Book Review: An Heiress at Heart by Jennifer Delamere

An Heiress at Heart

By Jennifer Delamere

Release Date: October 25, 2012

Source: Author

Summary: A New Beginning

A youthful indiscretion has cost Lizzie Poole more than just her honor. After five years living in exile, she’s finally returning home, but she’s still living a secret life. Her best friend, Ria’s dying wish was for Lizzie to assume her identity, return to London, and make amends that Ria herself would never live to make. Bearing a striking resemblance to her friend, and harboring more secrets than ever before, Lizzie embarks on a journey that tempts her reckless heart once again . . .

A committed clergyman, Geoffrey Somerville’s world is upended when he suddenly inherits the title of Lord Somerville. Now he’s invited to every ball and sought after by the matchmaking mothers of London society. Yet the only woman to capture his heart is the one he cannot have: his brother’s young widow, Ria. Duty demands he deny his feelings, but his heart longs for the mysterious beauty. With both their futures at stake, will Lizzie be able to keep up her façade? Or will she find the strength to share her secret and put her faith in true love?
Review: I seriously cannot get enough of historical romances, especially during this time of year (somehow the holidays make me want to read about that fantastic era). Needless to say, I could not wait to get into this one! 

The story starts off when Lizzie almost gets run over by two gentlemen on the street. Lizzie was in the middle of contemplating going into the house of her long lost sister Ria (who happens to have just died) and fulfilling her dying wish of taking her place in an upperclass home. Luckily, the men happen to be Ria's cousin and Ria's husband's brother. Lizzie is forced into taking Ria's persona on right away and has to fool everyone into thinking she's the woman who ran away with her then fiance's brother and is only returning because her love has died, leaving her devastated and alone. 

Seems simple enough, right? Well, it is until Lizzie begins to grow closer and closer with Geoffrey, who happens to be the other brother of Ria's deceased husband. Since Ria and Geoffrey are related by marriage and everyone assumes Lizzie is Ria, there is no way they can ever be together. But Geoffrey seems to be the only one who gets the "new" Ria and is one perfect gentleman. That's not the only problem either. People keep on popping up from Lizzie's past who threaten to expose her little charade. Lizzie has to stop this from happening before she loses her new home, family, and budding love. Talk about a crazy life!

While I greatly enjoyed the time this took place, with the balls, courting, walks in the park, and callings, the story ended up being a bit too slow for my taste. There was a lot of talking going on among the characters, so I definitely thing it could have used some more action. Also, some parts seemed to drag by because it was all Lizzie's thoughts or someone else's thoughts. Things definitely could have picked up and if they did, I probably would have enjoyed this one a lot more. I'm happy, though, that the author could take a unique side of a story that seems to be overdone by the way she makes Ria already dead and certain people from Lizzie's life come back into the story. So overall, An Heiress At Heart was a pretty good read, I just wish there was more action and a livelier plot.

Follow My Book Blog Friday (64)

This is a meme hosted every Friday by Parajunkee, where book bloggers answer a question each week and check out how others answered it. It's a cool way for bloggers and viewers to connect and learn more about each other!

Question: Activity! Who is your to-die-for book crush? What do you think they look like? Add an image to make us all happy. 

Answer: Oh my goodness, how do I choose just one??? Hmm I'd have to go with...

Etienne St. Clair 

From Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

And who would play him? 

Finn Jones

Look at that piercing gaze...I could totally imagine him being Etienne! And he has that hair that is perfectly tousled and effortless. And he's British, so he would have Etienne's gorgeous accent :) Oh my goodness, can they PLEASE make a movie of this book? I want to be able to see Etienne on the big screen over and over and over again....That's pretty much why I'm completely in love with Anna and the French Kiss :) If you haven't read the book, READ IT NOW. It's amazing and you won't be able to help but fall completely in love with Etienne St. Clair :)

Waiting on Wednesday (67)

This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of!

Uses for Boys

By Erica Lorraine Scheidt 

Release Date: January 15, 2013

Summary: Anna remembers a time before boys, when she was little and everything made sense. When she and her mom were a family, just the two of them against the world. But now her mom is gone most of the time, chasing the next marriage, bringing home the next stepfather. Anna is left on her own—until she discovers that she can make boys her family. From Desmond to Joey, Todd to Sam, Anna learns that if you give boys what they want, you can get what you need. But the price is high—the other kids make fun of her; the girls call her a slut. Anna's new friend, Toy, seems to have found a way around the loneliness, but Toy has her own secrets that even Anna can't know.

