One Dance With A Duke by Tessa Dare

Posted on August 4, 2011 by The Book Courtesans

One Dance With A Duke by Tessa Dare

Rated 4 out of 5 White Roses.

Content rated with the Pale Pink Rose.

Amelia risks scandal when she approaches the infamous Duke of Midnight in order to plead for her brother’s gambling debts. Never did she anticipate the possibility of gaining a husband out of the whole deal. But shortly after she ends up married to the Duke, he ends up getting accused of murder. Will she ever be able to trust her own husband?

Spencer, on the other hand, has a little problem, hence his being dubbed the Duke of Midnight.  His goal in life is to gain control of the Stud Club and specifically the horse that the club was built around. Now, while it may seem that all he cares about is his stables, he has to prove to his wife that there is more to him than his love of horses.  But first, he has to gain her trust.

Ladies, this courtesan was so entranced by this book, that she found herself picking it up and she couldn’t put down. The Duke caught my attention and I truly rooted for him. I was hoping that he would win her heart and sweep his sudden bride off of her feet. And of course, I just had to know who the real murderer was. What is a romance novel without a little bit of suspense?

Then there were the romance scenes. Tastefully done, and oh so sexy ladies. You will wish you were in Amelia’s shoes. I know I certainly did a few times. *Fanning self* One Dance With A Duke is a must read, but make sure you have a vacation day scheduled before picking it up or else you may find yourself using a precious sick day after being up all night reading it.

Adoringly Yours,

The Masked Courtesan

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One Dance with a Duke published by Ballantine Books, May 2010.

Posted in 4 White Roses, Book Courtesans, Historical, Pale Pink Rose, Romance, The Masked Courtesan | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rest In Peace L.A. Banks

Posted on August 2, 2011 by The Book Courtesans

With deepest regrets we say find ourelves saying, “Fare thee well” to beloved author Leslie Esdaile Banks (known to many as L.A. Banks) who passed away this morning due to late stage adrenal cancer.

Rest in peace, dear lady. Our condolences go to her family, friends and her fans (the Book Courtesans included). Let’s not rehash the circumstances of her death but rejoice in the life she lived.

Ms. Banks, you will most assuredly be missed.

Thank you for all the creativity and light you brought into this world.

Sincerely,

The Book Courtesans

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The Heiress by Lynsay Sands

Posted on July 31, 2011 by The Book Courtesans

The Heiress by Lynsay Sands

Rated 2 out of 5 White Roses.

Content rated with the Pale Pink Rose.

Daniel, Lord Woodrow, has no problem telling women that he’s as destitute as can be. However, when he meets Suzette Madison, an heiress to a significant fortune, he finds himself as thrilled at the possible match between them as she is. The only problem? She’s specifically looking for a poor husband and he’s actually not poor.

Suzette is so sure that a poor gentleman would appreciate her dowry so much that he would let her use some to keep her family away from possible scandal. So when Daniel informs her of his lack of fortune she sees him as the answer to all her prayers.

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Now I have always been a major fan of Lynsay Sands. In fact, I have many of her books on my shelves, many of them even autographed! So when The Heiress came out in stores I eagerly grabbed the book. However, I was sorely disappointed by this book.

The entire plot was rather a convoluted mess. Now, it wasn’t until after I read The Heiress that I realized there was a book prior to it in the series. I wish I had known about it ahead of time as The Heiress referenced the characters in the first book quite a bit. Not to mention the random immoral deviant who is so desperate for Suzette’s fortune that he’s even willing to kill.

Beyond that, there is also another reason this read was rate a two. While the plot line seemed refreshing, I mean, what rich girl would avidly go seeking for a poor husband? But the story just did not seem all that plausible. It was rather hard to get into. Suzette just met Daniel and the moment he tells her he’s poor she just jumped at the chance place all her bets on him, no questions asked.

Suffice it to say, I was let down but I still retain hope in Ms. Sands future stories.

Hugs.

The Lustrous Courtesan

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 The Heiress published by Avon Romance, February 2011.

Posted in 2 White Roses, Book Courtesans, Book Reviews, Historical, Pale Pink Rose, Romance, The Lustrous Courtesan, White Rose Rating | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean

Posted on July 30, 2011 by The Book Courtesans

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean

 

Rate 5 out of 5 White Roses.

Content rated with the Red Rose.

What is a good adventure without a good man?

There are many rules that a proper, well-bred young lady must follow to be acceptable in polite society. It’s a shame that Lady Calpurnia Hartwell is thoroughly sick of them all and has decided to make a new set of rules to obey. Her whole life, she has abided by the rules of etiquette and what does she have to show for it? She’s lonely; she’s practically an old maid, and even worse she’s considered to have “the most pristine reputation of any member of the ton”. Why can’t she have some fun adventures for herself?

Callie knows she has crossed a line she cannot return from the moment she enters the Marquess of Ralston’s house in the middle of the night and then asks him to kiss her. What she didn’t know was how that one request would change her whole life, or for that matter, his.

