One thing to mention, I feel like this novella would be best appreciated after reading the previous books in another series it A quick and light read.
One thing to mention, I feel like this novella would be best appreciated after reading the previous books in another series it has connection to - Ruthless Rivals. A series, whose general plot revolves around members of two quarreling families, that are not quarreling so much anymore, because they are busy falling in love.
A Scandal in July's plot, however, promised to focus on the last two unmarried members of the Montgomery and the Davis families, trying desperately not to fall madly in love with each other, despite their families and the universe at large pushing them together.
Sadly, that wasn't actually the book's plot, as both the hero and the heroine very quickly admitted to themselves they are already in love. So, the source of potential tension and conflict in the story disappeared in the second chapter.
The majority of the book is just them having fun during a day of a family mischief.
The story is very light and zany, with a bunch of characters running around treasure hunting/capturing a flag. There is a certain screwball comedy feel to many scenes, and I think it really fits the summer/beach read vibe the book seemed to aim for. (Side note, another series with a similar feel and character dynamics, also featuring a boisterous family, is Erica Ridley’s The Wild Wynchesters.)
All of it was lighthearted fun but it lacked some tension to make the book more engaging.
Also, if the main characters talked with each other about their feelings at the very beginning, this book would be a short story. This unwillingness to communicate with each other felt a little forced.
Firstly, I can't decide if the title is clever and funny and I like it,CW:(view spoiler)[domestic abuse (on heroine, NOT by hero) (hide spoiler)]
Firstly, I can't decide if the title is clever and funny and I like it, or if it’s too on the nose and makes me cringe a little. I'm leaning towards liking it, ha!
Too bad I didn't quite like the book itself.
I feel it's very much a case of not being in the right mood to appreciate the story and the characters.
To be honest, neither held my attention and I was never fully invested in June and Cameron’s relationship.
Maybe it was because the heroine was constantly described as painfully perfect, despite herself claiming she wasn't. And I know she's a tragic character, because of the abuse she suffered, but June was most of the time described as an almost ephemeral fairy-like creature, gliding around in her (always!) white or light dresses, with golden hair floating behind her in the most gracious manner.
There was one scene, almost at the end, when she was running to (view spoiler)[ stop Cameron from dueling her non-husband (hide spoiler)]. Obviously, she was exerting herself, as well as wearing her night clothes, with hair being a mess, etc. But, the way the whole set up was described made me think she's the type that insists she doesn't sweat, but ✨glistens�. Basically, the message she's so pure and perfect came on too strong for me.
The lack of chemistry between June and Cameron didn't help either.
They were supposed to be still in love with each other, a feeling so strong that made Cameron (view spoiler)[forget about his “revenge� almost instantly upon seeing June again. (hide spoiler)] And yet, all of their interactions felt so awkward.
Also, the ending had a little bit of a deus ex machina feel to it, with how neatly all the plot's loose ends got tied, but I'm not going to rag on it too much as it came about because of one of the more interesting characters of the whole book - Sir Montegue. At first, he seemed suspiciously eager to befriend the hero, almost coming on too strong, to later on reveal (view spoiler)[his intentions were mostly good. (hide spoiler)]
That's the thing about this book - background characters, like Sir Montegue or Mrs Pembroke (even Horatia), were so much more interesting than the main couple.
After reading Jilted in January by the same author, this book was rather disappointing.
Where the Rake Review’s story was interesting and well developAfter reading Jilted in January by the same author, this book was rather disappointing.
Where the Rake Review’s story was interesting and well developed, with full fleshed, complex characters that shared amazing chemistry, Mean to Be Mine felt really dry and almost simplistic.
I liked the premise, but felt the plot itself was underdeveloped. Childhood friends that lost their bond, yet are still forced to marry because of the decades old arrangement was intriguing, and I was hoping for a lot of emotional and angsty moments. Unfortunately, not only the whole story felt rushed, but the more heavy scenes felt hollow.
