Book Review: The Duke and the Lady in Red by Lorraine Heath

TITLE: The Duke and the Lady in Red
AUTHOR: Lorraine Heath
SERIES: Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James #3
FORMAT: ARC > 384 pages
PUBLISHER: Avon Books
RELEASED: April 28th 2015 
GENRE: Adult > Historical Romance
PURCHASE: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Sparks fly in the finale of the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James Place series, as the last wicked rogue meets his match. When Rosalind Sharpe gains the attention of the deliciously wicked Duke of Avendale, she’s torn between her distracting attraction to the notorious rogue and the knowledge that he—rich as Croesus—is the perfect target for a deception that will put her swindling days behind her. However, Avendale is no fool. After he discovers the tantalizing lady packing up to leave London with his coins in tow, he confronts her with a scandalous proposition: she can have all the money she requires…for a week in his bed. Desperate for the funds, Rose agrees, but on one condition: he must never question her motives. Avendale quickly sees beneath her mask and discovers she is more than passion and pleasure—she is everything he has ever desired. But claiming her requires he unveil her secrets and lose her forever. Unless he can put his own dark past aside and risk everything for a chance at love.

The Duke and the Lady of Red is a unique story in more levels than one. I mean, how unique can it be with a con artist for a heroine? Of course, we would know she did it but the revelation was heart breaking.

The Duke and the Lady of Red is the third and final book in the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series, and is tied to The Scoundrels of St. James Street (confusing, right?).  As a little background for the story (there is a little bit of tie in on both series), we meet Whit, the current Duke of Avendale, in The Last Wicked Scoundrel, when he was a little boy. His mother, Winnie, the current Duchess of Avendale married one of Feagan's lads and is the hero in The Last Wicked Scoundrel. You do not need to read the previous series or the previous book in this series to appreciate the story but it does help with understanding the whole backstory.

Now enough of that. Let's talk about the hero, Whit. The Duke of Avendale is a scoundrel and loathes permanence in his life, avoids love, and his family. He really is someone with a whole lot of baggage in his life and what I love about this book is that we see his transformation from scoundrel to a hero that we all want to root for.

Rosalind (Rose) Sharp is a con artist. She goes into the Twin Dragons in search for her next mark and is immediately attracted to the Duke of Avendale. Sparks fly between the two, and as Rose starts to fall for Whit, she makes mistakes and is caught by the Duke himself.

As the story unfolds, we discover the real reason behind Rose's con and what drove her to do what she did. We also discover the true reason behind Whit's aloofness from his family.

What I really liked about this story is that it is unique. Both main characters had a lot of baggage behind them. Rose and Whit were also opposites in the way they deal with their family and because of this, it was Rose's devotion to her own that really changed Whit and mended the rift that he had with his own family.

I can't remember how much I cried over a book. The revelations in this story was just heartbreaking and the resolution in the end was immensely satisfying.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves historical romance books and a hero and heroine full of emotional baggage.

Totally Awesome! I loved it, would read again.

Welcome Zeee!

Guess what? Bittersweet Enchantment has a new reviewer joining us! 

Her name is Ezrah but she likes to be called Zeee. 

Zeee is a book blogger at I heart Romance and YA. Her reviews are amazing and I am looking forward to her reviewing books here at BE.

MEET ZEEE!

Zeee is a registered nurse and romance reader, grew up in the Philippines and is now living in Canoga Park, California.  She started reading when she was child, but her passion for reading started when she was in middle school and she picked up the Sweet Valley series.  She recently re-discovered her love for reading YA and alternates reading between YA and historical romance.  When she is not reading, she loves photography, digital scrapbooking, watching T.V. or annoying her cat, Twylah.  She is married, and has been for 7 years to a husband who indulges her reading obsession.

Zee reads and reviews the following genres: 

Young Adult: mostly Dystopia, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Classic/Fairy Tale Retellings               
Adult Romance: Historical Romance, sometimes Paranormal Romance, Erotic Romance and she has also started to read a few new adult romance. 


