WHEN MARRYING A SCOUNDREL by Kathryn Smith

Publisher: Avon Books
Date published: May 2010
ISBN: 978-0-06-192300-5
Historical Romance
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn
Obtained by Publisher


When you marry a scoundrel, a lady must be prepared for anything he throws at her…even love.

Sadie Moon thought the man she married hung on the moon until he left her to go after his fortune. Alone, heartbroken but not beat down; she turns herself from that heartbroken girl into the ton’s favorite fortune teller. Enjoying the freedom, even Sadie could not have seen in her crystal ball the return of her husband Jack Friday. Can she ever forgive him for leaving her even as the love that she thought had died flares between them? Jack Friday has it all now-money and success, the only thing missing is Sadie, the woman who vowed to wait for him. Jack is determined to never trust her again but love has a way of softening hearts and when intrigue comes after them, can Jack and Sadie find a way to bridge the gap between them in order to survive?

I haven’t read one of this author’s historicals in a long time and found WHEN MARRYING A SCOUNDREL a fun and exciting read. Tight writing, interesting characters, mystery and romance blend seamlessly together in this latest book from Kathryn Smith with surprising results. Reunited love, destiny and mystery all play their hand in this book and it kept things very interesting while reading it. I was unsure how it would end in the beginning as Jack and Sadie found themselves apart longer than I liked but in the end it worked out perfectly.

Sadie left her home she had with Jack years before, heartbroken from his absence. Determined to find a way to make a life for herself, she tries to move on and in the process becomes society’s favorite fortune teller. Sadie is blindsided when she runs into Jack and though she loves him, she holds him at bay, determined to never fall for him again. Jack thought Sadie would be waiting for him when he finally came home. But ten years is a long time and though he is distrustful of her, he still loves the maddening woman. Both characters are perfect for one another though Sadie did get on my nerves a bit. She seemed a little bitter over Jack leaving her yet you could also feel the love she kept hidden from everyone, even herself. Granted she had a right to be bitter but it felt like Sadie took it too far in her stubbornness in listening to Jack. Jack was the best hero in my book. He was a romantic who made me swoon especially as he tried to woo Sadie back by his side though she does make him work for it. Some wonderful secondary characters kept the story flowing smoothly and Ms. Smith shows she has a keen grasp on her characters in WHEN MARRYING A SCOUNDREL.

If you enjoy a fast paced, romantic historical romance, then grab WHEN MARRYING A SCOUNDREL. It will deliver many hours of reading pleasure as you see if Sadie and Jack will finally relent and listen to their hearts for a change. Settle in for a wild, wicked ride in WHEN MARRYING A SCOUNDREL. I am looking forward to more wonderful tales in the future from this talented author.

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

NIGHTMARE CHRONICLES BOOK 2: DARK SIDE OF DAWN by Kathryn Smith

Publisher Avon Books
Date published December 2009
ISBN
Paranormal Romance
Mass Market Paperback
Obtained via: Publisher
Reviewed by Danny



Finally the story of Dawn Riley continues!

Dawn has a great job, with Noah as a wonderful boyfriend and everything seems to be perfect if there wasn’t her family. As the mortal daughter of Morpheus, the King of Dreams, she stands between the Dreaming and the mortal world. In Dreamkin she has some powerful enemies since she defeated the dream terrorist Karatos. Suddenly it seems that someone from Noah’s past is threatened by someone from Dreaming. Dawn takes up action against the threat, which calls the Nightmare Council into action. They are outraged by Dawn’s actions and want her unmade, which would mean her death. Will Morpheus and Noah be able to help her?

Ms. Smith did a really great job with DARK SIDE OF DAWN. The reader learns more about Dawn, Noah and Morpheus and the whole world of Dreaming, as the characters get more depth and develop through the book. We discover that new sides of Noah and Dawn’s power are growing. Morpheus has some secrets from his past that he hasn’t shared with Dawn so far.

Who really fascinated me was Verek, Dawn’s really sexy mentor and I can hardly wait to hear more about him, which I hope will be in the next . I just hope that we don’t have too long for the next instalment of the Nightmare Chronicles.

I absolutely loved BEFORE I WAKE and was looking forward to read the sequel. I wasn’t disappointed by be book. DARK SIDE OF DAWN takes up a few weeks after where BEFORE I WAKE left off, so I highly recommend that you have read BEFORE I WAKE before you start reading DARK SIDE OF DAWN. You won’t be sorry.

No matter if historical, historical paranormal or contemporary paranormal romance each book by Ms. Smith is definitely a keeper!

THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THIS BOOK. THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE UNBIASED REVIEW

WHEN SEDUCING A DUKE by Kathryn Smith

Publisher: Avon
Date published: October 2009
ISBN: 978-0-06-134029-1
Historical Romance
Mass Market Paperback
Obtained via: Publisher
Reviewed by Pam


Greyden Kane, the Duke of Ryeton is known as a rake of the worse kind, with a life filled with scandal. After an incident of revenge left him scarred, he became almost a recluse. When a friend dies he takes in his wife and daughter, after promising to look after them.

Rose Danvers has always loved Grey, but knows he won’t make a move on her. When he tells her it’s time to look for a husband, she begins to plan her own seduction of the Duke. Dressed to kill and masked she lures him into her web, but when he realizes who she really is he tries to keep her well away, as even being across the room arouses his libido. When jealousy rears its head, Grey has to make the right decision or lose what he cherishes the most.

WHEN SEDUCING A DUKE is an eye opening romp, with some of the hottest sex scenes I’ve read lately. If you like your hero to be, vulnerable, stubborn, very, very handsome and magical in bed, then Grey is your man.

Rose the delightfully fascinating heroine is a woman with a mind of her own, and some very interesting seduction techniques. The settings are very well done, especially the ravishing night out to a masquerade. The plot is well planned and sets the scene for the reader to meet societies best and worse. With a hero and heroine so well written it makes a page turner, as lust turns to love and acceptance. The secondary characters are also very interesting, especially the close relatives. If you like to read Regency’s with a touch of chillie sauce, this is an interesting example of an interesting story spiced with explicit sexual scenes. Enjoy.

THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THIS BOOK. THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE UNBIASED REVIEW.

NIGHT AFTER NIGHT Brotherhood of the Blood Book 5 by Kathryn Smith

Publisher: Avon
Date published: January 2008
ISBN 978-0061632709
Historical Paranormal Romance
Mass Market Paperback

Reviewed by Danny



Temple knows that the only way to freedom is to kill his jailer Vivian, but although she is aligned with his enemies he can’t bring himself to harm her. He tastes her blood and discovers that she isn’t fully human. When he asks her about this she flees because she worries that he will tell Rupert Villiers, the leader of the Order of the Silver Palm about it, whom she treats like a father. Temple flees when he hears that Rupert set a trap for his friends. Rupert sends Vivian after him with the order to lure him into trusting her, so that Rupert can catch all five of them. Temple knows that Vivian will follow him and after a fight they make love. Now Vivian is torn between her love for Temple and her loyalty to Rupert, who saved her from a life in a freak show.
I am more than a little sad to see this series end, but it was a worthy ending. Ms. Smith did a really great job not only with this book but with the whole series. She is a very talented paranormal author and I can hardly wait to see what she comes up with next. I really hope that she will continue her paranormal Contemporary series.
In NIGHT AFTER NIGHT the conflict plays between love and distrust as well as loyalty, a very important role and Ms. Smith did a great job keeping the suspense until the last page. It’s one of those books that you can hardly put down once you get started.
As the book is the fifth and last book of the Brotherhood of the Blood series I highly recommend that you read the previous ones before reading this one.

Danny@Loveromances@more.com

Before I wake:Book One of the Nightmare Chronicles Series by Kathryn Smith

Publisher Avon
Date published August 2008
ISBN 978-0061340277
Paranormal Romance
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Danny



Dawn is not only the daughter of Morpheus, the king of dreams, but she is also a Nightmare. But she turned her back on her heritage because she can’t deal with the situation between her mother and Morpheus. Dawn works at a Sleep and Dream research centre, where she meets Noah Clarke who is one of her patients. Noah is stalked by something evil and Dawn has to accept who she is to save the man she has fall in love with. But will they have enough time left?

When I heard that Ms. Smith would write a Contemporary Paranormal romance, I was more than a little worried if that would be a good idea, but I have to say that BEFORE I WAKE absolutely knocked me out of my shoes. I always loved her historicals, but all I can say about BEFORE I WAKE is wow. This book is one of the best paranormals that I ever read in my whole life. The whole idea behind the book is so unique and sets it totally apart from the other paranormals. The book was just perfect. Great main characters, interesting villain, wonderful story telling. The story just couldn't be any better, which really surprised me because I never thought that she could write such a great contemporary paranormal, normally she writes good historicals and historical paranormals. Normally I am more than a little bit skeptical when a historical writer switches over to contemporary, but I just can congratulate Ms. Smith for this masterpiece of paranormal romance. It's been by far the best paranormal book that I have read in ages. I really hope that there will be many more books in this series, because there are so many interesting characters that are literally screaming to get there own stories.

If you are looking for a fantastic paranormal story, you don’t have to look any further, because I can highly recommend BEFORE I WAKE to you. You won’t be disappointed!