Still, the weakest part of the story was the main couple � Kelly and Theodore share so little chemistry I never fully felt invested in their developing romance. Theodore seemed not to be sure how to behave towards Kelly, blowing hot and cold through the whole book.
As a side note, compared to Jilted in January (which was deliciously sensual and sexy) this story feels almost chaste � not to say there are no sex scenes in the book. There is one, sole intimate moment shared by Kelly and Theodore, and it feels out of place. The whole ordeal lasted maybe two paragraphs of rather clinical and cold description � I get it kind of matches the hero’s attitude and how both of them perceived their forced union, but I felt sorry for both of them.
Mean to Be Mine was just an ok story; I liked some moments, but overall it felt very rushed. I will not be continuing reading this series.
(Read as part of free anthology Mistletoe, Mulled Wine, and Maybe a Duke)
“I am yours forever, and I give myself freely. You came here to destr
(Read as part of free anthology Mistletoe, Mulled Wine, and Maybe a Duke)
“I am yours forever, and I give myself freely. You came here to destroy yourself, but my lovely Charlise, you have destroyed me.�
I might have been in just the perfect mood (Holiday season is no joke) for this novella, because it floored me how wonderful it was!
Charlise and Sinclair’s romance was bittersweet, angsty, lovely, and beautifully sexy. The chemistry between them was electrifying, gorgeous, and the love they felt for each other tinged with some quiet sadness that only made it so much sweeter.
I cried for Charlise and with her, with Sinclaire.
I loved how honest she was about her pain; about being so deeply hurt by people closest to her, and how Sinclaire was there for her. How he, despite his own trauma, allowed Charlise to feel free, to be selfish � even if only for a night.
I hated heroine’s father, who (probably still affected by grief) never allowed his older daughter any grace. How, maybe unintentionally, he pitted the sisters again each other, clearly more dotting on the youngest.
It created some tension between them, and I loved the author didn’t shy away from making Elise feel some resentment towards her older sister, after Charlise (view spoiler)[escaped with Sinclair. (hide spoiler)]
Oh, Sinclair, I so enjoyed him as a hero. He was charming, but also somewhat sad. An outsider, not only because of his birthplace or social status, but his interest in trade. His journey of founding his purpose, of proving himself was very moving, and interesting.
And, oh my, he had a way with words. His love confession to Charlise was so incredibly romantic.
I wholeheartedly enjoyed this novella; Alivia Fleur is a new author to me and reading this story was such a wonderful introduction to her works. I’ll be keeping a close eye on her upcoming works.
(Read as part of free anthology Mistletoe, Mulled Wine, and Maybe a Duke)
Eh, it was ok.
I didn’t particularly like any of the main characters - the her
(Read as part of free anthology Mistletoe, Mulled Wine, and Maybe a Duke)
Eh, it was ok.
I didn’t particularly like any of the main characters - the heroine was aggressively “likable�, and the hero kind of dumb. Not to mention, he forgave her deception way to easily.
I don’t know if it was intentional, but naming the heroine “Miss Pageants� was clever as Emary really felt like some pageant contestant - artificially nice, forcibly perfect, and disingenuous. There’s nothing wrong with difficult to like protagonists � especially if they have some edge, redemption arc, or even just flaws in their characters are portrayed as such. But in Emary’s case she was just� perfect, even her flaws made her more special.
Like during the “Emary wants to be a novelist� arc.
(view spoiler)[At the beginning she lies to the hero that she had always dreamed of writing a novel, so he will agree to pretend to court her giving Emary more time to “freely� pen her story. In reality, she just thought wanting to be a novelist was somewhat a lofty thing to aspire too, making her even more attractive for the hero. Plus, she planned to make him fall in love with her during their time together. Unfortunately, Donovan (our hero) is actually interested in her writing and wants to see some progress, so she panics.
But fear not, in the end she actually writes a novel (in mere days, no less) and it’s of course a massive success, even though she herself admitted to having no writing talent. Or even a real interest in being a writer.
