A Rake for All Seasons: A Regency and Victorian Romance Boxset

Sinful Cravings
SINFUL CRAVINGS is the fourth book in the Cynfell Brothers series. Each does stand alone.

This is one of those books that I call a “relaxed read.” Nothing about it stresses me (though the characters do have some stress in their lives). Hettie and Jasper originally fight the feelings that are stirred upon first contact, but, when each recognizes those feelings for what they are, they are noble enough to lay aside convention and expectations to lay claim to what they desire. Though there are no dragons to slay and neither is overcome with the desire to kowtow to society, I admire their mutual desire to assure the safety of Hettie’s selfish sister, Emma, before pursuing their own cravings.

I loved how both Hettie and Jasper were multi-faceted jewels, with unexpected sides to be explored, nurtured, and admired. I look forward to the glimpses we’ll receive back on their lives in the future books in this series.

Another wonderful story brought by one of my favorite authors, Samantha Holt.

Kissed at Midnight
KISSED AT MIDNIGHT is a stand-alone historical romance.

What is a happy day for a bookworm? When they find that they had somehow missed reading – not one but – two ARCs hidden on their kindle. I just may have read both of these wonderful books from Samantha Holt in less than 24 hours.

It all started when Ivy knocked on the wrong door…

The push and pull between August and Ivy gave me the giggles more often than not. Reading this was like one of the old movies I love to watch on TCM or AMC – full of mistakes and misunderstandings. The characters are sweet and endearing. For a change, this historical romance doesn’t have a duke, prince, etc. August is a working man. I’m sure this is what gave him a more relaxed attitude towards his staff and that was refreshing!

The passion, romance, and HEA were well blended in this whimsical story that could have been set in any era, because people are always going to be people.

Wake Me with a Kiss
WAKE ME WITH A KISS is the first in the Regency Fairy Twists series. Each stands on its own and ends with a HEA.

This was a remarkable retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I always like imaginatively reworked fairy-tales and this one does not disappoint.

The characters are engaging, sweet, and intelligent. The story is quick-paced and light-hearted with a mischievous dog thrown in for comic relief. The romance was clean and uplifting, but there was a villainous plot to keep it from being saccharin sweet.

I am looking forward to more from this series!

Note: While I received these books as gifted ARCs, my opinions are my own and are given freely.

Reading this bookset makes me wonder… Are there really that many rakes in high society back then? This bookset is a good sampler to Samantha’s other historic romance series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I don’t know if I enjoyed the title of this boxset exactly but I definitely enjoyed all the romances included. There are so many stories included in this boxset, both full length and novella, and I just wasn’t expecting so many stories. Each one has great characters, story lines, romance, angst, it is just the perfect mix. I am really enjoying this new to me author and her writing. Off to find more to read by this author from her backlist.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy from Booksprout without expectations, all opinions expressed are my own.

Five great Regency/Victorian stories that are well written and held my interest until the end of the books. I enjoyed reading. The stories are The Rake Who Rescued Me, which was my favorite, Sinful Cravings, Kissed at Midnight, Amelia and the Viscount, and Wake Me With a Kiss.
A set that is well worth reading.

Five stories about rakes unexpectantly finding love. A Duke and a spy for England enlisted the help of a half gypsy girl and falls in love. A Lord who is a rake and doesn’t care what society says about him helps a Lady locate her sister and while doing so falls in love and becomes a reformed rake and a loving father. A young woman with the voice of an angel fails to get a singing job and in desperation becomes a nursemaid and the child’s uncle falls in love with her and helps her gain her heart’s desire with her singing career. Abigail has loved her childhood friend forever, but he is in love with her younger sister. But her sister marries someone else, breaking his heart. After six months of him being gone and trying to get over his heartbreak, he is home and Abigail’s other sister plot to get him to see Abigail as more than a friend. The new laird of a lowland estate is a former Highland warrior and is rough around the edges. He sees Rose and is smitten but Rose’s aunt has always shunned the nobility and the lower classes in the area. Rose has been brought up alone with only her aunt, a housekeeper, and a cook. Will her aunt let the laird court her as he requests? But then Rose learns a secret about her past that could change everything. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review

Delightful box set! If you enjoy Historical Romance, give this box set a try!