Then comes Sam. When Anna actually meets a boy who is more than just useful, whose family eats dinner together, laughs, and tells stories, the truth about love becomes clear. And she finally learns how it feels to have something to lose—and something to offer. Real, shocking, uplifting, and stunningly lyrical,  Uses for Boys  is a story of breaking down and growing up.

The cover is definitely what caught my eye when I first saw this book. The Christmas lights are so cool and I love how the title lights up with them. Moving on to the actually story, I knew this was one I had to read. I'm so intrigued by Anna's character and how she has to use boys in order to fill in her need for a family. And what's up with her friend Toy? What secrets could she have? I'm so excited to read this one! January seriously can't come soon enough! 

Weekly Roundup [11/20-11/26]

Wow, is it Monday already?? Thanksgiving break was so fantastic, so I'm sad it's over so soon! I had a great time with yummy food and my fabulous family but now it's time to get back to reality! It was definitely a busy week, so here's everything I got done on the blog! 

Book Review

Romeo Redeemed by Stacy Jay

Memes

 

Waiting On Wednesday (66)

Stacking the Shelves (29)

Sundays In Bed With...

Blog Tour

Naturally, Charlie by SL Scott

Sundays In Bed With...

This is a new meme I picked up from Midnight Book Girl after seeing the meme picture and thinking it was absolutely adorable! I always read in bed at night, so I thought it'd be fun to share what books I'm going to be spending my Sunday nights in bed with!

 

Tonight, I'll be spending time in bed with my lovely Nook! I've got An Heiress At Heart on there and it's a pretty fantastic historical romance. I'm only about 30 pages into it and I'm loving it so far, so I'm really excited for the chance to read even more tonight! Nothing like a good romance to snuggle up under the covers with :)

Stacking the Shelves (29)

Stacking the Shelves is a new meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what they got throughout the week!

From Publisher

 

Don't all of these look so good?? I absolutely can't wait to dig into these. I'm most excited for Whispers At Moonrise because it's the fourth book in the Shadow Falls series and I wasn't expecting it in the mail at all. I love the series, so it was definitely an awesome surprise! The rest look like great reads that I'm looking forward to reading! 

Today, I'll be spending the day rooting for the Buckeyes as they dominate that team up north (Michigan). It's going to be a fun day relaxing by the Christmas tree and watching some football :) I hope you guys had a great book week as well as a lovely holiday with the family. Oh, and I hope you all have a great weekend as well :)

Book Review: Romeo Redeemed by Stacey Jay

Romeo Redeemed 

By Stacey Jay

Release Date: October 9, 2012

Source: Publisher

Summary: Seductive companion to the popular Juliet Immortal, in which former lovers—Romeo and Juliet—meet, not as true lovers, but truly as enemies.

Cursed to live out eternity in his rotted corpse, Romeo, known for his ruthless, cutthroat ways, is given the chance to redeem himself by traveling back in time to save the life of Ariel Dragland. Unbeknownst to her, Ariel is important to both the evil Mercenaries and the love-promoting Ambassadors and holds the fate of the world in her hands. Romeo must win her heart and make her believe in love, turning her away from her darker potential before his work is discovered by the Mercenaries. While his seduction begins as yet another lie, it soon becomes his only truth. Romeo vows to protect Ariel from harm, and do whatever it takes to win her heart and soul. But when Ariel is led to believe his love is a deception, she becomes vulnerable to Mercenary manipulation, and her own inner darkness may ultimately rip them apart.

Review: This book was SO GOOD! Seriously, I thought I liked Juliet Immortal, but I absolutely loved Romeo Redeemed! Who knew an author could take the overused and abused story of Romeo and Juliet and create something so fantastic?? 

After reading Juliet Immortal, you grow to absolutely detest Romeo. He ruined Juliet and everything he does seems to be with evil intentions. So going into this one, I wasn't sure how I would be able to read about a suddenly "turned-good" Romeo. But I soon found I had absolutely no problem falling for the changed Romeo in this book!

In order to change his ways and go against the bad Mercenaries, Romeo must show the real Ariel how to love. Mmmm and Romeo really knows how to charm a girl. Despite having to deal with the notorious player reputation of the body he's taken over, Romeo is able to turn on his charm and draw in any girl who comes his way. But Ariel has gone through too much heartache and betrayal to let Romeo in that easily. 

You would think Ariel would get annoying by how much she played the typical hurt girl who isn't willing to trust anyone, but she really wasn't. Stacey Jay was able to play on her vulnerability and trust issues just enough to make a really awesome story. I loved how everything kept on changing from who was trusting who and as the reader you didn't even know who to trust until the very end. It was so awesome! Watching Romeo work his magic on Ariel didn't hurt too much either :) 

There was seriously never a dull moment in this story and you were always kept on the edge of your seat, flipping through the pages to figure out what would happen next. There were so many questions at the beginning and I just couldn't wait to figure out the answers the entire time I was reading. I just didn't want to put this book down! The best part was that we got a Romeo we're used to; a romantic, charming guy who every girl dreams of having. This original take on a Shakespeare classic gives you a love story that's simply impossible to resist.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you all enjoy some delicious food, fun times with the family, and stolen moments to spend some time curled up by the fire with a good book. And make sure to give thankful for all of the wonderful books that have been brought into our lives :) 

Waiting On Wednesday (66)

This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of!

Catherine 

By April Lindner

Release Date: January 2, 2013

Summary: A forbidden romance. A modern mystery. Wuthering Heights as you’ve never seen it before.

Catherine is tired of struggling musicians befriending her just so they can get a gig at her Dad’s famous Manhattan club, The Underground. Then she meets mysterious Hence, an unbelievably passionate and talented musician on the brink of success. As their relationship grows, both are swept away in a fiery romance. But when their love is tested by a cruel whim of fate, will pride keep them apart?

Chelsea has always believed that her mom died of a sudden illness, until she finds a letter her dad has kept from her for years—a letter from her mom, Catherine, who didn’t die: She disappeared. Driven by unanswered questions, Chelsea sets out to look for her—starting with the return address on the letter: The Underground.

Told in two voices, twenty years apart, Catherine interweaves a timeless forbidden romance with a compelling modern mystery.

Wuthering Heights is one of my favorite classics ever, so when I saw this book I got super excited! A book inspired by one of my favorite classics, but about musicians who fall in love? I want to read it now! And I'm really intrigues how it's going to be told in two voices twenty years apart. I guess we'll see how that turns out! Needless to say, I seriously can't wait to read this one! 

Blog Tour: Naturally, Charlie by SL Scott

I'm super excited to be a part of the Naturally, Charlie by SL Scott blog tour today! I've got a review and interview to share with you guys and I can't wait to see what you think. First up, my interview with author SL Scott! 

In three words, how would you describe Naturally, Charlie?

Love, Trust, Humor

Why did you decide to write a contemporary romance about the two Charlies? 

They demanded my attention and I decided to give it a go and let them lead me where they needed to go. Lol If you can’t tell, they made me do it.

Their story was bouncing around my head for a long while and I really just decided one day to explore it and see if there was something more to the initial scene I had playing in my head. That initial scene is chapter 5 in the book. It’s where they run into each other in a park in NYC.

There was a question that I kept thinking about, which was can two people who meet at a more difficult time in their lives build a relationship from there, from that low point?

Although they share the same name, it doesn’t really come into play with them. That’s more a side feature that their friends play up. That’s how the two Charlies came to be.

If you could be anyone from your novel, who would you be and why? 

Charlie girl – for several reasons. She gets to cuddle and nap with boy Charlie and make out with him because he’s just so swoon-worthy. Also, because she finds light even in the dark. She’s funny and a bit silly and has flaws. Too perfect of characters are not realistic. Perfect facades usually hide lots of internal issues.

Naturally, Charlie is your debut novel. How do you feel about publishing your first novel?  

It’s amazing and completely surreal to know I’ve accomplished such a huge goal in my life. It’s truly thrilling. And it’s really special that it’s with the two Charlies—characters that I love so much.

Where do you draw your inspiration from when you write? 

Music plays a huge part when I’m writing, mapping out the story in my head, and developing the characters. It gets me in the right emotion for the part I’m working on.

What do you do when you're not writing? 

I like to walk the trails downtown around the lake and I enjoy crafts. I like to be on the go since I’m sitting so much for my writing. The outdoors and music are very inspirational in developing the storyline. It clears my head and allows me to focus in on the part of the story I want.

What's your favorite color? 

Blue- all blues, but I love clean and crisp classic navy.

What's your favorite book and why? 

I am a sucker for Jane Austen. I know that’s not the most original answer, but they are classics for a reason. Pride and Prejudice makes me swoon and I love that Austen wrote such a strong lead female, especially back in those days.   

If someone wrote a biography of your life, what would the title be?

Flying by the Seat of Her Pants – A Writer and Her Parachute

What can we expect next from you? 

*rubs hands together excitedly* I have so much fun stuff in store. I can’t wait until I can share more, but I’m not quite there yet. My focus is currently on Naturally, Charlie and my short story Morning Glory – A Novelette. I’m so proud of these stories and love chatting about them.

About the Author

S.L. Scott is a former high-tech account manager with a journalism degree pursuing her passion for telling stories. She spends her days escaping into her characters and letting them lead her on their adventures. 

