WILD AT WHISKEY CREEK by Julie Anne Long

Publisher:   Avon

Published:   November 29, 2016

ISBN:        978-0062397638

Genre:       Contemporary Romance

Format:     Print

Obtained via:  Publisher  

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina  Ginalrmreviews@gmail.com

FOUR-1/2 HEARTS

Everyone in Hellcat Canyon has always known that Glory Greenleaf has an amazing singing voice. And while Glory counts herself among those who know how talented she is, and she knows if she ever makes it out of Hellcat Canyon fame awaits her, getting out isn’t all that easy. For one thing, her family needs her.  For another she’s never really left her home town and she’s actually pretty shy. And there’s something more, a secret she has never shared with anyone.  There’s a man who has always had her heart, even though he broke it.

Eli Barlow knows his place in the world and is comfortable in it. As deputy sheriff of Hellcat Canyon the rules and laws are laid out and he’s good to go following them. But the one thing he cannot control is his heart.  That is something Glory Greenleaf captured years before.  So much so that on the day after his 17th birthday he carved their initials into the eternity tree—sealing them together, for better or worse, forever.

Together they remain in a kind of stasis…circling each other, waiting for something to shift their words. That something could very well be hotter than hot movie star, Franco Francone.

I enjoyed Julie Anne Long’s Pennyroyal series and she was earmarked in my mind as a historical romance writer. I’ve seen long-time favorite authors try to make the shift from one genre to the other and not done it well. Most notably is when a fabulous contemporary romance writer tried to move to women’s fiction (which I generally find pretty depressing to read so stay away from it, even when it’s a favorite author writing it.) When I saw Long had begun to write a contemporary series, Hellcat Canyon, I hesitated to pick it up. I just did not want to be disappointed if it didn’t measure up to her historical romances. I needn’t have worried. Long out does herself in this series. She really hits her stride. I totally loved the first book in the series, HOT IN HELLCAT CANYON and WILD AT WHISKEY CREEK is even better.

On the surface both books are your basic contemporary romance and can be read as such. You have your couples who want each other…in WILD AT WHISKEY CREEK they have loved each other for their entire lifetimes and in the romance formula they have their obstacles and then find their happy ever after.

But Long gives readers so much more. If the reader chooses he or she can take even more from the story. In HOT IN HELLCAT CANYON she takes the almost improbable scenario of a wildly popular Hollywood star coming to a small town and meeting and falling in love with a local girl.  And how many of us at one time or another didn’t have that fantasy?  But that story goes more deeply into who people are below the surface. You can read it as a straight romance or drink in that deeper introspection.

In WILD AT WHISKEY CREEK she not only paints these amazing scenes so much so that you know what it feels like to be inside the Misty Cat, feeling the scarred wood of the tables, smelling the scents of grilled burgers and beer and overhearing local conversation. She takes you into the hearts of two people that have been broken and, at times, you wonder if their hurts will ever be healed.  Long tells her story in layers that wrap you into them as her characters’ lives unfold.

Each of the books is a complete stand alone on its own. Franco, Glory and Eli are introduced in book 1 and the main characters, T.J. and Britt, are mentioned, but you do not have to read them in order. If you have been, as I was, reluctant to read Long’s new genre, don’t be…you are missing some really good reads.

I looked for and so far haven’t seen a third book in this series – here’s hoping the publisher is smart enough to keep the series going because it is a really good one.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

 

A NOTORIOUS COUNTESS CONFESSES by Julie Anne Long

A Pennyroyal Green Series Novel

Avon

October 30^th, 2012

978-0-06-211802-8

Historical Romance

Mass Market Paperback

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Publisher

 

For Countess Evie Duggan being notorious is hard to deal with. She went from being a Covent Garden to courtesan to Countess and the Ton hasn’t forgiven her for her very short marriage. So when she finds herself in the midst of a scandal that has gossips eager to spread the news, no matter if it is true or not, and Evie escapes to Pennroyal Green, where she has a manor house.

In Pennyroyal Green, Vicar Adam Sylvaine is a man with a face of an angel and sexy as sin. He tries to resist the wildness of the Eversea blood that courses through him but even he finds himself tempted when Evie takes up residency at the Manor. Can these two find a way to face their pasts and see if they have a future together? For when two hearts come together, pleasure and love are bound to follow.