The Rake Who Rescued Me. Reed St. Vincent, the Duke of Keswick, is on an assignment for the crown to try to find out who is attempting to kill Napoleon. He visits a gypsy camp near his estate and suddenly finds himself buying the lovely Orelia. Orelia finds herself helping Reed to find the people behind the attempt on Napoleon’s life, and falling in love with Reed. But what will happen to the budding love between Reed and Orelia once they find the people responsible? They are from opposite worlds, will their love be able to survive such vast differences?

Sinful Cravings. When Jasper Cynfell meets Henrietta Foster he is suddenly consumed by thoughts of her. Not that she is a great beauty as such, although she is quite handsome. As their paths cross more and he discovers that Hettie is searching for her sister Emma, he offers his assistance in finding her. As they search for clues as to where Emma has went, he comes to admire Hettie more and more. But will he be able to convince Hettie to give him a chance?

Kissed at Midnight. After Ivy Davis fails to become the singer she left home to become, she takes a position as governess in the home of August Avery, caring for his cousin’s infant daughter Elsie. Ivy knows nothing of infants, but is desperate for the work in order to keep pursuing her dream of becoming a famous singer. But as the attraction continues to grow between Master and servant, will they be able to compromise in order to make a life with each other work?

Amelia and the Viscount. Amelia Chadwick has loved Nicholas Wentworth forever, but Nicholas fell in love with her younger sister Lavinia. Amelia, in an attempt to get over Nicholas, writes letters of her love to him, never intending for him to actually receive them. When her letters go missing and she discovers that the new maid sent them off she is desperate to get them back before Nicholas reads them. When she sneaks into Nicholas’ home dressed as a young lad she is caught, but she doesn’t realize that Nicholas recognized her. Nicholas reads the letter that she dropped as she was fleeing. Now that he knows that she loves him, will he be able to convince Amelia that she is the woman he wants to spend his life with?

Wake Me With A Kiss. Hamish McTavish has just inherited his cousins estate and title. When he finds Rose Merriweather asleep in his field he is intrigued. Rose’s aunt has always been overprotective and warns Rose to stay away from Hamish. But Rose and Hamish are drawn to each other. Will they ever get the chance to see where their attraction might lead?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

ONE AMAZING COLLECTION!!!
Buckle up! Samantha secures the plan, rending the rules, thrusting this baby into the eye of the storm, blasting it into a tailspin with stunning impacts. Laying out incredibly, well rounded scenario’s that punch dead center with such exuberance and style, thrusting this gem into the eye of the storm, breaking it down, blasting it into a tailspin with shocking results. Bumbling with the trials and tribulations, unexpected twists, surprising turns and crisp lines, testing our characters in ways they could have never anticipated. Grappling with the drama, tension, intrigue and soaring suspense rule the roost in this thrilling storyline and gripping plot that blasts this jewel to life spectacularly. Add distress and turmoil along with a boatload of trouble and you have one excellent adventure. The characters are authentic and realistic with depth and qualities that blend into unbelievable personalities. The scenes are written with such realism it paints a fantastic backdrop that makes the storyline pop. Awesome job Samantha, thanks for sharing this little gem with us.

