Review of Tremaine's True Love by Grace Burrowes

"The greatest plague ever to bedevil mortal man, the greatest threat to his peace, the most fiendish source of his undeservedly humility is his sister and spinster sisters are the worst of the lot. "
- Nicholas Haddonfield

Tremaine St. Michael has traveled to Belle Maison, the home of Nicholas Haddonfield, the Earl of Bellefonte, to negotiate the purchase of a herd of merino sheep. Recognized by his peers as an astute businessman, Tremaine spent his childhood on his Grandfather's sheep farm in Scotland and covets these sheep to improve his breeding stock. Tremaine arrives at Belle Maison ahead of schedule and can't help but hear Nick's ranting about his sister Nita.

'What about your sister Lady Nita?" Tremaine asked. The sister putting the worry and exasperation in her brother's eyes, and inspiring the earl to raise his voice.
Tremaine would never approach an objective without reconnoitering first. Knowing who got on with whom often made the difference between closing a deal or watching the profits waltz into another fellow's pocket.
'Oh, her." Bellefonte's gaze went to the window, which looked out over the terraced gardens in all their winter solemnity.
A tall, blond woman marched off towards the stables along a walk of crushed white shells.
Bellfonte's gaze followed the woman, his expression forlorn. " Lady Nita is very dear to me. She will be the death of me."

Nita Haddonfield believes she has traded her chance for happiness, marriage and children for duty. She turned down several offers of marriage while she nursed her late father during his illness. Nita has also assumed her late mother's role as the village midwife, healer and herbalist. She cares for her brothers and sisters and the people who seek her medical knowledge. Nita feels compelled to visit the sick tenants on her brother's estate. Each time she leaves for a sick visit, Nick is concerned that Nita might be exposed to a fatal illness or bring disease back to their home. Nita is heading out to treat Addy Chalmers and her family when Tremaine arrives to purchase the sheep. Tremaine is intrigued by the strong willed Lady Nita.

The novel touches upon changes in medical care and the perception of a woman's role in society. Nita and her sister Susannah's views on love and marriage are compared throughout the story. Nita and Tremaine fall in love. They care deeply for each other and are quite passionate. Loved the scenes where Tremaine accompanied Nita when she visited Addy Chalmers. I felt that Tremaine understood why Nita felt healing was her calling after this visit. Tremaine joined in the family's card games and singing just to see Nita laugh and enjoy herself. Susannah and Edward Nash are not in love. Susannah sees marriage as a way to escape the confines of her home while Edward is eying her dowry-- the sheep-- to pay off his mounting debt.

Each character in the novel has difficult choices to make. Tremaine and Nita are two lonely people who had resigned themselves to a life which didn't include marriage. The author skillfully presents both sides of the couple's dilemma. Can Nita and Tremaine figure out if love means losing their individual dreams or can the couple compromise? Will Edward convince Nick that he needs the sheep to provide for his new wife? Will Susannah listen to sisters Kirsten and Della about Edward? Does she clue in that only one room in his house is heated and that he isn't a kind person?

Tremaine's True Love is a passionate love story where our hero and heroine meet and fall in love during the course of the book. The secondary characters are well developed and add another layer of drama to an already intriguing story. Nita and Tremaine's love story is perfectly paced as it plays out as the novel unfolds. I loved how the author subtly portrayed the villain and his bullying tactics throughout the novel. The novel's conclusion is amazing. The last one hundred pages were fast paced and had several surprising plot revelations. The journey to the ending kept me reading past my bedtime.

Nita and Tremaine's story is  a compassionate , poignant romance with just the right amount of suspense and drama.  The novel captivated me  with it's elegant prose, strong willed heroine and lonely business tycoon.  Tremaine's True Love is the first of the author's True Gentleman series and hold a special place in my keeper shelf. I am looking forward to see what the author has in store for Kirsten, Susannah and Della Haddonfield !

'The greatest plague ever to bedevil mortal man, the greatest threat to his peace, the most fiendish source of undeserved humility is his brother-in-law, and titled brothers-in-law are the worst of a bad lot." -Tremaine St. Michael

Reviewed by Susan Gorman
ARC provided by Sourcebooks

Photo Credits:

Close up of the sheep provided by Carla Hellendar

Tigger -- Ch. Tri-umph Tender Pursuit, HSAs--- herding the sheep and goats by Kayleigh courtesy of Marian Johnson Your.

Spotlight |The Duke Can Go To The Devil. Erin Knightey

The Duke Can Go To the Devil 

Book 3 of the Prelude to a Kiss Series

In the new novel from the bestselling author of The Earl I Adore, May Bradford isn’t afraid to play devil’s advocate when it comes to a duke.…

After her mother’s death, May’s sea captain father sends her halfway around the world to live with his stodgy sister in England. The summer festival in Bath made for a lovely distraction, but now she can’t wait for her father’s return so she can leave this country, its suffocating rules, and one infuriatingly proper nobleman in particular behind.

Because he is the Duke of Radcliffe, William Spencer’s whole life revolves around his duties. He never steps foot outside the bounds of proper behavior, and he expects the same of those around him. With her devil-may-care ways, May vexes him nearly as much as she tempts him, but there’s something about her that he just can't resist. He knows he’s falling hard for her, but with lives that are worlds apart, will they ever be able to find any common ground?

