Je suis Charlie

Je suis Charlie

Monday 30 April 2018

Marrying The Marquess (Love's Pride #4) by G.L. Snodgrass








Blurb: 

Some might consider him a bit of a beast. Others knew him to be particular and demanding. The Marquess of Penrith didn’t really care. After returning from war. All he wanted was peace and quiet. But, duty and honor demanded that he marry the young Miss Davis. An obligation that could not be denied.

Luckily, marriage did not equate to love.

Miss Catherine Davis dreaded the thought of marrying such a man. But what choice did she have. Penniless, without family. Her options were limited. The fact that he was extremely handsome, powerful, and rich, only made things worse.
Two people from different worlds, forced together, both searching for happiness. Perhaps they can only find it by coming together. 

 

I really enjoyed the characters and their story even though our hero more than once made me want to kick his ...shin...because he obviously has a bit of a problem getting close to people and, well, you know the kind. In this case though, his problems at least made sense and he (and the author) wasn't milking it ad nauseam but he realized at least that he might be hurting his wife. And his wife, well, she is just sweet and kind and you just have to love her! Despite her personal circumstances, she isn't someone who just rolls over when she is pushed but she stands up to her husband. Not always but when it counts. The ending - well, miracles happen and when it is the good kind of miracles, I'll take them.
So far so good. Unfortunately, the book would definitely profit from some serious proofreading. The typos were the least of my concerns in this case but the punctuation was a mess. A mess meaning that it was really difficult to read and enjoy reading due to the punctuation. The sentences were cut off or cut in two or three parts, periods instead of a comma and so on.
The story itself would have been nice but this made it really hard to read.

 
 

A Talent for Temptation (Sinful Suitors #4.5) by Sabrina Jeffries








Blurb: 

Widow Meriel Vyse is stunned speechless when someone tries to abduct her on her way to a ball. Fortunately, Quinn Raines, her secret beau, shows up to foil the attack. Unfortunately, as the two of them are struggling with her abductor, Meriel accidentally stabs Quinn with a knife.

Unbeknownst to Meriel, Quinn set up the fake abduction so he could play the hero and win her hand in marriage. But now that his plan has gone disastrously awry, can he convince her that he’s still the man for her?



A cute little novella telling us more about the woman that has captured the heart of Quinn Raines who we met in "The Pleasures of Passion". It was nice, somewhat fluffy and sweet but I was lacking some real action. This is more of a glimpse instead of a long story but I really liked it. The characters are also nice but due to the shortness of the story, they are lacking some depths. Nevertheless, this book is a nice and sweet addition to the Sinful Suitors series and if you loved the other books in this series, you will also love "A Talent for Temptation".




Sunday 29 April 2018

The Pleasures of Passion (Sinful Suitors #4) by Sabrina Jeffries










Blurb:

When Niall Lindsey, the Earl of Margrave, is forced to flee after killing a man in a duel, he expects his secret love, Brilliana Trevor, to go with him, or at the very least wait for him. To his shock, she does neither and sends him off with no promise for the future. Seven years and one pardon later, Niall returns to England disillusioned and cynical. And being blackmailed by the government into working with his former love to help catch a counterfeiter connected to her father doesn’t improve his mood any. But as his role as Brilliana’s fake fiancé brings his long-buried feelings to the surface once again, he wonders who is more dangerous—the counterfeiter or the woman rapidly stealing his heart.

Forced to marry another man after Niall was exiled, the now widowed Brilliana wants nothing to do with the reckless rogue who she believes abandoned her to a dreary, loveless life. So having to rely on him to save her father is the last thing she wants, much less trusts him with....But as their scheme strips away the lies and secrets of their shared past, can she let go of the old hurt and put her pride aside? Or will the pleasures of their renewed passion finally enable them both to rediscover love?


Where do I start...with my frustration at the times and society in those times and the power men when it came to the lives of the women? Or rather with my frustration that those two, our hero and our heroine could have spared themselves a lot of heartache and worries if they had ever talked about their past. I mean, really talked. Right?
Well, I might start with the gripping story and those very likable characters whose chemistry was just right - which added to my frustration when everything seemed to be too complicated and the troubles of the past felt like unsurmountable obstacles that wouldn't let them act on their feelings.

I loved to see how our hero and our heroine slowly start to open up and to trust eachother again, righting some wrongs from the past and finding happiness along the way.
Oh, and you just have to love Brilliana's aunt by marriage and her protectiveness towards Brilliana. She is a rather formidable character and I think that Niall is lucky to have her on his side. I really liked the other minor characters as well, flaws and eccentricity and all.

