First Line Friday

Welcome to First Line Friday! This fun meme is easy to do, simply pick up the book you're currently reading and share the very first line! There are some really good first lines out there, they grab you and suck you right into the story.

A Stranger at Fellsworth by Sarah E Ladd

Regency Romance

Release Date: May 16, 2017

"She shouldn't be listening. It was not polite to eavesdrop."

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A Stranger at Fellsworth by Sarah E. Ladd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this one.

This may be the third book in the Treasures of Surrey trilogy, but it stood very well on its own. I haven't read the first two books yet, but didn't feel lost or anything. I enjoyed this one so much I do want to go back and read the previous books.

I enjoyed the unique regency storyline and setting. Annabelle is not your typical regency heroine and when faced with an unwanted marriage, she runs away to her estranged Uncle in Fellsworth. He runs a boarding school for underprivileged children and offers Annabelle a safe place to stay as well as a teaching position at the school. Annabelle is having to take care of herself for the first time in her life, thrown completely out of her comfort zone she feels a bit lost. Owen Locke is the local gamekeeper and is still getting over the loss of his wife. He is drawn to Annabelle and finds himself wanting to get to know her better. I thought Annabelle and Owen had a sweet courtship and sweet romance.

I enjoyed the storytelling and light suspense of the novel. The setting was fun, haven't read much about boarding schools during the regency time, but think it adds a nice atmosphere for a story. I thought it was well written and the characters were unique and had their own voice. I'd recommend to fans of Julie Klassen.

Content
Romance: Mild, clean. Chaste kisses
Language: None
Violence: Mild. Talk of murder - nothing overly detailed. Mild fighting.
Religious: Mild

Source: Netgalley



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Gallant Waif by Anne Gracie

Gallant Waif by Anne Gracie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thought this was a beautiful story. I'm not sure how or when I came across this book, but I'm glad I added it to my TBR pile. After skimming over other reviews, I wasn't sure what to expect. Some people loved it and others were underwhelmed. As for me, I really enjoyed it.

Kate and Jack have a lot in common. They've both been jilted, both endured horrors of the war and both are penniless. They're thrown together by Jack's meddling and endearing Grandmama Lady Cahill. I really think Jack was lost to Kate after their first meeting, but it takes him a very long time to realize it. It's interesting to see how each have handled their trials so differently. Jack is broody and depressed, while Kate is positive and doesn't give up. These two have sparks that would like up the night. They fight like cats and dogs, but also have some really tender and sweet moments. I loved his protectiveness of Kate, and hers for him. It's almost second nature in a way. I can see how his character might rub some the wrong way, he can be gruff and say cruel things, but I thought it was believable for men of the time period. And no worries, Kate can totally hold her own and had her fair share of cruel comments as well. She won't let him wallow in self-pity. Don't get me wrong, they have a totally swoony romance and the underlying love is pretty palpable. Kate is fun, kind and you can't help but admire her. Jack is charming and hurt and you can't help but hope Kate can give him the love he desperately needs. So yeah, I totally wanted these two stubborn people to find a HEA.

While I did enjoy the story, my only complaints were the head jumping, a personal pet peeve of mine. I admit, once I got into the groove of the story it didn't bother me anymore. It was a tad sensual in places (mentioned below). I also thought Jack's ex-fiancé would make an appearance, but we never see her again. I guess I wanted her to see what she missed out on. That would have been fun to see Kate really put her in her place.

Overall, I just really enjoyed this story. Oh, and that Ball scene at the end. Wow. It was pretty epic and made me cry. And that letter at the end. More tears. So many sweet moments in this book. It'll be added to my favorite regency shelf for sure.

Content PG13 for language and mild sexual content
Romance: Pretty clean. No sex scenes, but a couple scenes I should mention for my clean reader friends (view spoiler)[1-Jack is injured in the war and while Kate is tending to his injured leg, his body responds. Its more funny than sensual and she's naïve to what is going on. 2-A steamy kissing scene that has some wondering hands, but ends before anything happens. 3-Another kissing scene, where he is asleep and she is kissing him. Kind of sensual, but pretty tame. 4-He jokingly rubs against her, teasing her. Sounds worse than it is. And lastly, Kate is tricked into a relationship during the war that ruins her reputation. No real details. (hide spoiler)]
Language: Moderate-Heavy. Mostly a lot of D, a few B and uses of OMG type stuff. Typical of the time period, nothing overly offensive IMO, just quite a bit of it.
Violence: Mild.

Source: Kindle

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The Hidden Prince by Nadine Millard

The Hidden Prince by Nadine Millard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

*happy sigh*

I was sucked in from the first page and couldn't put it down. The characters and their chemistry just jumped off the pages. Lydia is a charming character, with a fun personality and has a way to saying what is on her mind. Alex is charming and handsome and keeping a secret from Lydia. As they grow closer he feels guilty for not telling her the truth. Lydia and Alex have great chemistry, fun interactions and witty banter. I also liked his sister Harriett and hope she'll get a story of her own.

I so wish this had been a full-length novel, but even being a novella I still found it to be well developed and a fun escape. Ms. Millard has a way with words and storytelling that really gets you into the story, feeling the romance and loving the characters. This was a great regency and one I will be reading again.

Content
Romance: Pretty Clean- just kissing, some mild innuendo (I really appreciate that Millard keeps her books clean)
Language: Mild
Violence: None

Source: Kindle

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A Rake Reformed by Shirley Marks

A Rake Reformed by Shirley Marks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a sweet regency.

Freddie is the Earl of Brent and has spent quite a bit of time in the gaming halls loosing lots and lots of money. When he reaches rock bottom and needs to flee London he heads North to Penshaw Manor to hid from his creditors and his father, the Duke.

On the run with his best friend Trevor, the two end up in a carriage accident where Trevor is injured. Keeping their true identities secret, they are taken in by a local family with two beautiful daughters, Clare and Rosalin. Trevor and Clare have an instant attraction, where Rosalin and Freddie have a bumpy start. It was fun to see how each relationship develops at its own pace.

I thought this was a nice story, takes place over the Christmas season, which added a nice atmosphere to the story. It was nice to see the changes Freddie makes and I felt his desire to help his tenants was sincere and that he'd leave behind his gambling ways. The romances were sweet. It was a pleasant read.

Content
Romance: Clean
Language: None
Violence: None

Source: Kindle Unlimited

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Kathy's Regency Marathon!

I was looking over my past reading and realized I have been reading a lot of contemporaries lately and have missed my regencies. So, I decided to have a little regency marathon to try and catch up on all the regencies I've missed lately. Of course, whenever I start making lists they tend to get a little long so I'm not sure if I will get to all of these, but I hope to! Here's the ones I'm planning on reading, some are old and some are new. Some are from my favorite authors and some are from authors I haven't read yet. I think I have a good bunch to choose from. And I have to say, one of the things I really love about the regency genre is the gorgeous covers!




If you've read any great regency's let me know and I'll add it to my list, or if you want to join in on the marathon that'd be great too! Write up a post of which ones you plan on reading and share the link below.