     May stepped forward then, closing the distance he had just made between them. Slowly, she reached up one hand behind him to untie his mask. William had knotted the ribbons himself, and it didn’t give way as hers had. Instead of giving up, she slid her other arm up into something that very much resembled an embrace and worked the knot free.

     She smelled so incredibly good, he fought not to draw a long deep breath. Through force of will, he held very still until she was done. It was sweet torture, something he never would have imagined he’d feel with her.

     “There,” she said quietly, pulling the mask free. He exhaled. Finally. She allowed her hands to slide down the front of his chest, her touch little more than a skim. “I much prefer being able to see you.”

     He smiled, a lopsided lift of his lip. “After the way things started off between us, I never would have expected to hear those words from your mouth.”

     She chuckled. “Touché.”

     She didn’t step away, and neither did he. Of their own volition, his eyes fell to those full, beautiful lips of hers.

     “Won’t you be missed?”

     Surely she had come with others, so it stood to reason that they’d be wondering where she was. The last thing he needed was indignant chaperones making an appearance.

     “Soon. But not yet.” She wet her lips, sending anticipation burning through his chest. She was brash and forward, irreverent and impulsive—everything that he thought he didn’t like—yet in that moment, he had never wanted to kiss someone more in his whole life. The desire was as strong as gravity, making it near impossible for him to pull away from her.

Despite being an avid reader and closet writer her whole life, Erin decided to pursue a sensible career in science. It was only after earning her B.S. and working in the field for years that she realized doing the sensible thing wasn't any fun at all. Following her dreams, Erin left her practical side behind and now spends her days writing, her mind happily in the Regency period as she types away on her very modern laptop. Now an award-winning and USA Today Bestselling author, she's living her own Happily Ever After in North Carolina with her tall, dark, and handsome husband and their three ridiculously spoiled mutts.

For more about her books -- or to see a picture of her wrapped in Mr. Darcy, er, Colin Firth's arms -- visit www.ErinKnightley.com

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Click here to read Susan's review.

Review | The Duke Can Go To The Devil by Erin Knightley

Erin Knightley's new novel The Duke Can Go To The Devil is fabulous!! I have been patiently waiting to read May's story --- and I loved, loved it!!

Mei-Li "May " Bradford visited many countries including China, India , Thailand and Java when she sailed with her sea captain father and mother. May's mother died and her father arranged for May to live with his sister Lady Victoria Stanwix in Bath, England until he is able to return home. May refers to her very proper aunt as 'The Warden" and feels smothered by all of her aunt's rules and edicts. May meets Charity Effington and Sophie Wembley at a music audition for the Bath Summer Serenade. They join forces and enter the musicale as a trio. Charity, Sophie and May become friends and lend support to each other as the summer festival progresses. Although their music is very different; it is well received.

Thirty- year old William Spencer, the Duke of Radcliffe is England's most eligible bachelor. He is also the patron of the Bath Summer Serenade musical festival. Radcliffe notices May as she steps on stage to perform with Sophie and Charity. He is intrigued by her until he hears the sound of her musical instrument. The twanging sounds from May's guzheng annoy Radcliffe. He believes that May is purposely ruining a traditional piece by playing with the ensemble.

'What is it about you, William Spencer?" her voice was low and the slightest bit breathy.

 No one called him that. He was always Duke, or Radcliffe, or even William to a very select few. But no one ever said his whole name, without the title that had defined him for so long. 

 'What do you mean?"

But he heard a hint of longing in her voice. It was the same way he felt about her. Equal parts exasperation and desire. Knowing they were all wrong for each other, but having such a powerful attraction, it was hard to be rational about it. She was strong and independent, two things he'd never looked for in a woman, but even as those were the things that drove him mad at times, they also impressed him. She could hold her own, and he had to admire that.

Erin Knightley has crafted an excellent enemies to lovers story. The book's cover hints at the story as it depicts our well- dressed, not a hair out of place, dignified hero and our free -spirited, slightly daring, smiling heroine. The scenes which feature the back and forth banter between William and May are superbly written and contain the correct amount of passion and desire. The couple truly can not reach common ground, they annoy each other but, they can't stay away from each other either. Is it passion? Lust? Desire??

The romance builds as May visits William at his country estate. William sees how caring May is as he watches her playing with his younger brother and sister. He observes  May as she listens to his sister and brother and is surprised and charmed by her actions. Even though May annoys him, teases him and verbally spars with him--he is captivated by her. The build up to the couple's first kiss is perfect. The author made the reader want to see these two give in to their feelings and experience their first kiss.

Kudos to author Erin Knightley for creating an original series.  The Prelude to A Kiss series is set in Bath and features a series of  musical  programs. Each story within the series has characters which are multi-faceted and well  defined.  As a reader, it's refreshing to read a novel filled with interesting characters with different interests. I enjoyed reading The Duke Can Go To The Devil because  the characters were original and you know...opposites attract! William feels May is a scandal waiting to happen.  May helped William see there was more to life than duty and that his duties do not have to define him. Her actions showed him the importance of family.

The ending of this novel was superb and had a few twists and turns. William and May have many obstacles to overcome.  Loved the epilogue which Charity, Sophie and May as it was heartwarming, perfectly written and made me cry.

Looking forward to the next book in the series The Viscount Risks It All which will be available in 2016.

Reviewed by Susan Gorman

Thank you Erin Knightley for the paperback copy of the book.