Again, there’s nothing bad about a heroine who has strong agency and uses not so nice methods (due to circumstances and time period) to achieve her goals, but at least give her some real flaws. (hide spoiler)]
I’m sorry, but that whole subplot made Emary give off “Mary Sue� vibes. I know it’s a term that lost almost all of its intended meaning, but I can’t find a better fitting one.
As for Donovan, I thought there would be more substance to his character � the blurb mentioned he was a war veteran, but that never really played any part in the story. He was just there. And he was so painfully not smart when it came to Emary’s obvious deception and manipulations. Even when she admitted to lying to him, he immediately forgave her (because she’s so perfect ...more
I was looking forward to this book ever since Arabella made hCW:(view spoiler)[scenes of sexual assault (on heroine, not by hero) (hide spoiler)]
I was looking forward to this book ever since Arabella made her first appearance in the Devil of a Duke.
Now, I know I didn’t particularly enjoy that story, but I can safely say Nick’s “d¾±´Ú´Ú¾±³¦³Ü±ô³Ùâ€� and “w²¹²õ±è¾±²õ³óâ€� sister was one of the better parts.
Arabella is very hard to like at first - she’s a good example of (almost) antiheroine, a rarity in most genres. We have so many antiheroes, more or less evil in their doings, but a heroine who’s at first a straight up villain, to later have satisfying redemption arc without losing her edge? Now that’s something.
I admit, Arabella’s redemption might not be perfect, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this book.
The simplicity of the plot allowed the amazingly hot romance between Rowan and Bella to shine. They are wonderful together!
I loved how both of them carried some “d²¹°ù°ì²Ô±ð²õ²õâ€� - Rowan hid his under the veneer of charming indifference, while Arabella wore hers in the open - as a shield.
This story expands on her character really well, giving so much backstory and reasoning for why she was almost always so unpleasant to be around, or why she always seemed to want to be on the periphery of the ton. Or, more importantly, why she made that horrible decision to (view spoiler)[marry Corbett (hide spoiler)].
The themes of family shame are ever present in both Rowan’s and Arabella’s lives, much more so in hers � trying desperately to never bring even a smidge of stain on her already whispered about family's reputation.
Rowan’s situation felt different â€� it wasn’t so much he didn’t want to shame his family per se, as it was more about him struggling with his parents constantly comparing him to his deceased brother, the paragon. His “d²¹°ù°ì²Ô±ð²õ²õâ€� was more about resentment, if anything else.
As a couple they matched very well; they recognized each other’s faults of character but never shamed one another.
What’s more, Arabella and Rowan had such a beautifully electrifying chemistry.
I said it before, but Kathleen Ayers excels in writing how horny and hot people are for each other.
Malden’s interest in Arabella was visible in the previous books, but here his longing and attraction became almost frantic. The dark-ish undertones to their relationship � Arabella’s involvement with Jem’s kidnaping and her later lies, Rowan’s manipulations and struggles with fully trusting her � all add to the brimming desire that scorches during every sex scene they share.
I loved the dash of light bdsm play sprinkled during the most emotional and volatile intimate moments. It all fits.
As well as, surprisingly, some pretty awful words Rowan throws at Arabella during the climax of the story - just when all comes crashing down on her, because Rowan is told her secret.
It was mentioned before â€� in other KA’s booksâ€� reviews â€� that this author’s heroes like to call heroines horrible names. And as much as I agree, that in the previous stories it seemed really jarring, here I’d argue it somewhat fits the pairing. Not to say calling your spouse names is ever fine, but given how Rowan and Arabella both are portrayed as characters that carry some “d²¹°ù°ì²Ô±ð²õ²õâ€� â€� openly or secretly â€� that vitriol scene makes sense. They both acknowledged their flaws, but also the fact they can be redeemable, especially Arabella.
The only thing I didn’t really like about this book, was how quickly the main conflict gets resolved.
I mentioned Arabella’s redemption arc was not perfect, mostly because I feel Rowan forgave her too quickly, and she him. I feel like they both should grovel a little more. But then again, the main point of Arabella not being “unredeemable� was Jem and Nick forgiving her, and they did.