These are the type of books she'll be reviewing here. :) Her first review will be out tomorrow! YAY! So be on the lookout for that. Zee will also be doing discuss posts and joining in on memes occasionally. Please help me in welcoming Zeee to the family! 

P.S. - I am still looking for a co-blogger and another reviewer to join the team. If you want details click here. 

The Blog Most Likely to... + GIVEAWAY!

Hello, everyone! 

Today I have a super exciting post to share with you all called "The Blog Most Likely to..."! I've been invited by the wonderful people at Penguin Random House to join their campaign for the release of Huntley Fitzpatrick's upcoming book,The Boy Most Likely To, which will be out in stores August 18, 2015. The author's other works include The Boy Next Door and What I Thought Was True. 

To celebrate the release of the book, I am going to be sharing with you what Bittersweet Enchantment is "Most Likely To Do..." and guess what?! There's a GIVEAWAY! You can enter to win an ARC of THE BOY MOST LIKELY TO and Signed paperback of MY LIFE NEXT DOOR! 

This is my local library where I live in Raleigh, NC. There are a lot of larger libraries in the surrounding area, but I frequent this one most often since it's 3 blocks from where I live. There is a wide variety of YA fiction in the library system which is really great because I able to check out a lot more books without having to spend money to buy them. And let me tell you I DO check out a LOT of books. 

I go to my library 2-3 times a week, sometimes more often. Whether it's to pick up new books or drop off ones I've already read, I spend a lot of time living in visiting. In fact, most of the librarians know me by name and frequently chat with me while I'm there. Over the past summer or two I have also volunteered in my library. It's a lof of fun and a great way to learn about new books. 

I know a lot of people who prefer to buy most of their books, in fact, my reviewer Hillary doesn't use her local library and that's fine but for me I use the heck out of it. Here are a few reasons why:

• Free books to read! I mean come on people, FREE!! 
• Wide selection of the genre's I love to read.
•  InterLibrary Loan. Have you ever gone to your library and was upset they didn't carry a book you want to read? With the InterLibrary Loan, you can request books from other libraries throughout the US. :) I use this feature on books by Colleen Hoover since her books are not in the wake county libraries.
• The environment. Sounds dumb, right? For me, I love being around a ton of books. I like the smell of old books, as silly as that sounds. It's nice to be able to find a quite table or bean bag and read while I'm there. 
• Saves money! If I bought all of the books I read every year at the library I would be homeless, living on the streets. ;)

I totally will admit that I read more books from the library each year then ones I purchase. So much so that the books I do have on my shelves at home are collecting dust. *pet's books. "Don't worry, I still love you guys!* 

My dream is to one day live in a home that has a library of its own built in. 

Something like this:

How epic would that be?! I would spend all my time in this room, never wanting to leave. 

How about you all, do you visit your library often or do you prefer to buy your books? If you do check out books at the library, how often do you go and what section do you visit most? Let me know in the comments below. 

The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick 

Pages: 416 
Expected Publication: August 18th, 2015 

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Genres: YA - Contemporary Romance

A surprising, utterly romantic companion to My Life Next Door—great for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han 

Tim Mason was The Boy Most Likely To find the liquor cabinet blindfolded, need a liver transplant, and drive his car into a house

Alice Garrett was The Girl Most Likely To . . . well, not date her little brother’s baggage-burdened best friend, for starters.

For Tim, it wouldn’t be smart to fall for Alice. For Alice, nothing could be scarier than falling for Tim. But Tim has never been known for making the smart choice, and Alice is starting to wonder if the “smart” choice is always the right one. When these two crash into each other, they crash hard.

Then the unexpected consequences of Tim’s wild days come back to shock him. He finds himself in a situation that isn’t all it appears to be, that he never could have predicted . . . but maybe should have.

And Alice is caught in the middle.

Told in Tim’s and Alice’s distinctive, disarming, entirely compelling voices, this novel is for readers of The Spectacular Now, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, and Paper Towns. 