Collection of 5 historical romances. A few are from a series, but all can be read and enjoyed as stand-alone. A few are full length and others are novella length, but all told in dual POV with HEA. They are all sweet with maybe one steamy scene in a few.
The Rake Who Rescued Me – Reed and Orelia come from different worlds. I loved their witty dialogue with one another as they work together to unravel a mystery.
Sinful Cravings – Hettie is searching for her sister and Jasper offers his help. I liked how brave and courageous Hettie was and how sweet Jasper turned out to be. Cute epilogue!
Kissed at Midnight – Ivy is head strong and refuses to give up her dream of being a singer, but she applies to be a governess in the meantime. August is drawn to Ivy but doesn’t want to cross any lines as she is the governess. They have a strong attraction but lack of communication at times. All their dreams are realized in the epilogue!
Amelia and the Viscount – Nicholas and Amelia grew up on neighboring estates. Amelia has always been in love with Nicholas, but it has taken him much longer to truly see her. I enjoyed the Chadwick sisters as secondary characters, what a fun series theirs are to read!
Wake Me with a Kiss – Rose has been hidden away in Scotland raised by her Aunt. Hamish is the new Laird on the neighboring property. A few obstacles make it difficult for them to court. Sweet fairy tale retelling!

The Rake Who Rescued Me 4.5 Stars
Reed Valentine, Duke of Keswick’s been a spy for His Majesty’s Secret Service. However the war is over, and Napoleon is exiled to the island of St. Helena, he finds himself adrift. When the government tasks him with one last mission to find out who is trying to kill Napoleon Reed takes on the job with gusto. Disguising himself, he slips into the Romani world while convinced that one of them will know who was responsible for the attempt. Orelia finds herself charmed by the stranger in their midst. When he comes to her rescue, however, that infatuation quickly comes to an end. As far as Orelia is concerned, the Romanis are being used as scapegoats. She’s determined to prove Reed wrong. Together, they set out to find the truth.
Another well written page turning read from the author. The characters are well portrayed & I loved the charming Reed. The attraction between Reed & Orelia is there from their first meeting & as they work together it grows & grows. The pace of the story is also very good & flows extremely well & you are kept guessing as to who’s responsible for the attempts on Napoleon’s life. I did feel the ending was a little rushed but didn’t detract from a very enjoyable read.

Sinful Cravings 5 Stars

Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride. The Cynfell brothers are the very embodiment of a sinful existence. But could the right woman change that?

Gluttony

Lord Jasper Cynfell,wastrel, blackguard, a rake of the highest regard is having a drink when a young lady enters the den, two men immediately accost her. Jasper may be a rake but he can’t leave a woman to be attacked & robbed. Henrietta Foster is a vicar’s daughter and a volunteer at the village orphanage. Few women can claim to be as virginal and upstanding as Miss Foster. She can use her umbrella to good account though.
The uptight Miss Foster vexes him at every turn. The laced-up woman won’t seem to leave him alone,even in his dreams. The pair seem to continually bump into each other. Hettie knows Jasper dislikes her and she dislikes him in return or does she. The reason she’s ventured to London is to find her sister Emma who has disappeared & for some reason, all paths keep leading to Jasper, as much as she’d like to ignore him. However, after Hettie is forced to accept Jasper’s assistance to track her sister down, they both find themselves inexplicably drawn to each other.
I’m loving the Cynfell brothers’ stories & I think Jasper is my favourite so far. This is an easy reading entertaining book, it’s not very long between a novella & novel. Jasper & Hettie are so likeable & to all intents & purposes so different but Jasper has hidden depths which Hettie soon realises. With umbrellas, bushes & highwaymen the plot keeps the tempo up. I’d recommend the whole series

Kissed at Midnight 5 Stars
August Avery, a renowned civil engineer, has found himself the sole custodian of his cousin’s six month old daughter Elsie. He understands how to build railways, to construct bridges and to save the railway tycoons thousands of pounds but not how to look after a baby. When Ivy Davis turns up at his door looking for work, he believes his prayers are answered. Unsure if she is even up to the task of looking after Elsie, Ivy finds herself swayed by the handsome and slightly desperate August into working for him. With her singing career failing before it even started and no other talents, she decides looking after a young child cannot be so hard!
I loved the way the relationship between August & Ivy developed & how they tried to resist each other. I also loved that this novel took place in Manchester away from ballrooms, aristocracy instead in a working town with a working man & woman – a refreshing change.

Amelia and the Viscount 4.25 Stars
“No eligible bachelor wants to marry a bluestocking…especially not those frightful Chadwick girls.” – Lady Jersey, Almacks Patroness.

