Review: The Soldier's Scoundrel

THE SOLDIER'S SCOUNDREL
Cat Sebastian
M/M Historical Romance
352 pages
Avon
Available September 20th
Source: eARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
A scoundrel who lives in the shadows

Jack Turner grew up in the darkness of London's slums, born into a life of crime and willing to do anything to keep his belly full and his siblings safe. Now he uses the tricks and schemes of the underworld to help those who need the kind of assistance only a scoundrel can provide. His distrust of the nobility runs deep and his services do not extend to the gorgeous high-born soldier who personifies everything Jack will never be.

A soldier untarnished by vice

After the chaos of war, Oliver Rivington craves the safe predictability of a gentleman's life-one that doesn't include sparring with a ne'er-do-well who flouts the law at every turn. But Jack tempts Oliver like no other man has before. Soon his yearning for the unapologetic criminal is only matched by Jack's pleasure in watching his genteel polish crumble every time they're together.

Two men only meant for each other

MY THOUGHTS 
The Soldier's Scoundrel is a delightful M/M historical romance, both our heroes strong and vulnerable at the same time as they navigate their fledgling relationship as well as attempt to unravel a case of blackmail.

Jack Turner is very decidedly not a gentleman. He merits no invitations to balls or any other kind of polite Society function, and he's all the more glad for it. His comfort zone is one a little less in the limelight and a little more in the shadows, helping those the law isn't always able to with a devil-may-care grin on his face. When he's given little other choice than to team up with Oliver, the very definition of a Gentleman, he does so grudgingly, and we're treated to a mildly antagonistic relationship that simmers with more than a little heat. He of course holds Oliver's status as the son of an earl against him, but does so in a flirtatious manner that often takes the sting out of his words, and as he begins to see the man behind the title, he thankfully doesn't fight too hard to let it be an insurmountable obstacle between them.

Oliver, for his part, can't assign many positive attributes to Jack initially either, intent on proving Jack's way of "helping" people involves much darker deeds than it actually does, and finding it hard to trust that what he sees with Jack is what he gets. The two of them together are a delicious tangle of banter and chemistry, pushing each other's buttons on purpose just to incite a reaction but never going so far as to cause unnecessary drama or angst. Though this pair isn't overly chatty when it comes to their feelings, they don't shy away from them either, communicating effectively when things go amiss and remedying the various disagreements and missteps before hurt feelings have time to fester.

Overall, The Soldier's Scoundrel is a joy of a historical romance from beginning to end, giving us a memorable couple, plenty of tension sexual and otherwise, and of course the desired happy ending to top it all off.

Rating: 4/5

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This book was sent to me by the publisher  free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Review: Best Worst Mistake

BEST WORST MISTAKE
Brightwater #3 (can be read as a stand-alone)
Lia Riley
Contemporary Romance
235 pages
Avon Impulse
Available Now
Source: Bought

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Sometimes the worst mistakes turn out to be the best…

Smoke jumper Wilder Kane once reveled in the rush from putting out dangerous wildfires. But after a tragic accident, he’s cut himself off from the world, refusing to leave his isolated cabin. When a headstrong beauty bursts in, Wilder finds himself craving the fire she ignites in him, but letting anyone near his darkness would be a mistake.

After her Hollywood life went up in smoke, Quinn Higsby decided to leave Tinseltown behind and return to Brightwater to care for her ailing father. She spends her days in a small bookstore, until her peaceful existence is up-ended by a fascinating but damaged man. Quinn is determined not to be scared off by Wilder, not once she’s experienced the heat of his passions.

But when an arsonist targets the community and Wilder is accused, he must confront the ghosts of his past. Will his desire for Quinn burn him up or will he be able to tame the wildness inside and rekindle a hope for their future?

MY THOUGHTS
Best Worst Mistake has the type of romantic setup sure to make us avid romance readers swoon and fall immediately in love: a damaged, lonely hero who finds a second chance at living in the arms of an utterly adorable woman. Ms. Riley leaves us with little choice but to become swept up in the free-flowing honesty, endearing awkwardness and heated moments between Wilder and Quinn, and we find ourselves with a dopey grin on our faces more often than not throughout.