The awesome people at Penguin Random House are giving away two fabulous prizes. An ARC copy of THE BOY MOST LIKELY TO and Signed paperback of MY LIFE NEXT DOOR! Enter to win below! :) Good luck and I hope you all enjoyed my post.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday #35: The Bourbon Kings & Because You'll Never Meet Me

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm waiting on...

The Bourbon Kings by J.R. Ward 

Hardcover, 420 pages
Expected publication: July 28th 2015 by NAL

Genre: Adult > Romance

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Black Dagger Brotherhood delivers the first novel in an enthralling new series set amid the shifting dynamics of a Southern family defined by wealth and privilege—and compromised by secrets, deceit, and scandal....

For generations, the Bradford family has worn the mantle of kings of the bourbon capital of the world. Their sustained wealth has afforded them prestige and privilege—as well as a hard-won division of class on their sprawling estate, Easterly. Upstairs, a dynasty that by all appearances plays by the rules of good fortune and good taste. Downstairs, the staff who work tirelessly to maintain the impeccable Bradford facade. And never the twain shall meet.

For Lizzie King, Easterly’s head gardener, crossing that divide nearly ruined her life. Falling in love with Tulane, the prodigal son of the bourbon dynasty, was nothing that she intended or wanted—and their bitter breakup only served to prove her instincts were right. Now, after two years of staying away, Tulane is finally coming home again, and he is bringing the past with him. No one will be left unmarked: not Tulane’s beautiful and ruthless wife; not his older brother, whose bitterness and bad blood know no bounds; and especially not the ironfisted Bradford patriarch, a man with few morals, fewer scruples, and many, many terrible secrets.

As family tensions—professional and intimately private—ignite, Easterly and all its inhabitants are thrown into the grips of an irrevocable transformation, and only the cunning will survive.   

I am so excited to read J.R. Ward's new book and even more so since yesterday. I was emailed by J.R. Wards publisher and was asked to review the book. I should be getting my copy in the mail soon! :) 

---

Hillary is waiting on....

Because You'll Never Meet Me
by Leah Thomas
Number of Pages: 344
Published June 2nd 2015 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Genre: YA - Contemporary

In a stunning literary debut, two boys on opposite ends of the world begin an unlikely friendship that will change their lives forever.

Ollie and Moritz are best friends, but they can never meet. Ollie is allergic to electricity. Contact with it causes debilitating seizures. Moritz’s weak heart is kept pumping by an electronic pacemaker. If they ever did meet, Ollie would seize. But Moritz would die without his pacemaker. Both hermits from society, the boys develop a fierce bond through letters that become a lifeline during dark times—as Ollie loses his only friend, Liz, to the normalcy of high school and Moritz deals with a bully set on destroying him.

A story of impossible friendship and hope under strange circumstances, this debut is powerful, dark and humorous in equal measure. These extraordinary voices bring readers into the hearts and minds of two special boys who, like many teens, are just waiting for their moment to shine.

What book(s) are YOU waiting on this Wednesday?
Leave us a comment. We would love to know. :)

Book Highlight: Return and Abide by Skye Malone | Excerpt + Giveaway!

Welcome to the book highlight for Return and Abide by Skye Malone!

Title: Return
Author: Skye Malone 
Series: Awakened Fate (Book Three)
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Wildflower Isle
Publication Date: October 6, 2014
Cover Designer: Karri Klawiter

For Chloe, the ocean was supposed to mean safety and for a time, it almost did. She overcame the Sylphaen’s drugs. She discovered an unforeseen attraction to Zeke, one that he shares for her. A life underwater seemed possible, until she learned that nothing was as it appeared.

After an unspeakable betrayal shattered everything she thought she knew about Zeke’s world, she and Zeke have fled the ocean for the one place Chloe never expected to want to go.

Home.

But the challenge of living as a mermaid over a thousand miles from the ocean isn’t the only problem facing her. Home has changed. Enemies are waiting, ones she never saw coming. Her little Kansas town is full of surprises.

Including Noah, the guy she left behind.

Purchase at:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Google Play |  iTunes | Kobo  

“…do it in Jeri’s old room.” 

