Romancing the Rogue by Erica Ridley

She lives in a castle that is filled with ghosts and she has become expert at bookkeeping and billiards.  Her guardian has forgotten she's even around.  She stays away from the servants.  And she enjoys her life.  Unfortunately, her guardian dies...

The author and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published March 21st.

Her new guardian wants her out of the castle and married by the end of the month.  She's not even dating but he doesn't care.  He tells she can choose or he will do it for her.

When the will is being read, an old love of hers comes to hear it.  He and his grandmother shamed her at a public event and she refuses to have anything to do with him.  He refuses to take no for an answer.  He wants to resume his friendship.  When she beats him badly at billiards, she intrigues him.  It's not appropriate for a woman to be good at math or billiards but she does it so well and he loves it.  Soon he realizes he loves her.  The fact that she's a no one doesn't matter to him.  But society won't accept it that well.  And she's not reciprocating his love yet.  But he doesn't give up.

A matter of compromise makes it work and it ends happily ever after.  I'm glad.  I like happy endings.

The Duke's Accidental Wife: Dukes of War #7 by Erica Ridley

This series is a fun read.  It's romantic but not filled with sex.  And Ms. Ridley's characters always start at cross angles and no desire to get married.  Ha!

The author invited me to read this Net Galley copy for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can pick up a copy now.

The Duke is very formal, proper, and he works hard at the Parliament as well as at home.  He has no intention to get married unless he can find a woman he loves.  He makes that difficult because he doesn't date and hates being around people.  The only reason he went to the event that Katherine is hosting is because his sister practically blackmailed him into it.

Katherine thinks he's good looking but cold.  When he snubs her at her own event, she goes after him.  Nobody gets away with that with her.  She finds him hiding in her storeroom, trying to get away from the crowd.  Through a series of mishaps, she finds herself in his arms and then they get caught!  It's not what it looks like, but honor is honor and they must marry.  Neither one wants to marry and they are opposites in so many ways.  How could this work out?

I found the story amusing and sweet.  She's afraid to have a baby so, married or not, she's not sleeping with him.  He decides to give her some time.  They talk about annulling the marriage but it doesn't take long for them to decide that's not what they want to do.

Through miscommunication and good intentions there are a few angry moments but once they calm down and pay attention to what's going on around them, they discover they might not be so very different after all.

I love happy ever afters and I really enjoyed this read.  Give it a try.  This whole series has been great!

The Pirate's Tempting Stowaway by Erica Ridley

Clara has been told she has consumption.  She's sent her daughter away, even the postman won't come to her door.  She's just waiting to die...

The author graciously gave me a copy of this ebook to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can grab a copy now.

Clara has a surprise coming.  A man comes to her door and isn't even afraid of the gun she has.  She tells him she's sick and he doesn't care.  He's come to take her to England.  He's being paid to do it but she doesn't know that.  That's where her daughter is and it's just too tempting.  She has nothing to lose.

Ms. Ridley always writes sweet romances.  This one is no exception.  

Captain Blackheart loves the sea.  He's a pirate but he has rules.  No killing, take only what they can spare, behave like gentlemen.  He still has a reputation.  Clara is amazed when she finds out that's who she's got passage with.  She's more amazed when she finds out she has to share his cabin on board.  

They have nothing in common.  He loves the sea, she loves the land.  But they have lots to talk about, laugh about and tease about.  They're falling in love with each other.  It's impossible.  Their main interests are too different.

It's a good thing she spent some time on board the ship.  The crew finally gets Captain Blackheart's attention and tells him what to do. 

The Major's Faux Fiancee by Erica Ridley

When her father dies, her guardian tells her to pick a spouse or he'll pick one for her.  He wants her married and out of the house now.  Daphne doesn't want to get married.  She wants to work for changes in working conditions and other social needs.  The little bit of money she will inherit on her birthday will allow her to visit the places of need and she plans to help them organize and create change.  But how can she evade marriage?  Easy enough, she'll just ask the boy next door who is a Major with a war injury to be her betrothed.  After all, they don't have to go through with it.

Intrepid Reads and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  The book is being published today, so you can grab a copy now.

I've found this whole series to be a fun read.  This story lives up to my expectations of Ms. Ridley's work.  The story flows well, both of the characters are stubborn, and as much as they aren't the marrying kind they find themselves falling in love with each other.

I enjoyed the interplay between her two main characters.  Both have their own firm opinions and will not be moved in their beliefs.  But as they chat and begin to look through the other's eyes, they begin to see a bigger world and reasons for their own behavior.  They both change a bit and that's a good thing.  They also find love, which is a much better thing.

This series is fun and I can't wait to read the next in the series.  It involves a character we met in this book and a dead man returns alive.  Sounds like a fun read to me!

The Captain's Bluestocking Mistress by Erica Ridley

Captain Xavier Grey came back from the war shaken and troubled by what he had to do there.  The world as he knew it no longer exists.  He finds no honor in his actions but he did what he was commanded to do.  All he knows is that he is not worthy of any woman or even his friends anymore.  He spends his time keeping to himself and hiding away.

Intrepid Reads and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It is being published today, so check with your local bookstore for a copy.