When circumstances force our heroine Brilliana, a young widow and her former love, Niall, the Earl of Mangrave, to work together, both of them don't exactly jump at the opportunity to renew their acquaintance. Past betrayals have left them wary, hurt and even furious but maybe this could turn into a chance for both of them to heal...

This is by far not the first book by the author that I've read and enjoyed and I'm looking forward to reading many more by her.

★★

Friday 27 April 2018

Blogtour: Teufelsfarbe von Ivonne Hübner - Das Lehnswesen #blogtour #teufelsfarbe



Blogtour!





Endlich ist die Blogtour zu Teufelsfarbe zu (fast) guter letzt auch bei mir angekommen...

und bei mir erfahrt Ihr heute ein kleines bisschen über das Feudalsystem, das im Mittelalter bei uns herrschende Gesellschaftssystem, das auch das Leben unserer Buchcharaktere nachhaltig beeinflusst.


Feudalsystem, der Feudalismus, diese Begriffe kommen vom lateinischen Wort "feudum", das soviel wie "Lehen" bedeutet. Lehen? Das Lehen bezeichnet etwas Geliehenes, in der Regel ein Stück Land, das demjenigen zum Bearbeiten und Bestellen überlassen wurde. Der oberste Lehnsherr war übrigens der König, der Lehen an hohe kirchliche Würdenträger wie die Bischöfe und Äbte sowie Mitgliedern des damaligen Hochadels, sprich Herzögen und Grafen vergab. Diese schworen dem König die Treue. Ein adliger Lehnsmann, der Vasall, zahlte für dieses Lehen unter anderem mit der Bereitsstellung von Soldaten, sollte dieses erforderlich sein.

Der Hochadel vergab wiederum Lehen an den Landadel, die das Land selbst aber auch nicht bebauten, sondern es an ihre eigenen Lehnsleute, wie etwa die Freibauern als Lehen weiter vergaben. Um diese Pyramide sozusagen abzurunden, bestellten auch die Freibauern ihr Land nicht ausschließlich selbst, sondern vergaben selbst auch Land an ihre Leibeigenen und ihre Hörigen. Diese besaßen in der Regel keinen eigenen Besitz und waren größtenteils unfrei oder halbfrei und an den Gutsherrn, bzw. im Fall der Hörigen, an die Scholle, das Gut gebunden, sprich, die Hörigen gehörten zum Land und wurden gegebenenfalls auch mit dem Land mit verkauft. Häufig handelte es sich bei den Hörigen um ehemals freie Bauern, die ihr Land an den Gutsherrn abgegeben und sich seiner Autorität unterstellt hatten.

Wie wir auch im Buch sehen, ist der Einfluss des Gutsherrn auf die ihm unterstellten Leibeigenen immens. Ohne seine Genehmigung durfte u.a. keine Ehe geschlossen werden und er befand darüber, wo die ihm unterstellten Bauern leben durften. 
Im Buch macht gerade diese Macht, die der Gutsherr Nickel von Gerßdorf über die ihm unterstellten Menschen hatte, das Leben unserer Protagonisten immer schwerer und trägt mit dazu bei, dass es langsam aber sicher zu einer Tragödie kommt...

Nebenbei bemerkt, es gab tatsächlich noch jemanden, der weniger Rechte hatte als ein Leibeigener oder ein Höriger - als Frau hatte man weniger als nichts und war den Launen der Männer ausgeliefert, wie auch Margarete, unsere Protagonistin, sehr deutlich erfahren muss.  
  

***

Gewinnen könnt Ihr natürlich auch etwas:  

Kommentiert einfach auf den jeweiligen Blogs die Tagesfrage, um am Gewinnspiel teilzunehmen.
Das Gewinnspiel läuft bis zum 30. April 2018 um 23.59 Uhr, die Auslosung findet am 02. Mai 2018 auf dem Bakerstreet-Bibliothek-Blog des Dryas-Verlags statt, wobei ich die Gewinner natürlich auch hier bekanntgeben werde.
Zu gewinnen gibt es übrigens zwei Exemplare von Teufelsfarbe.

Meine Frage lautet: 

Wenn Ihr darüber nachdenkt, was Euch so wichtig ist und wie anders das Leben beispielsweise der Leibeigenen aussah, auf welches Recht würdet Ihr auf gar keinen Fall verzichten wollen?

