eyes.2c Reviews

The Lady and the Highlander   ( A Highland Fairytale #3)   by  Lecia Cornwall.                                  A highland version of Snow White and the Hunter. Present is the wicked stepmother of Laire MacLeod. A darkly cold woman who beguiles and enchants men, using their female offspring to ensure her own continued beauty. Laire is the young daughter of the bewitched laird who fights for her family and her love. We have seven young people, thieves bonded together to form a clan whom Laire seeks shelter with. Then we have the Hunter, Iain Lindsay, bonded to Lady for seven years, whose gain saying of his Lady will come at a terrible price. From a highland perspective, a take on an old age story of evil and the purity of love freely given. A breathtaking read of a fairytale reimagined. A NetGalley ARC *****

The Highland Guardian (Lords of the Highlands #3)       by  Amy Jarecki     When Scotsman Reid MacKenzie, Earl of Seaforth promises a dying companion to become guardian of his child, Reid's thinking a young lass who could be placed in Boarding school. Imagine his shock when then lass transmorphs into a young, attractive Sassenach woman of marriageable age. Reid's fall back plan is to marry her off quickly so that he can continue down the path his responsibilities lead. When  a devastated Audrey Kennet learns of his plans for her, she decides she has plans of her own. Not so easy! Especially as the air fairly crackles between Reid and herself.  On the sidelines, yet significant, the players are an English officer who revels in torment and cruelty and an illegitimate, somewhat deranged cousin of Audrey's who is eyeing off her inheritance.  When these two join forces both Audrey and Reid are in danger.  Threats from outsid...

Enchantress of Numbers: A Novel of Ada Lovelace   by Jennifer Chiaverini Fascinating look into the life of Lord Byron's daughter, Ada Byron King, a gifted mathematician and visionary. Rigorously guided by an overbearing, fearful mother who's one concern is that her daughter not have the contagion of excessive passion that her father did, it's no wonder Ada's brilliance found an outlet via reasoning and calculations. Her relationship with Charles Babbage and his Analytical Machine is that of a far seeing acolyte who comprehends the machine's wide ranging future possibilities and joins his fight for government funding and recognition. Ada's mother's relationship with her daughter is mostly uncompromising, bordering on obsessively harsh at times and barely understandable at others. Lady Byron's fear that blood will tell and that her daughter will be as wicked as her father governs the way Ada is raised. At times I felt weighted down and oppr...

The Heiress's Deception  (Sinful Brides #4)      by Christi Caldwell                                 When your  despicable  brother, the Duke of Bedford, uses all the underhanded methods in his repertoire to lay his hands on your dowry, the only alternatives are to acquiesce to his demands and become a victim, or take charge and run. That's just what Lady Eve Pruitt did. She ran! Right into the life of Calum Dabney, the man she'd thought had hanged as a thief because that same dreaded brother had had him thrown into Newgate when she was only a young child and had taunted her with Calum's death. Callum will not do anything to harm his 'family', those he'd grown up with on the streets, but when a new bookkeeper comes looking for a position at the group's gambling establishment,  the  Hell and Sin Club,  things are turned upside down. Quite...

Dashing All the Way: A Christmas Anthology by Celeste Bradley, Eva Devon, Elizabeth Essex, Heather Snow Nary a story flagged! 5 star holiday season romances with a touch of spice and a dash of cheer that are all excellent inclusions centering around Christmas time in one way or another. From house parties to balls, to situations of intrigue where the stakes are high and the games deadly. Whilst the Eva Devon story did not have as much in common as the others, the central theme continues of female character who is an extraordinary woman looking to take unusual steps. A Rake for Christmas by Eva Devon  Beautifully told story of the meeting of a rake ( Anthony Basingstoke)  and a wallflower (Lady Evangeline Pennyworth), a rake afraid of love and a wallflower unseen until he 'saw' her. What Evangeline wants is to be desirable, and to Anthony she is just that. But he knows the destruction of love. As a child he experienced the chaotic passion and discord of his pare...

Same Time, Next Christmas (Mistress Trio #3)     by Victoria Alexander                             A rather startling opening leads to a fascinating life's journey with a young widow in Victorian times. When  Portia, Lady Redwell,  decides to continue on with her Italian Christmas holiday despite her aunt and companion having to leave to return to London, she little guesses that an adventure would open up that would span Christmases to come. She little realizes that she will change forever. Portia is about to experience "What happens when we step out of the boxes we have always lived our lives in. When we dare to take a chance. To select the road untraveled. To accept, even embrace, the new, the unknown." A heady idea! Is Portia up to it? When Portia finds a stranger swimming naked at her villa's private beach she is angry. Her holiday place is not for sharing! Fletcher Jami...

Mansions of Murder, The:  A Medieval mystery (The Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan #18)  by  Paul Doherty Once again Doherty plunged me into the colorful firmament of medieval London of 1381. The starkness of an age where danger encroaches from every side is vividly portrayed. Doherty's descriptions of the hanging fields and the dark depths of the London alleyways are worthy of an  Hieronymus Bosch painting. London Hades is a fitting title given the area where the action takes place. This time Athelstan and his friend  Sir John Cranston, Lord High Coroner of London, otherwise known as ‘Sir Jack,’  are enmeshed in the dark doings of the gangs of London. Simon Makepeace, the 'Flesher', leader of ' London’s most vicious and notorious [gang, the] rifflers',  an  abhorrent person as his moniker surmises, and his minions are unstoppable, backed as they are by Lord Arundel. When the bodies of a priest,  Parson Reynaud,  and ...

A Good Day to Marry a Duke (Sin and Sensibility #1)     by Betina Krahn                               An interesting basis to a new series. American heiresses ' who descended on England in the late Victorian era'  engaging in the London season, hoping for a titled husband. The author's note at the end of the book is quite illuminating about the practice of sending dowered daughters 'across the pond' to bring back a blue blood husband. Some 'bemoaned it as 'the tidal wave of “dollar princesses” '. Although it seems many of these men were no prize, rather total disasters. But do read this fascinating footnote. Daisy Bumgarten has a lot to live down. Her New York debut was a total failure. I felt pained along with Daisy when we overheard the catty, disparaging comments of the New York disdaining elites.  To help her family Daisy agrees to a London season. After all she has three yo...

Penric's Mission (Penric and Desdemona #4)   by Lois McMaster Bujold                             Well that sucks! I was so drawn in to Penric and his happenings that before I knew it I was on the last page. The ending was far too abrupt. I need, indeed must get hold of what happens next!! Note: I read the sequel ( Mira's Last Dance)  and am now much happier Anyway in Mission, Penric enters into a secret diplomatic mission for  the Duke of Adri  that ends in unmitigated disaster with Penric imprisoned and the future looking grim. Desdemona as usual has a few pithy words to say! A well constructed world that opens up new vistas, with a fitting sense of humor and occasion. Penric is altogether one of my favorite characters, and here his story just keeps on giving! A NetGalley ARC *****

Deadly Dance: A psychological thriller (DI David Vogel #1)   by  Hilary Bonner                                A psychological thriller that deals with pedophilia, unresolved sexuality acceptance and relational difficulties in three voices. These three voices  lead the story, interacting to form the whole. This modus operandi employed by Bonner lends a fascinating pull slowly drawing the reader further into the unfolding action.  The brutal murder of fourteen year old Madeline has Detective David Vogel methodically parsing every action of those close to her, every nuance is noted as he digs further into Madeline's life and the lives of those within her orbit.  I found this an uncomfortable read due to the subject matter and yet quite brilliant its execution. Bonner has a way with words that captivates you and places you right in the here and now, whether you want to...