Earl’s words filtered through the cotton stuffing in my head, barely making sense. 

“Yeah, well, seemed fitting.” He paused. “Listen, Richard, I called you as a courtesy, on account of how you said one got away from you yesterday. But it took me an hour after the girl collapsed to get the boy to finally conk out, and with that damn scum-sucker metabolism of theirs, you know I can’t promise either of ‘em will be down for long. You and your boys want any part of this, you better hurry up and get here.” 

Alarm struggled through me, weighed down by an exhaustion that wanted to smother my mind back into sleep. Scum-sucker? He… 

“Hang on,” Earl said as though interrupting someone. “One of them ain’t breathing the same as they were.” 

My heart began to pound harder while I fought to open my eyes. Breathing? He sounded so far away. How could he hear anyone breathing? 

Footsteps clunked on the hardwood floor. Light pierced the blackness around me as I managed to lift my eyelids. I was on the bed, facing the doorway. In the window seat, Zeke was slumped, his head resting on the wall. The room was dark around us, though the hall light was on. 

Earl came to the door. In one hand, he held a phone to his ear, and at the sight of me, he made an angry noise.

“What’d I tell you? The girl’s awake.” 

He dropped the phone onto the window seat as he strode toward me, and all my dull commands to my muscles couldn’t make my body move. Striding past me, he retrieved something from the dresser and then returned with a sports bottle in his hand. 

I tried to pull away, but he just reached down and grabbed my head from behind, lifting it toward him. With his teeth, he popped open the top of the bottle and then shoved it into my mouth. 

Bitter-tasting liquid flooded my throat. I choked, the drink spewing from my lips, but he just dropped the bottle and clamped an enormous hand over the lower half of my face. 

“Swallow,” he ordered. 

I stared up at him. His grip tightened on my hair, tugging at my scalp. 

“Now.” 

Title: Abide

Author: Skye Malone 

Series: Awakened Fate (An Awakened Fate 

Novella, Awakened Fate #3.5)

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Wildflower Isle

Publication Date: November 3, 2014 

Cover Designer: Karri Klawiter

Life in her underwater home of Nyciena has always been fun and games to Ina Ociras, until now. Her brothers are missing. Her father is gone. The adventurous party girl is fighting just to keep her family from falling apart, all while avoiding Egan, the guy who committed the one crime she can’t possibly forgive.

But when she receives a message that changes everything, Ina suddenly finds herself embroiled in a conspiracy more horrifying than she could have imagined. One that strikes at the heart of her kingdom, and one that could destroy her family once and for all.

~An Awakened Fate Novella which follows Return, Book Three of the Awakened Fate Series~ 

Purchase at: 

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

The guards took up positions beside me when I left the room and headed for the main hall. 

“Princess.” 

I tried not to swear, knowing anyone who overheard would only use it as gossip about my current mental state. 

But a slew of choice words presented themselves. 

This wasn’t fair, I told the universe silently. Not even a little bit. 

I glanced back to see Egan swimming down the hall toward me. With his silver scales, dark eyes, and hair so light it seemed like snow even though he was only a year older than me, he looked like a sculptor’s dream, and just as incredible as ever. 

It only made me hate him a little bit more. Killing that damn flutter in my stomach would’ve been so much easier if he was ugly. 

The Series:

  

  

Get AWAKEN (Book One) for just 99¢ for a Limited Time!!

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Google Play |  iTunes | Kobo  

Skye Malone is a fantasy and paranormal romance author, which means she spends most of her time not-quite-convinced that the magical things she imagines couldn't actually exist. A Midwestern girl who migrated to the Pacific Northwest, she dreams someday of travelling the world – though in the meantime she’ll take any story that whisks her off to a place where the fantastic lives inside the everyday. She loves strong and passionate characters, complex villains, and satisfying endings that stay with you long after the book is done. An inveterate writer, she can’t go a day without getting her hands on a keyboard, and can usually be found typing away while she listens to all the adventures unfolding in her head.

Skye also writes YA urban fantasy as Megan Joel Peterson and is the author of The Children and the Blood series. 

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