Gabriel St. John would never have figured that prim and proper Calpurnia Hartwell would ever step one little toe out of line. But after that kiss he keeps finding her in the most… precarious of situations. With all the fire she’s playing with she might just get burned. The girl practically needs a keeper, someone to keep her out of trouble. And maybe Gabriel is just the one to take up the job.

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Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake is positively delicious. It is always great to see characters be as strong as they are in spite of their personal vulnerabilities. I fell absolutely in love with Callie and Gabriel and found myself rooting for them the moment they were introduced. Not to mention there’s a sexual charge between the two of them that will definitely make you quiver.

While the template of the story may seem like any other, the story definitely isn’t. The damsel doesn’t need rescuing, she just needs a “partner in crime”. Nine Rules is a keeper and definitely a book that deserves to be read over and over.

Hugs & Kisses, Everyone!

The Lustrous Courtesan

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Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake published by Avon Romance, March 2010.

Posted in 5 White Roses, Book Courtesans, Book Reviews, Historical, Red Rose, Romance, The Lustrous Courtesan | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What I Did For A Duke by Julie Anne Long

Posted on July 29, 2011 by The Book Courtesans

What I Did For A Duke by Julie Anne Long

Rated 4.5 out of 5 White Roses.

Content rated with the Pale Pink Rose.

Is there anything you wouldn’t do for love?

Alexander Moncrieffe, the Duke of Falconbridge never loses to anyone. So when Ian Eversea made the worst mistake of his life by deciding to fool around with Alex’s intended, Alex knew he could not let Ian get away with his transgressions. No one messed with Alexander Moncrieffe and got away with it. Ever. But why bother with just calling the younger man out when revenge can be had in another way –a better way? Like in the form of Ian’s sister, Genevieve.

Genevieve Eversea fancied herself in love with her good friend Harry. But when the Duke suddenly enters her life and seems to be paying extra attention to plain little her, she finds her senses on full alert. He seems to notice her and to understand who she really is as a person. Not to mention the fact that he makes her feel things she’s never felt before. But that doesn’t mean anything. Nope it doesn’t mean a thing… not when she’s in love with Harry.

When they touch it’s electrifying, and Alex wants Genevieve. And as everyone knows, Alex always wins.

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I will admit, that at first, the story put me off a little bit when it kept referring to Alex’s age as he is significantly older than Genevieve. But when it got past that to the point where the two started to interact, I was able to put my hesitancy aside as I was able to actually watch their story come alive. The chemistry between the two of them can practically be felt from each page. And watching them become aware of what they feel just made it all better.

This courtesan especially loved to read about the infamous Alexander Moncrieffe. There are men who are masterful and Ms. Long has definitely captured that with her hero. He’s a much more than a man’s man, he’s the man. Many stories out there focus so much on the heroine while the only focus on the hero is when he comes to realize what the heroine knew all along. Well, What I Did For A Duke puts all those stories to shame.

Hugs & Kisses Everyone!

The Lustrous Courtesan

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What I Did For a Duke: Pennyroyal Green Series published by Avon Romance, February 2011.

Posted in 4.5 White Roses, Book Courtesans, Book Reviews, Historical, Pale Pink Rose, Romance, The Lustrous Courtesan | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Dangerous Lord by Sabrina Jeffries

Posted on July 27, 2011 by The Book Courtesans

The Dangerous Lord by Sabrina Jeffries


Rated 3.5 out of 5 White Roses.

Content rated with the Pale Pink Rose.

Who doesn’t want a man with a little danger attached to his name?

Ian Lennard, Viscount St. Clair is a very private man who has always kept his name out of the gossip columns… that is, until recently. Here he is, in desperate need of a wife and about to take the plunge into matrimonial doom, when some fool by the name of Lord “X” decides to spread rumors about him. No one makes a fool of Ian Lennard, not without facing the consequences.

All Felicity Taylor wanted to do was prevent her friend from marrying an unscrupulous rake who would no doubt be unfaithful in their marriage. She thought she was successful when she heard of a broken engagement. But never did she think of the possibility of the Viscount finding out who she really was.

Felicity Taylor cost Ian Lennard a wife, and in Ian’s eyes, she’s the perfect person to fill in the role of the bride.

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Sabrina Jeffries always makes a book fun. She just has a way of bringing her readers into the story and The Dangerous Lord is by no means an exception. What’s sadly lacking in this read however, is the quality of the story that makes it memorable. You can read it, you can and will no doubt enjoy it, but once you’re done with it, you’re just done.

Ian is the misunderstood hero while Felicity is the heroine with an unreasonable dislike for him (at first). Her prejudice against him can make her a tad annoying at times but at least she’s a character that doesn’t remain stagnant and actually learns from her mistakes and grows. So while there’s good writing and character development, the main thing negative is that the characters don’t stand out from the multitude of romance novels.

Hugs.

The Lustrous Courtesan

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The Dangerous Lord (Lord Trilogy, Book 3) published by Avon Romance, May 2011.

Posted in 3.5 White Roses, Book Courtesans, Book Reviews, Historical, Pale Pink Rose, Romance, The Lustrous Courtesan | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment