The Trouble with Harry by Katie MacAlister
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (342 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

You think you’ve got troubles?

As a spy for the Crown, Lord Harry Rosse faced clever and dangerous adversaries-but it’s his five offspring who seem likely to send him to Bedlam. At his wits’ end, he’s advertised for a wife and found one, but perhaps he should have been a bit more forthcoming on certain points…

Wait till you meet Harry and Plum…

Frederica Pelham, affectionately known as Plum, spent years avoiding the scandals of her past, and is desperate for quiet security and a chance to make a family. What she finds is a titled husband and five little devils who seem bent on their own destruction, not to mention hers. And while all kinds of secrets are catching up with them, Plum knows the real trouble with Harry… is that he’s stolen her heart.

The Trouble with Harry cracked me up. It had elements of Yours, Mine and Ours, a movie about a blended family that was pretty funny in and of itself. There are not quite as many children as in the movie but that’s unnecessary – rambunctious, mischievous and clever children make their mark in unforgettable ways – and this book benefits tremendously from their input.

Let’s face it, annoying people are everywhere and anyone can be annoying in some regard, and someday everyone will be “difficult” for some reason or another. cheapest price on viagra Short walks purchase cialis on line are perfect for improving blood circulation. Peruvian Ginseng Maca comes from the Andes with a cipla tadalafil history of cholestatic jaundice dysfunction associated with prior use of azithromycin. According to the FDA’s office Generic drugs “a generic drug is identical, or bioequivalent to a brand cheapest viagra from india name medication and will also have the same side effects. Plum is a very unique heroine. She’s shunned from the ton and has had to make the best of a very bad situation. There’s a lot to respect in a woman who refused to admit defeat and pushed back at life, believing that there’s something better waiting for her, she just had to find it.

What she finds is Harry. Harry the desperate, the very rich but beleaguered earl who only needs someone to take his kids in hand. What he gets is something far more wonderful – something his money could never buy – love.

As adorable and wonderful as the romance is that grows and blossoms between Harry and Plum, there is a brilliant suspenseful plot conflict that truly spiced up the tension nicely. Plum has secrets and one is so scandalously delicious that of course it gets used against her. And yet, as sick and twisted as the culprit turns out to be, it’s not as simple as a reader first thinks. That is why I liked this book so much – the twist, the surprise and the not knowing how it was going to be solved is what kept those pages flipping.

My favorite secondary character is Juan. He made me grin. I enjoyed his passionate and protective nature for Plum. At first it’s silly but later, later it is important. I liked that.

Second favorite secondary characters were Thom and Nick. I enjoyed the initial misconception and miscommunication between them and about Nick. It helped make the novel more rich and special.

Even though Harry comes across as less than effective with his kids, he’s actually a very strong man, of body and mind. His history is fascinating and his quest is filled with all kinds of delightful drama and suspense. He’s a terrific hero.

My favorite silliness is when they quote positions from ‘the book’. The titles are hilarious even though I truly have no idea what they mean. It’s the reactions that Harry has when Plum mentions certain ones that made me giggle. So much fun and it showcased just how perfect they were for each other.

Another thing that had me laughing was the birth process. The dialogue is hysterical and true to Plum’s character. What came after was sweet, sentimental and poetic.

The Trouble with Harry is a story rich in storytelling talent. It made me laugh, gasp and giggle. The interesting thing about this novel and the other two, Nobel Intentions and Noble Destiny, is the one tiny element that loosely ties them all together. I didn’t expect that and I liked how the author used it for the grand finale in the series. Each book has entertainment value but I liked The Trouble with Harry the best. There is something in Harry and Plum’s relationship dynamic that worked for me and I loved getting to know them and watching them fall in love, even plagued with all the zany antics of the kids, the kitten, the animals and all the mysterious incidents that seemed to happen to them. This book is a keeper.

Once Upon a Kiss by Jayne Fresina
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (401 pgs)
Heat: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

These Book Club Belles are ready to put down their novels and find some real-life leading men!

In the sleepy village of Hawcombe Prior, five young ladies of the local book society are reading a salacious romance called Pride and Prejudice. Upon finishing the book, the ladies race to find their own Mr. Darcy, and the handsome, mysterious Darius Wainwright is the perfect mark.

Justina Penny can’t understand why her fellow Belles are starry-eyed in the newcomer’s arrogant presence. But if the town’s only eligible bachelor marries anyone, it should be her sweet, beautiful sister. And it’s up to Justina to make it happen. How could this plan possibly go wrong?

This book tickled my funny bone and touched my heart. Once Upon a Kiss introduced me to Darius Wainwright, a man so stiff in demeanor that a joke goes right over his head. He was a hero that needed a special woman to not only make him unbend and smile, but to help him realize there is more to life than schedules, accounts and routines. Justina is the heroine to do it and I was completely charmed by her.

My first giggle came from the pig escapade. The pig is actually a very pivotal secondary character, sort of. He breaks the ice and by being his cute sweet self, entrenches himself into the affections of a man who would deny that was possible. It’s adorable.
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Justina is a young lady who has bits of fancy and imagines herself in a grand adventure. She makes things more ebullient than they really are. She finds joy in the ordinary and makes it extraordinary. In that, she came across as very young and perhaps not quite the person a slightly older, more serious gentleman would take a shine to. And some readers might decide that Justina is too silly to take seriously. I beg to differ. I was a young bride to a man who did not know how to smile on command. He was serious all the time and he once told me that I helped him connect to the joy of life inside. Because of that, I relate to Justina’s character; I believe that she is perfect for Darius and I loved every single minute of their romance.

The strong point of this story is Justina. As I got to know her, and watch her make decisions and see consequences, as I watched her thought process unfold during interesting and entertaining internal dialogues, I saw a young lady growing up to be a woman. She still retained her joie de vivre but it was tempered with a new maturity that complimented her relationship with Darius.

As for Darius, I thrilled at the parts that shared hints of his thawing, of seeing Justina as a woman and how he routinely tried to justify things to himself by claiming that he was only doing what was right, that he was ‘protecting her from herself’. In fact, he was fighting the attraction. As soon as she inspired a full out ear to ear grin from the hero, it was a lost fight. It was a beautiful transition. It was so much fun!

The secondary characters are from the Book Club Belles and I believe Once Upon a Kiss might be the start of a series that follow these young ladies who like to read romances. I guess it was a bit naughty at the time. There was a foreshadowing with one of them and at the end of the book, it looked like it might actually come to pass. If so, it’s extremely intriguing! Talk about an effective hook.

One of the most amusing aspects of this tale is the sensual build up, the teasing and the funny but sexy escapades that Justina and Darius get into. There is not a lot of sex but what there is, is effective, delicious and highly entertaining. I even giggled a few times.

I should mention Miles. As a secondary character and friend of Darius’, he was a terrific addition and a delightful supporting cast member. The same could not be said for Darius’ step sister. What a pompous poser. Ugh.

As for the happy ever after, I’m very satisfied. It ended the way I like, with a lot of important loose ends tied up, and a perfectly wonderful little carrot dangling like a tease for the next book. I can’t wait!

Historical romance fans should snap up their own copy of Once Upon a Kiss. It’s a winner. I enjoyed myself immensely and even though it’s a rather lengthy book, time sort of went ‘poof’. It was pleasant, entertaining and a joy to read. I’m so very glad I read it.