Amelia’s writing was often prone to getting her into trouble. Hence why she eventually took on a penname. After her sisters persuade her the only way to get over her love for Lord Nicholas Wentworth is to write about him, Amelia devotes hours and hours writing letters to him that she hopes to use for her next book then an over enthusiastic new maid posts the letters
This is a quick delightful novella, the Chadwick sisters are not your conventional young ladies but they are all so endearing, Amelia is the writer & she has a lively imagination. Nicholas is everything you want in a hero & is willing to admit to being wrong. I read the novella in a sitting, the plot is well paced, the characters well developed & there’s plenty of humour. I look forward to reading the other novellas in the series. I only wish it had been a full length novel as it was so entertaining

Wake Me With a Kiss 4 Stars
Rose lived tucked away from the world with her aunt in the lowlands of Scotland. Orphaned as a baby and adopted by her aunt, she’s used to her eccentric ways—including her overprotectiveness. Rose is used to wandering the local countryside & there she meets the new laird, Laird Hamish McTavish- complete with kilt. The ex soldier & highlander is hardly like the charming men Rose has been dreaming of.
A very sweet, clean story retelling the fairy tale. Rose & Hamish get off to a rocky start but this gradually changes especially when he saves her aunt from being robbed.
Only a short story so great to curl up with & while away a few hours

Five delightful books that range from novellas to full length books, some are steamy some are not. However the delight of these books are that they give you a taste of the author’s books, I loved them & will certainly be reading more

This was such a wonderful collection of books written by one of my favorite authors! Samantha Holt always finds a way to make me fall in love with her characters in every book with a story that latches on to you & doesn’t let go until you read “The End”.

THE RAKE WHO RESCUED ME – Reed Albinus St. Vincent, the Duke, Duke of Keswick & secret spy working for the crown has rescued a 1/2 Romani beauty from a Romani camp because her mother was selling her to a man because she causing her mother problems. They begin by attempting to solve an attempted murder on Bonaparte – he thinks it was done by the Romani & she wants to prove him wrong. Can their attraction & eventually love cross the difference in social classes?

SINFUL CRAVINGS – Jasper Cynfell is a self proclaimed rake, just like his brothers, & is an unlikely suitor for Henrietta “Hettie” Foster, a vicar’s daughter. Hettie comes to London in search of her sister, Emma, who has disappeared & has met Jasper on a few occasions. Jasper agrees to help her in her search & over time, they become attracted to one another. The characters are fun & likable & the story keeps you turning pages with some twists & turns that you do not see coming!

KISSED AT MIDNIGHT – This plot took the reader away from balls & nobility to August Avery, was master of his house, an engineer & he has just become guardian to his cousin’s 6 month old daughter. He needs help, now & he finds it in Ivy Davis but his attraction to her is going to be tough to stifle his attraction to her. The denial of feelings, the difference in society classes – even between a master of a house & a nanny. I loved August & Ivy & rooted for them from the moment they met!

AMELIA AND THE VISCOUNT – This was a fun, quick read & a good introduction to a new series. It was sometimes funny, sometimes sweet & sometimes spicy & Amelia & Nicholas were a great couple. Nicholas has loved Amelia’s sister forever but then she runs off with another man – Amelia has loved Nicholas forever but he loved her sister. How they finally got together was a fun journey that I highly recommend!

WAKE ME WITH A KISS – This was a fun, quick, romantic & entertaining read with similarities to Sleeping Beauty. Rose Merriweather, our heroine, has been adopted by her Aunt May & lives together with Aunt May’s housekeeper & cook in 1812 Dumfriesshire, Scotland. After waking up to the women chasing a stray dog out of the house, Rose goes in search of finding it. After tiring out, she lays in the grass & the next thing she knows, she is awakened by Hamish McTavish, the new, unexpected, Laird of Baleith. Hamish is out looking for his dog, who disappeared, when he ran across Rose sleeping in the grass – well as they say “how can anything so wrong be so right?”