Teilnahmebedingungen

Für dieses Gewinnspiel gelten folgende Teilnahmebedingungen:
1. Teilnahme ab 18 Jahren oder mit Erlaubnis der Eltern.
2. Es wird keine Haftung für den Postweg übernommen.
3. Der Rechtsweg ist ausgeschlossen.
4. Barauszahlung der Gewinne ist ausgeschlossen.
5. Der Versand der Gewinne erfolgt nur nach Deutschland, Österreich und in die Schweiz.
6. Verwendet der Teilnehmer Bildmaterial, so bestätigt er mit der Teilnahme, dass er sämtlich Bildrechte innehat.
6. Der Gewinner ist im Falle eines Gewinns mit namentlicher Nennung auf dem Verlagsblog “Bakerstreet Bibliothek” und Facebookseite  des Dryas Verlags einverstanden.
7. Mit der Teilnahme am Gewinnspiel gelten die Teilnahmebedingungen als im vollem Umfang akzeptiert.





Thursday 26 April 2018

The Undercover Duke (The 1797 Club #6) by Jess Michaels #theundercoverduke











Blurb: 

Lucas Vincent may be the Duke of Willowby but he’s never acted as such. He’s been too busy working for the War Department as a spy. But years of dangerous work has finally caught up to him and he was involved in a violent attack that nearly killed him. Forced home, his angry, aggressive desire to get back in the field and find out to who betrayed him is keeping him from healing.

Diana Oakford was raised by a physician who served the King’s War Department and she knows better than most the dangers that job entails. She was also trained in healing, so when she’s asked to come and assist with Lucas’s recovery she has a hard time refusing.

Once they’re alone together an unexpected connection begins to grow between these two people who have fought their emotions all their lives and more begins to heal than just Lucas’s broken body. But just when they start to believe they could find some kind of happiness, the past rears its ugly head and Lucas will have to choose between the life he once led and the woman who has changed his world.
 

 
Another fabulous book by one of the few authors whose books I one-click first and read the blurb later.
If you've read the other books in this series, you might already know about this group of young dukes and their fight for happiness and love despite their less than perfect families. Lucas Vincent, the Duke of Willowby, is part of this illustrious group even though his years of working as a spy have kept him apart from his friends for a long time now. Despite all those years, their friendship holds fast and the other dukes are there to help and to support when Lucas needs them.

When Diane Oakford is, well, bullied might be the right word, into caring for a colleague of her deceased father, who had been working as a physician for the War Departement, she doesn't know that this will change her life forever. Soon those two start to care for each other but they might need the help of Lucas' friends to get rid of the past and all the dangers it still holds in store for them.
Those two are an amazing couple and I liked how their friendship and love developed. I also loved to see how they interacted with the other dukes and their wives, letting us see how they fare and what became of them.

An interesting and captivating story that kept me glued to my reader - and once again when I started to browse the pages when I wanted to start this review. I got hooked again and couldn't stop reading. I can't wait for the next book in this amazing series!


★★

Wednesday 25 April 2018

Loving the Secret Billionaire (Love at Last #1): A Love at Last Novella by Adriana Anders










Blurb: 

Mystery man, recluse, finance guru… Virgin.
I was a shut-in for a reason. With too many secrets, too much to hide, and way too much at stake, I spent years in my mansion in the woods, never trusting a soul.
So, when a stranger showed up at my door, with her plans to save the world, I should have sent her away, like I’d always done.
But from the second she arrived, I couldn’t resist Veronica Cruz. She was all the things I’d been missing—passionate, generous, and so damned sexy.
I let her into my life, gave her everything—including my heart.
Now, the one thing she wants is the truth. The question is, will she still love me when she knows my secret?

Loving the Secret Billionaire is a sexy standalone novella in the Love at Last series, featuring a virgin hero and a slightly older woman.

Originally published in the Rogue Desire anthology, this edition has been expanded with new material.



I've read several books by Adriana Anders and loved each and every one of them but somehow "Loving the Secret Billionaire" couldn't really draw me in. The storyline was sweet and funny and I liked the characters but the story didn't feel real and things progressed too neatly, too fast, at least in my eyes.
A quick and short read about a secret billionaire who has been hiding in the woods (literally... okay, almost literally) and the woman who turns his life upside down while claiming his heart - and losing hers on the way as well.
Even though the characters themselves are likable, I'm missing the chemistry, the sparks that would make their attraction and the fast progression of their relationship more palpable. It's all very nice but...
The story is still enjoyable and nice I just don't like it as much as I liked the other books by her that I've read.