Wickedly Yours was amazing - very entertaining, hot, and romantic.
I loved how “d¾±´Ú´Ú¾±³¦³Ü±ô³Ùâ€� Arabella was, and how she found a perfect partner in the “wickedâ€� Rowan.
(I’m currently reading A Midnight Requiem: The Ghostly Hour � anthology published last year � but as this novella just recently had its standalone rel(I’m currently reading A Midnight Requiem: The Ghostly Hour � anthology published last year � but as this novella just recently had its standalone release, I decided to add an individual review here too.)
“The worth of a thing lies not in its perfection, but in its scars.�
The Secrets of a Moonlit Night was such a fun and spooky novella.
The story’s mood was almost gothic-like, but not overdone, and the tension and mystery build really well. I enjoyed how the paranormal elements were at first subtle, maybe a little menacing, but in the end (in a very cinematographic fashion) the haunting presence also showed its softer, matchmaking side.
Nevertheless, what I liked the most was the characters and their interactions.
The Secrets of a Moonlit Night, at least for me, is a prime example how ‘i²Ô²õ³Ù²¹-±ô´Ç±¹±ð/±ô³Ü²õ³Ùâ€� trope can be used well, and be as satisfying as a good build up to a relationship. Lizzie and Warwick had such an electrifying and palpable chemistry, their immediate and deep connection didn’t seem forced or awkward. I’m not a fan of ‘i²Ô²õ³Ù²¹-±ô´Ç±¹±ðâ€�, but in this story I wasn’t even mad they basically fell in love in mere hours.
It also helped their chemistry was build upon them already being interesting and likable characters, especially Elizabeth. I loved how openly cynical she was � the scene where one of her charges repeated all her world-weary life advices in that tired and annoyed way only a child less than 10 can do, made me laugh. Lizzie was so unapologetic about being jaded, but she still believed in love and finding the right partner. That ideally could be honest and straightforward with her, as she also had some pretty intense trust issues.
So, then, Thomas Warwick came along; the mysterious Two-Faced Man turned out not to be the fabled monster that haunts the old abbey, but just a grumpy and overworked architect. And he saw through Lizzie's façade immediately, but never judged her for her past or actions. She was drawn to his honesty, but especially to his ability to believe in good despite his own tragic past, and prejudice he experienced because of his scars.
They were just fun to read about, and I especially enjoyed the latter part of the story when they found themselves trapped in the wine cellar.
I honestly didn’t know how to rate this one � on one hand it was quick, high heat novella with somewhat interesting characters, on the other� the age gap was slightly too much for me (20+ years?), as well as a weirdly structured narration, when at first the hero fondly remembered the heroine as a small child, but then in the next paragraph vividly described how much he wants to have sex with her. I’m sure the creepiness was unintentional, but still.
Of course it was not all bad as Antonia and Lucas had some chemistry together, and their families shared history (especially Antonia’s parents) kept me interested.
Well, it took me nearly a year, but I finally finished this anthology!
I’ve enjoyed most of the stories included in it � some were excellent and founWell, it took me nearly a year, but I finally finished this anthology!
I’ve enjoyed most of the stories included in it � some were excellent and found a place on my 5 stars shelf, others were pretty meh.
I would wholeheartedly recommend to at least read/buy the 4 and 5 stars novellas, ESPECIALLY Elisa Braden’s one, which is gloriously hot and swoony!
My overall rating is a solid 3,5 (rounded to 4)/5 stars.
Fair warning this review is going to be mostly a copy/paste of reviews I’ve had already written for each individual novella (I think only Jess Michaels’s story never got a standalone version). I also added a short explanation why I skipped one story.
For the sake of brevity, here is the short and sweet list of my ratings:
The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner by Amy Rose Bennett � 3/5 stars
Mrs. Peabody and the Unexpected Duke by Grace Callaway - 4,5 (rounded to 5)/5 stars
Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke � 2/5 stars (to be clear, this rating is for the version of the story included in here, not the stand alone one released recently, which I didn’t read)
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