved the most about this book, though, was the beautiful writing. Every single word was perfectly chosen, painting a luxuriously detailed picture of characters and setting alike. I don't think I've ever seen an author convey emotion so well.

Overall, this book was great. Thea's 'dark secret' could have been resolved faster, but I understand why it wasn't so that is a very small complaint, easily washed away by the spectacular writing and characters. I highly recommend this book to lovers of Gaelen Foley, sweet romance, and emotional angst.

Content Ratings: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).


Profanity:
I rate it a 4.10 for some mid-level swearing and name-calling.


Sexuality:
I give it 7.10 for a few scenes of varying explicitness.


Violence:
I rate it 5.10 for references to rape, attempted rape, kidnapping, and fighting.


                    Lieder Madchen