Tuesday 24 April 2018

The Earl in My Bed (Rebellious Desires #2) by Stacy Reid #TheEarlInMyBed #NetGalley







Blurb: 

For years, Daphne Wentworth, Countess Carrington has loved her powerful, enigmatic husband, despite the fact that they married under less than ideal circumstances. But no more. Finally at her breaking point, Daphne intends to create a scandal so big, her austere husband will have no choice but to divorce her. Except everything goes awry when he surprises her with the last thing she expected.

Sylvester Wentworth, Earl of Carrington, has returned to London for one reason—to seduce his wife. After a near-death experience, he is in need of an heir and means to make his marriage a real one. To his shock, though, his wicked, beautiful countess wants the exact opposite, and he must now do everything possible to entice his countess to stay forever.



I really enjoyed reading this book. Charming and very likable characters and a nice and convincing story about second chances, love and betrayal.

Daphne Wentworth, Countess Carrington, is done with pretending and hoping that somehow someday things between her husband and her will magically be alright. She wants to be free to find love and happiness somewhere else. Of course, this is the moment when her husband has a life-changing experience that makes him realize that despite everything he wants their marriage to become real but, well, obviously he has his work cut out for him. After having been ignored and vilified for years, Daphne doesn't actually jump to do his bidding. Not really.

Add some other obstacles (or nuisances?) in the form of family members and their likes and mutual attraction paired with the memories of being hurt in the past and you'll get an entertaining and captivating story, that I really enjoyed.

★★


Monday 23 April 2018

Betting the Scot (The Highlanders of Balforss #2) by Jennifer Trethewey

   







Blurb: 

Declan Sinclair is a Highlander who believes his dreams never lie. When he spots Caya at a public house, he knows instantly she is the woman in his dreams—his future wife. Though her brother had promised never to gamble again, he engages Declan in a card game—and the prize is the lovely Caya.

Caya Pendarvis has no time for childish things like dreams or fairy-tales or love. She’s the sacrificial lamb on her way to the far north of Scotland to wed a wealthy merchant in exchange for settling her brother’s gambling debts.

Winning at cards is one of the many things Declan Sinclair does well. Unfortunately, the ability to court a woman—a talent he lacks—is the only skill he desperately needs to win Caya’s heart.



This story was nice to read but on the whole the characters, as well as the story, were lacking some depths. The description sounded promising but it often felt as if some unnecessary obstacles were put up just for the sake of prolonging the story. A bit more depth and a faster development of the story would have been appreciated.

I liked the story but I really had a problem to understand why Declan still has to court Caya or better, why this whole curting has to be so very difficult. It really doesn't make much sense in my eyes. Okay, right, I know why his uncle thinks that things should go that way but considering all circumstances I can't understand it.

Despite all that it is a nice and entertaining story.

★★



Sunday 22 April 2018

Audiobook: Fated by Karen Lynch #fated #relentless





A couple of days  ago,  

I could finally download the brand new audio book of 


You want to know whether it's good? Okay, just think of

1 + 1

as in a brilliant and amazing book like  

Fated + Amazing Narrators= Incredible, Brilliant Audio Book

 ***** 
 Cailin Greer and Zachary Webber did it again. They took an amazing book and turned it into an even more amazing audio book that once again draws you in, makes you  smile, chuckle, hold your breath...even if you have read this book several times already - and when you listen to their narration, it feels as if you just opened the book for the first time. 

The Relentless-series is one of the few series where I own every book as an ebook, audio book and as a paperback and I love each and every one of them and re-listen and re-read them regularly. The books are simply amazing and those narrations - perfect.

 *****
 

 *****

 And guess what? The next book in this series will be....

Jordan's book:


You want to know more about it? 

Check it out!






Long time no see.....



🌞🌞🌞

Seit Januar war ich krank, nichts Dramatisches, aber lästig, und habe in den letzten zwei Wochen, in denen es mir insgesamt etwas besser ging, erst einmal versucht, alles aufzuarbeiten, was in der Zeit liegengeblieben ist. Zwischendurch war ich ja auch auf der RARE in London, wovon ich auch noch berichten wollte. Aber - ab jetzt wird alles wieder gut und dieser Blog wird wieder lebendiger. Manchmal ist das eben so, life sucks. 
In diesem Sinne - ich geh dann mal schreiben. Und posten. 
Bis dann!

🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞

I've been ill since January, nothing serious or dramatic but annoying. The last weeeks when I felt a bit better, I've tried to catch up on all other things and this blog has been a bit neglected. I also went to RARE London in February and still "owe" you that account. 
Anyway - the dark times are over and this blog will be active again. 
On that note - I'll start writing. Now. And posting. 
See ya!

🌞🌞🌞

Monday 9 April 2018

I'll Be Waiting (The Vault #2) by A.M. Hargrove












Blurb:

I went to fight for my country and for freedom.
When the IED exploded, it took part of my leg … and ended my career.
Fighting back was harder than I imagined, but I did it.
Putting the pieces back together was even worse.
But I refused to let it defeat me.
I climbed that mountain only to discover I was flawed.
Damaged.
Scarred.
And always would be.

Then my life took a turn and a different kind of explosion occurred.
This one affected my heart.
Perfection in every sense of the word stood before me …
Something I wasn't or would ever be.
Because I was disfigured.
Broken.
Defective.
Why is it the things you want most are those you can never have?
I've learned the most important battles are the ones worth fighting for… and maybe some things are worth waiting a lifetime for.



It's no secret that I love A.M. Hargrove's books, I think, considering the fact that the last three of her that I reviewed were all five-star-reads. I'll be waiting is a spin-off of Craving Midnight, the last one of those five-star-books and I loved it.
The moment I saw Midnight's name, I was doomed. I couldn't not love this book. Okay, no, actually that's not true, I fell for Lee and Rusty right from the beginning but Midnight being mentioned and realizing the connection, well, that sealed it.

Lee and Rusty are both such amazing and strong characters and you just want them to be happy. Add those characters, an intriguing story and a pinch of mystery, lots of feelings and wonderful friends and you get a story that'll keep you reading till the end  - and never wanting it to end.
Seeing Lee and Rusty fall for each other after everything they've been through, Lee's story and the way her story is linked to the depot café and her great-grandfather's story, - I loved every single page of this book!
It was funny, captivating, romantic and simply great, a wonderful albeit somewhat short read that I can definitely and wholeheartedly recommend.

★★


Thursday 5 April 2018

Glamour of Midnight by Casey L. Bond










Blurb: 

 Nineteen-year-old Karis has been blind since birth, but for some reason, she can see through the wall of smoke that separates the human lands from those of the Faeries that rule in grand courts on the other side. Most of the time, the only thing she can see on the other side of the wall is the swipe of a tail or the trailing of a bony hand along the surface. But one day, a handsome faerie appears and sweeps her away into his world—a world that is being ravaged by an evil so dark and deadly, she fears she may never see her home again.

Loftin is a bounty hunter and he has been searching for Karis since she went missing from the Court of Ash. He needs to return her and collect the ransom. But the longer they travel together and the more he teaches her about what she is now able to see, the more difficult he finds the thought of letting her go. A fiery passion ignites between them, but with a monster tracking their every move, they must find a way to reach the Court of Ash before it kills them both.




The Sleeping Beauty part wasn't that obvious so if that is what you are looking for - take a deep breath - and enjoy an amazing and original book that will make you turn the pages faster and faster that has just a pinch of Sleeping Beauty in it.

I really loved the world that the author created. It is a harsh world, unforgiving, where people lose their lives (or their hands), where children go hungry and monsters are roaming the forests, guarding the walls and killing everyone who dares to leave the confines of the cities.

Being blind and turning up in the city as a child with nobody knowing where she came from, hasn't made Karis' life any easier even though Iric and his family are looking after her. Little does she know that somebody very powerful and very evil is searching for her. In fact - has been searching for her ever since she went missing and turned up in the city of Ironton.
Loftin, a bounty hunter, is going after a very special bounty, the young girl who went missing from the Court of Ash years ago and the price is high. Very high. But - will he really be able to betray her?

A fantastic world, a fairy tale whose monsters will keep you up at night and whose heroes will make you swoon and sigh and, well, maybe even kick some .... backs or shins, who knows.
I loved to read about the Courts and the Seelie fae, I feared the Unseelie and I really wanted the good guys to win. Whoever the good guys were.
A wonderful fairy tale that I can wholeheartedly recommend to everyone who loves to read about those monsters under your bed, in your closet, and in your forests. Especially those in your forests.

★★