Merry Christmas! Welcome to EARTH DRAGON REVIEWS! Here you will find reviews for books I have read and reviewed. These books are Advanced Reader Copies and all reviews are my own opinion. Feel free to contact me if you have a questions or want me to read one of your books. Please post to my blog and/or subscribe. I love hearing from you! Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus come! May God bless and keep you this year!
This is an enemies to lover's story. The banter is excellent between these two, but gets tiresome after awhile. While the Earl is forcing Leonore into marriage, she all of a sudden realizes she loves him. I can't figure out how she comes to that conclusion. The Earl desires her and loves her stubborn haughtiness. Personally, these two deserve all the unhappiness their marriage is going to cause them. Vengeance has a way of making every thing worse.
Talk about a kidnapping gone wrong, Benedict sweet talks his way to freedom by seducing and falling in love with his female captor, Marie. The story is far fetched, but brought a smile to my face. It's a nice fairy tale with the dream every poor little girl dreams; for Prince Charming to fall in love with them and take them away. This story doesn't end this way, but still dreams can come true.
This story has the advantage of two character who really mesh. They get each other even when they don't want to. The dialog between the characters is really good and the narrators bring that together. The only thing I disliked is that they spent more time in bed than was spent on the story. Let's say the ending need a little work, and Evan is an idiot.
Sabrina does something that is very brave or very stupid. She answers an ad for a mail-order bride with a letter and photo of herself with her arrival only a few days behind. Gus is exactly as the ad describes. Sabrina decides to not tell Gus that she is a widow which comes back to bite her later on in the story. The stupidity of the lie is that you can't build the kind of life you want with lies. The characters are wonderful, even our villain is just a man trying to get ahead by assassinating his competition. The plot is well written except for the ending which is a little flimsy. The story is quite entertaining considering all the lying going on.
This story is okay. The action is good and crazy as usual for a Harry Starke story. The plot line was good, but the story failed to follow through. Some items in the story are over the top, and unbelievable. As for that, I believe some Harry Starke fans expect that as this series as gone from mystery to action adventure. The epilogue at the end I could have done without. I'm hoping when I start the Genesis series, Harry Starke will get back to mystery.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
This story is about the daughter of a Duke who was sold by her cousin to save the Duchy. As Emily learns to navigate the middle class; her husband is arrested for murder on circumstantial evidence. Emily lives her life, not showing her emotions.She does try to save her marriage and her husband from the noose. I'm not sure if this is from duty or love. It's really hard to tell. At the end of the story, I'm unsure if Andrew and Emily are actually in love or just enjoy the marriage bed and their wealth.
Leah wants a better life for her sister Evangeline. So, Leah decides to become a mail order bride to better their lives. Through the letters she writes and receives from Edgar, she finds a connection. The chemistry between the two is a hit when they meet. The biggest problem in this marriage is Edgar's bitter father. I like Leah even though she has a propensity to cry, but she doesn't let hurt feelings defeat her. I loved how these two pulled together to make things work even in the worst of times.
I enjoyed 2 out of three of the books Here are my thoughts on each one.
What a Wicked Duke Demands ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is a fascinating story about disgrace and redemption. A stolen kiss from saving a woman leaves Gerard find this woman desirable, something he hasn't felt in a long time. Beth will not let passion destroy her like it has her sister. This story has a very twisted ending and leaves you wondering about the whole situation with the sister in the first place.
A Scandalous Match ⭐⭐
This story is hurtful and resentful and wouldn't have happened in that day and age. Neither would have been allowed to remarry. Reginald doesn't want his wife's baby and hides it among the village folk with everyone believing she died in childbirth. Things come to ahead years later as Susanna and Reginald find each other. This story may have been good if it did not have all the inaccuracies of Regency law included. It felt like the author wanted to write a truly scathing story about divorce, but failed miserably.
A Bachelor She Loves to Hate ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This story is mysterious but humorous. Oliver is a strange man who works secretly for the King. Oliver comes to Tabitha's rescue with a well paid housekeeper's position. His excuse is that her mother was kind to him. Although Tabitha can't stand him, she takes the job. As Tabitha gets to know Oliver, she falls in love with him. Life can take unexpected turns and this is a nice take on Beauty and the Beast.
Annie became a mail order bride when her family fell apart. Mitch wanted to make a family, so he built a separate house on the ranch that he shared with his adopted brother. Annie and Mitch fall in love through their letters and everything was hopeful until she met his brother, Wyatt. This story is about overcoming adversity with love and strength. Annie is determined and overcomes her emotions to do the right thing.
This is a well written story with a surprising ending and twist.. Let's be clear there is is no beast. It's just a warrior name that Flynn has developed on the battlefield, but it is not very well deserved. There is nothing beastly about Flynn. He is family and clan orientated. Lady Adrian Montgomery is desperate to save her family and becomes a teacher for Flynn's brother. There is a plot amid the clans set to destroy more than just the love of a clan leader and a teacher.
I found the hero of this story an arrogant jerk who goes around judging everyone before he even meets them. How the heroine of this story falls in love with him while he treats her terribly is beyond me. The misunderstanding of the woman who tries to trap the Duke is the only interesting thing in this story. How the Duke evens believes anything Miss Weston says after trying to trap His Grace is beyond me. The only thing between these two was a physical attraction and I can't base a happy ever after on just that between them.
This tells the story of a woman finding the self realization that she is beautiful just the way that God made her. This realization comes into being from an awful rumor. When I first started reading this I thought the decision was about Mr. Milburn or Mr. Wayneford. I was wrong. It is a decision all women must make about themselves if they want to grow into the mature & beautiful woman that God intends for them to be. The story and characters are fascinating, but the story some times goes too slowly. It makes sense as Anna debates what she wants and who she wants to be.
I usually rate these kinds of novellas a three or less, but the author impressed me with the depth she went into developing the alien species Xylan. I love the fact they are a mated species and what goes into how the species survives. For a short story, the plot and story line are very well developed. The ending makes you want to learn about the other brothers in this family.