This is a bit like a Gothic romance and, more than anything, it's the story of Jane.  She's a spirited, intelligent twenty-four year old spinster.  She's ignored by all, people don't remember her and no matter how sarcastic her comments are or how crazy her actions they still don't remember.  She wants someone besides her brother to love her and remember her.  But how's she going to accomplish that?

When Xavier joins her party of friends at the theater, she almost chokes.  She was fantasizing about him ravishing her when he steps in!  He actually leans forward and talks to her and stays close during the performance. When she goes home, she can't sleep.  He was so close but so far away.

The good news is that her brother goes on a business trip and her maid tells her Xavier has left the city and gone to a small cabin he owns.  She gives her maid vacation time, rents a hack, and heads for the cabin.  Unfortunately, she has to bring the devil cat her brother owns with her, but she's going to take action.

Xavier is flabbergasted when she shows up at the door.  She's alone, has drug her luggage up from the drive, the hack is gone, and he's given his servants time off.  He can't be alone with her in this cabin!  Yet, there is no choice.  There's no room at the inn, it's too late for her to return, and it's beginning to snow.  She can spend the night in his room, he'll take the servants quarters.  But the cat manages to eat his cravat and his tea towel and a few shirts before he's contained again.  They don't have much to say to each other that night.

When he wakes in the morning and finds them snowed in, he's very frustrated.  He's trying to keep her good name and she's not cooperating.

I love the banter back and forth.  What really makes this book, though, is the ending.  It's romantic, charming and just perfect.  Ms. Ridley does a great job with this story.

Let It Snow by Erica Ridley

Lance Desmond has a problem.  He's an adventurer who travels the world and lives large.  Unfortunately, he's lived so large that someone has put a bounty of his head.  His only hope is to get enough money to buy his freedom.  But where?

Net Galley and the author allowed me to read an ebook of this story for review (thank you).  It's available both as an ebook and as a print book.  Check with your local bookstore for a copy.

Lance is willing to chance his life for the reward he needs.  After all, just being alive is a chancy thing right now.  So he heads out to Castle Cavanaugh.  The castle is icebound.  All those that go after the treasure never return, but he's going.  When his friend in crime gives him an odd necklace to wear to keep him safe, he thinks it's useless.  He appreciates the thought, though and wears it.

When he finally manages to breach the castle doors and get inside, the treasure he finds is not what he was expecting.  There is one person in the castle.  It's an attractive medieval Princess.  She's stuck in time and she knows her time with Lance will be short.  The magic of the castle stops interlopers short and she can't fix it, nor can she leave the castle.  He's a non-believer until he sees that the figurines on the Christmas tree are all people.  People who used to be alive.

Midnight is the witching hour.  He can't get out.  What can he do to pass the time and make his last moments worthwhile?  Oh yeah, there's a princess...

I enjoyed this read.  It's not a traditional fairy tale and I couldn't be sure how this one might end.  I can tell you that Lance and the princess had a good time, but will they ever get out of the castle?

Happy reading.

Midwinter Magic by Erica Ridley

When Jack Morgan found out the work he was doing hurt poor people in other countries, his conscious won't let him continue in that field.  He might have been found innocent of wrong doing, but it didn't feel that way.

Intrepid Reads and Net Galley allowed me to download this ebook and read it for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can grab a copy wherever you buy ebooks.

Jack decides to give back to those who lost so much to corporations.  He's going to put his money where his mouth is.  The only problem is that everything is going against him.  Between missed flights and other mishaps, he has a heck of a time getting out of the states and nothing is going very well in Bolivia either.  If he thinks things are strange now, he better hang on for the ride...

You see, Jack has a guardian angel.  She's supposed to stay invisible and just keep him safe.  But when he runs into her and she drops her clipboard and he demands she show herself, she really doesn't have much choice.  The story gets even more interesting because Jack doesn't believe her.

This is an entertaining read.  A touch of paranormal, impossible love, and determination make you root for this relationship.  Of course, we all know it's impossible.  Angels are immortal and can't mix with humans.  Or could the angels on high be wrong?

Happy reading.

Charmed by Erica Ridley

Trevor is on site at an archeological dig and is so tired he falls asleep at his work table.  Imagine his surprise when a beautiful young woman with wings shows up in his tent...

Intrepid Reads and Net Galley allowed me to download an ebook of this story to read for review (thank you).  It was published in December, so you can find a copy at your local bookstore now.

The title on this one caught my eye and the story line sounded like fun.  I was not disappointed.  I like light fantasy with lots of action and impossible odds.  The magic is just an extra bonus for me.

Daisy is attempting to get her permanent fairy wings.  She wants to become a tooth fairy because no one in her world respects scientists.  She's good at science, not so good at magic.  So far, she's just been able to turn things into pumpkins, which is not very useful.

Trevor is trying to get tenured at the college he teaches for.  Unfortunately, there is another professor trying to do the same thing and next year there will only be one contract.  Can he write up a paper from this latest dig that will help secure his position?  Only if he can recover the missing laptop that had all information.

What really makes trouble for these two is that without intending to, they fall in love.  There's no way for a fairy to live in his world and he won't be accepted in hers.  Is there no hope at all?  Daisy thinks not.  But then she finds out that her bad luck is not bad luck at all; it's sabotage!

There's lots action, some laughs, it's a bit silly and I enjoyed the whole tale.  Why don't you get a copy and see what you think?

Happy reading.