Wilder has complete ownership of our hearts from page one as we bear witness to the tragic accident that robs him of his leg and leaves him with an extremely surly (but also charming) disposition. He understandably feel like less of a man in the aftermath, the physical loss combining with a lifelong emotional loss to turn him into a recluse with little other than sharp words to offer people. His initial interactions with Quinn are as cute as can be though, characterized by both the blurting of possibly the worst compliments ever and a series of weighted silences that Quinn feels a compulsion to fill. Quinn, for her part, is as thoroughly enjoyable as Wilder, taking his grumpiness in stride and returning nervous ramblings the likes of which he's never seen before. The two of them together are light and fun despite the seriousness of their life situations (Wilder's guilt over his role in his parents deaths and the possibility of Quinn developing early onset Alzheimer's like her father), and spending several hours with them is time more than well spent.

The only minor complaint with this contemporary romance is that it starts much stronger than it finishes, the hilarious interactions between a crabby Wilder and determinedly positive Quinn turning a bit sappy as their romance progresses in intensity. It's not enough to detract from the overall success of them as a couple, but their tendency to continuously compliment one another and share their ever-deepening feelings again and again does serve as a reminder that we're reading a romance novel. Overall however, Best Worst Mistake is a quick, feel-good read sure to bring a little warmth in preparation for cold winter months ahead.

Rating: 4/5
 

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Waiting on Wednesday: Hero By Night

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine and is a fun way to see what books other bloggers just can't wait to get their hands on!

HERO BY NIGHT

Independence Falls #3

Sara Jane Stone

Contemporary Romance

Releases January 20th from Avon Impulse

Synopsis:

He was nobody’s hero, until he landed in the wrong bed . . .

Armed with a golden retriever and a concealed weapons permit, Lena Clark is fighting for normal. She served her country, but the experience left her emotionally numb, afraid to be touched, and estranged from her career-military family. Staying in Independence Falls, and finding a job, seems like the first step to reclaiming her life and preparing for the upcoming medal ceremony, until the town playboy stumbles into her bed . . .

Chad Summers is living his dream-helicopter logging by day and slipping between the sheets with Mrs. Right Now by night. Until his wild nights threaten his day job, leaving Chad with a choice: prove he can settle down or kiss his dream job goodbye. But after a party, Chad ends up in bed with the one woman in Independence Falls he can’t touch. Too late he realizes the passionate sleeping beauty is the shy, struggling soldier his little sister befriended.

The playboy’s touch ignited something in her. And Lena is determined to find out if it is the man, and his wicked demands in the bedroom, or if she’s finally starting to heal. Chad is ready and willing to give into the primal desire to make Lena his at night-on one condition. By day, they pretend their relationship is real so he can show Independence Falls-and his boss-that he has shed his wild image. But their connection extends beyond the bedroom, threatening to turn their sham into reality-if Chad can prove he’s the hero Lena needs night and day . . . forever.

I haven't read the previous two books in this series, but it seems to me from the blurb that I'll be able to settle into this story and couple without needing the previous installments. Those of you who visit this blog with any frequency know I'm a sucker for damaged characters, and Lena, with her military past, falls beautifully into that category. Plus, I can never pass up a pretend relationship setup. There's just something incredibly fun about watching as pretend shifts into real, so I'm really looking forward to diving into this one in January! Yes to a little heat during the cold winter months:)

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Cover Reveal: Covering Kendall

Today I'm really excited to share with you the cover for Covering Kendall by Julie Brannagh, a contemporary romance releasing from Avon on October 21st. I'm a huge fan of sports-themed romances, I think mostly because I'm lacking even a single athletic bone in my body, so I look forward to meeting Drew and Kendall!!

Kendall Tracy, General Manager of the San Francisco Miners, is not one for rash decisions or one-night stands. But when she finds herself alone in a hotel room with a heart-stoppingly gorgeous man-who looks oddly familiar-Kendall throws her own rules out the window…and they blow right back into her face. Drew McCoy should look familiar, he’s a star player for her team’s archrival the Seattle Sharks. Which would basically make Drew and Kendall the Romeo and Juliet of professional football…well, without all the dying. Not that it’s an issue. They agree to pretend their encounter never happened. Nothing good can come from it anyway, right? Drew’s not so sure. Kendall may be all wrong, but he can’t stop thinking about her and he finds that some risks are worth taking. Because the stakes are always highest when you’re playing for keeps.

I like this cover well enough, it's perfectly cute, but I do have to wonder why there's nothing football related anywhere on it. Oh well, I still want to read it ;)