I really have enjoyed past Pennyroyal Green novels in the past but when I started this latest one, I was a little unsettled on the whole Vicar character. It felt to me a little like the author was pushing the boundaries to see what her readers would enjoy. The book as a whole is fun, entertaining read and once I got past the part of Adam being a man of the cloth, I found myself enjoying their story. The author has a way of writing that has readers experiencing the emotions alongside the characters. The storyline flowed well though it did get stagnate at times and I was flipping pages to see if it would speed up again.

What didn’t work for me was how Evie and Adam reacted to one another at times. There are parts of the book where Evie is like a doormat and lets Adam treat her like a child among other things that really made me shake my head. Evie, in the beginning, was smart, strong and determined and for her to let Adam do t his was not enjoyable in my opinion. I would have smacked that man silly if he ever did that to me. Adam also had moments where it just wasn’t believable. I read a few of the past Pennyroyal Green books and those characters are ones I would expect the bad boy antics from the other Eversea characters not good boy next door, Adam and that threw  me off the story at times. Especially when Adam would act like the bad boy his cousins are and it felt like he was going against his character. The secondary characters kept the story moving nicely and were well written.

A NORTORIOUS COUNTESS CONFESSES is a nice addition to the Pennyroyal Green series but not my favorite. If you want to check this author out I would check out the other books in the series first and enjoy those. This one just fell a bit flat to me. 

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

 

HOW THE MARQUESS WAS WON by Julie Anne Long

Publisher:   Avon
Date published:   December 27, 2011
ISBN:  978-0061885693
Genre:   Historical Romance
Book format:  Paperback
Obtained via: Library
Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Ginalrmreviews@gmail.com
 

 

Julian Spenser, Marquess Dryden is known for not only wanting but accepting only the best. The ton on the whole follows and then mimics his every move. When he purchases four black horses with white stockings everyone who is anyone immediately rushes to purchase the same. When he sports a particular hair style, the style is quickly adopted by all and sundry. Women covet him but he wants only one—the one who will restore his family estates.

Upon the death of her parents Phoebe Vale was sent to Sussex and attended Miss Endicott’s school. Miss Endicott’s is known for producing ladies of quality or at least young women who know their place and how to act in society, whichever strata they belong to.

Several years ago Lisbeth Redmond made Phoebe’s acquaintance and now, once again, invites her friend to visit her. At first Phoebe has no desire to visit Pennyroyal Green. However, when she encounters the Marquess of Dryden and learns he plans to attend the Redmond soirée, she decides to attend.

While Phoebe believes she will be treated as a friend, upon her arrival at the Redmond home she is escorted to the servants wing—after all, she is not from their class, why would they place her in a room for their upper crust peers? Still Phoebe makes the best of the situation and quickly finds herself attracted to Julian, as he is to her. As the festivities at the Redmond home end Phoebe finds herself invited to the Silverton’s house in London for a fortnight of activities. She finds herself departing, along with her beloved cat, to the event. There she and Julian find themselves with an even stronger attraction. But Julian cannot offer Phoebe marriage—not if he wants to reclaim his family’s lands. How can two people in love, from two different classes, find their way to each other?

When I began reading Julie Anne Long’s HOW THE MARQUESS WAS WON I had a difficult time getting into the story.  For the most part her writing reminded me of a Dr. Seuss story gone wrong—and I was never a fan of Dr. Seuss.  Since I’d started reading the book on the bus going home from work and it was a long ride and me without another book, I continued on. By time I was perhaps 75 pages in the whole tone of the story changed and I soon found I couldn’t put it down. Once the not-so-witty dialogue in the beginning of the book settled down it seemed Ms. Long found her writing footing and the story that unfolded was, in a word, wonderful.

I never much cared for the Redmonds throughout this series. Note that there are two families involved—the Everseas and the Redmonds. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the Eversea side the stories but the Redmond side, mainly because I don’t find them a likeable family, left me kind of cold. While HOW THE MARQUESS WAS WON has one of the Redmonds in it, the story is mainly about Phoebe and Julian. The secondary characters flesh the story out into a really good read. The Silverton’s are funny and at the same time have a sinister air to them. There are some really funny scenes, particularly around Charybdis, Phoebe’s cat. One scene in White’s had me laughing out loud—especially when the men’s reactions to Charybdis appear a few chapters later.