Live music shows, harvesting jalapenos and eating homemade guacamole are her obsessions she calls hobbies.

Scott lives in the beautiful Texas Hill Country of Austin with her husband, two young sons, two Papillons and a bowl full of Sea Monkeys. 

She welcomes your notes at sl@slscottauthor.com

Naturally, Charlie

By SL Scott

Release Date: November 1, 2012

Summary: Twenty-five year old Charlotte “Charlie” Barrow is caught between her old life and the one she is beginning to build when she crosses paths with a handsome stranger on the subway. Not looking for romance, she closes her heart off to the possibilities of love. With a knack for mishaps, Charlie maintains her sense of humor while befriending the kind stranger who seems to be there at all the right times.

New York freelance writer, Charlie Adams, is forging his own path beyond the expectations of the society circles of his childhood. Rejecting family money, and fast-lane friends, he is snubbed by his family as he follows his own compass to a life more extraordinary. 

Through a coincidence of events, they come to rely on each other for comfort. This is the tale of two Charlies learning to trust again while fighting their fates to create their own destiny. ***Check out my review here***

I want to thank SL Scott SO much for being here today! I enjoyed reading her book and learning all about her! For more information about SL Scott and her new novel Naturally, Charlie, check out these links: 

Goodreads // Author Website // Twitter // Facebook // Amazon // B&N

Weekly Roundup [11/13-11/19]

Thanksgiving week is finally here! Yay! I cannot wait to go home tomorrow and spend the rest of the week at home! I'll be able to eat some delicious food, then snuggle up next to the fire with a good book and big cup of tea. I'm so close! I managed to make it through this past week thanks to some fantastic books I've been reading! Here's what I managed to get done during that time...

Reviews

 

Lord of Temptation  by Lorraine Heath

Naturally, Charlie by SL Scott

Memes

 

Waiting On Wednesday (65)

Follow My Book Blog Friday (63)

Stacking the Shelves (28)

Blogspiration (20)

Miscellaneous

Giveaway Winner

Book Review: Naturally, Charlie

Naturally, Charlie

By SL Scott

Release Date: November 1, 2012

Source: Publisher

Summary: Twenty-five year old Charlotte “Charlie” Barrow is caught between her old life and the one she is beginning to build when she crosses paths with a handsome stranger on the subway. Not looking for romance, she closes her heart off to the possibilities of love. With a knack for mishaps, Charlie maintains her sense of humor while befriending the kind stranger who seems to be there at all the right times.

New York freelance writer, Charlie Adams, is forging his own path beyond the expectations of the society circles of his childhood. Rejecting family money, and fast-lane friends, he is snubbed by his family as he follows his own compass to a life more extraordinary. 

Through a coincidence of events, they come to rely on each other for comfort. This is the tale of two Charlies learning to trust again while fighting their fates to create their own destiny.

Review: After reading so many rave reviews of this book, I couldn't wait to get into it. It had over a four star average rating on Goodreads, which is pretty rare for books, so it had to be really good, right? Well, not exactly. Naturally, Charlie sounded like a super sweet contemporary romance, which is exactly the kind of genre I love. Actually reading the story, though, I just couldn't get into the Charlies' relationship as much as I wanted to. 

The characters were likable enough. Girl Charlie works for an auction house and is still getting over the death of her ex-fiance who had cheated on her. Boy Charlie is a writer who is still waiting to find that one girl who makes his world brighter. Normally, I would be falling all over a male lead who is an insanely attractive writer, but I didn't find myself feeling that way towards Charlie. He was okay, but nothing he did ever had me swooning and he seemed to say the same cliche things about girl Charlie all throughout the book. 

I liked how the Charlies met on the subway, but didn't actually get to know each other until after fate kept on throwing them together. Watching them grow closer and closer was really adorable, especially how they would have movie marathons with delicious cupcakes. This part of their relationship, though, seemed to drag on. In books, I don't like to sit around for 6 months waiting for someone to make a move. I just started to get annoyed how they both went on and on about liking each other, but none of them did anything about it. Then, their deep conversations about love and moving on seemed a little forced and cliche; I couldn't really see a couple talking that way to each other without sounding super cheesy. The ideas for a cute contemporary romance were there, it just came out sounding too cliche. 

So overall, this was just an okay read. I found myself skimming through the last couple of chapters and epilogue because things wouldn't end. I really wish I could have enjoyed this book more, but I just couldn't. Maybe I'm in the mood for something with a faster pace, but if you can put up with a slow moving story, then maybe you'd like this one! Naturally, Charlie really did hold a cute story, but the execution seemed to be lacking and fell just a bit flat for me.