I loved how Phoebe remained true to herself. She accepts her intelligence and has strong determination to live her life on her own terms. The way Ms. Long paints Julian’s own epiphany about his feelings for her are well done.

HOW THE MARQUESS WAS WON is a read you do not want to miss.

 

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

 

 

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SINCE THE SURRENDER by Julie Anne Long

Publisher:   Avon

Date published:   July 28, 2009

ISBN:  978-0061341618

Genre:   Historical Romance

Book format:  Paperback

Obtained via:  Publisher

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Ginalrmreviews@gmail.com

War hero Chase Eversea has been banished to London. His family in Sussex has had enough of his brooding and aimless life. Not that they simply sent him away. They have set a mission for him—to ascertain if their cousin would make a decent vicar for the local parish church. Chase arrives in London and before he can visit his cousin, Adam, he receives a mysterious summons. A little street urchin name Liam has been sent to deliver a message to Chase, one he finds he cannot ignore. At the museum he has been summoned to he encounters the one woman he never thought to see again, Rosalind March. Rosalind March the woman he never forgot and the one he could never have.

Rosalind has received not one but two threatening letters on the heels of her sister, Lucy being sent to Newgate. Worse than Newgate, Lucy has disappeared. Unable to learn anything about her missing sister on her own Rosalind turns to the one man she knows will be able to find her sister.

Despite Rosalind now being a widow, she and Chase continue to honour the memory of her deceased husband, at least for a time. When the love that flamed between them so many years ago rises again they fight to keep from falling under its spell. With time running out before Chase leaves for India to once again serve his country finding Lucy is their first priority. Consummating their love may never happen.

Between Julie Anne Long’s first two books in her Pennyroyal Green series, THE PERILS OF PLEASURE and LIKE NO OTHER LOVER there is tremendous growth in her skill at telling a wonderful love story in this, the third book, SINCE THE SURRENDER. Rosalind and Chase are complex and realistic. Their dilemma and unrequited love is palatable and well done. The secondary characters, which include the introduction of Adam and Liam are also three dimensional and completely believable. The thread leading to Adam’s future story is wonderfully entwined in the main story and not at all a gratuitous tease.

I chuckled at the puppets and Chase’s reactions to them. As well I totally understand the eeriness of the marionettes –they affect me very much like the wax figures in the movie HOUSE OF WAX with Vincent Price. In the story they affect Chase in that eerie but can’t look away moment.

Each book in this series is a stand alone and do not need to be read in order. I read WHAT I DID FOR A DUKE before books one and two and that is one book that reminds you of just what a romance is meant to be.  SINCE THE SURRENDER is also that kind of book.  This is one you don’t want to miss.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

Since the Surrender Available from All Romance Ebooks

 

 

LIKE NO OTHER LOVER by Julie Anne Long

Publisher:   Avon

Date published:   October 28, 2008

ISBN:  978-0061341595

Genre:   Historical Romance

Book format:  Paperback

Obtained via:  Publisher

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Ginalrmreviews@gmail.com

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Returned from a scientific trip to the South Seas and mysterious disappearance of his elder brother, Lyon, Miles Redmond eagerly awaits his next adventure. His father, patriarch Isaiah Redmond isn’t inclined to finance another exploration for his son despite having the finances to do so quite easily. Shrew and wily, Isaiah has something else in mind for Miles. When a family emergency calls Miles’ parents away on the eve of a two week house party, Isaiah leaves Miles in charge with the admonition to (1) consider courting rather perfect Georgina and (2) to steer clear of his sister, Violet’s friend, Cynthia Brightly. What Isaiah doesn’t know is that Miles has already seen Cynthia and made up his mind to pretend she doesn’t exist. He schools himself to find her uninteresting.

Cynthia needs a husband. Oh she’s not in the family way. Nothing like that. She is, however, penniless with no prospects except to serve a companion to a difficult elderly woman. With barely a shilling in pocket Cynthia journeys to Pennyroyal Green to spend some time with her friend Violet. Oh…and find herself a husband. While Cynthia lists the attributes she is wishing for she has no idea Miles is in earshot and carefully cataloguing everything she says.

Determined to obey his father’s wishes along with the fact that Isaiah believes Georgina’s father just might fund Miles’ newest adventure, Miles graciously conducts the house party. He soon finds, however, that dismissing Miss Brightly isn’t quite so easy.

I had a really hard time reading and finishing Julie Anne Long’s second instalment of her Pennyroyal Green series, LIKE NO OTHER LOVER. Its writing and storyline were on a par with book one, THE PERILS OF PLEASURE, which left me kind of flat as well. The main reason I continued with the series as I read WHAT I DID FOR A DUKE out of order and totally enjoyed it.  WHAT I DID FOR A DUKE is what romance is about. The characters were fabulous, the story line interesting and the romance was toe curling. Clearly Ms. Long has grown as an author from the beginning of this series to the later books. That is always wonderful to see.

I didn’t much care for either Miles or Cynthia in LIKE NO OTHER LOVER. Miles struck me as kind of stupid despite being told he was a brilliant explorer and Cynthia was just unlikeable. The secondary characters came across and buffoons.  I did wonder on and off if perhaps the story was a spoof but saw nothing to indicate that was the intent. I didn’t connect with either of them nor did I feel they connected with each other.

The house party was in a way idyllic.  It reminded me of how far we’ve come from just sitting, talking and playing games like blind man’s bluff for fun and enjoyment.  I wouldn’t mind leaving my computer and the internet behind for a few days and going to the country to partake in a similar party.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

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THE PERILS OF PLEASURE by Julie Anne Long

Publisher:   Avon

Date published:   January 29, 2008

ISBN:  978-0061341588

Genre:   Historical Romance

Book format:  Paperback

Obtained via:  Publisher

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Ginalrmreviews@gmail.com

Colin Eversea has been sentenced to die for the crime of murdering another man. That the other man’s family and Colin’s have a long history of a feud that has caused strife to both families is but a factor in his pending death. As he begins the march to the hangman’s scaffold Colin is told to trip and fall at the 5^th step. Counting the steps he does so and soon finds himself in the midst of a daring rescue. When a mad dash through London’s streets concludes he finds himself before a woman with a gun. Before he can gain answers as to just what she is about, someone breaks into their hiding place and attempts to kill Colin’s rescuer.

Madeleine Greenway has known loss. Terrible, mind numbing loss. In her climb out of grief her ability to plan and carry out some amazingly creative plans has kept her afloat. Now she is mere pounds away from her journey to America where she plans to keep a farm and in a way, move on with her life. But Madeleine has a tender heart and a desire to do the right thing. When Colin saves her life she begins to believe in his innocence and joins with him to prove he did not kill Roland Tarbell. Along the way, despite her attempt to view Colin as merely business, for the first time in a long while Madeleine begins to feel. Can she keep Colin safe long enough for him to prove his innocence?

THE PERILS OF PLEASURE is my first Julie Anne Long read. With a fun mix of Castle and Beckett type bantering amidst a bit of Mary Shelley, Ms. Long offers a different kind of romance. While the mix of CASTLE with Frankenstein may seem a romance gone bad. In actuality it is a fun sort of mix. Ms. Long’s special blend of humour comes out in the characters, particularly through Madeleine.

Despite that humour I didn’t connect with either character.  I liked Madeleine’s competence and Colin’s impish look at life, but neither was anyone I’d go out of my way to get to know. For the most part I didn’t feel they connected to each other either. There was a decided lack of emotion between them.  I kept waiting for the romance to happen. Instead there was a long journey to find their answers, once found, they were a non-event. Suddenly Colin is in love with Madeleine, but I didn’t see it happen.

I struggled through reading most of the book. It is definitely historical because of the mode of travel and a few other references, but I’m not entirely sure which era it takes place in. That in itself isn’t a bad thing because it can be enjoyed by both historical or contemporary fans.

I’m curious where the author will take the rest of the series.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

 https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-theperilsofpleasure-722761-162.html?referrer=509710ad75b78Perils of Pleasure available from All Romance Ebooks