Stormswept by Sabrina Jeffries

A book set in Wales 

and 

written by the author of the first historical romance that I ever read:

 Stormswept by Sabrina Jeffries

 Blurb:

New York Times bestseller Sabrina Jeffries reignites a daring love affair in this intriguing tale of desire and deception—originally written as Deborah Martin and newly revised for today’s audience. The first wedding night that Lady Juliana St. Albans spent with the dark and daring Rhys Vaughan was intoxicating, the heady culmination of her new husband’s driving hunger and her own awakened sensuality. When he mysteriously disappeared the next morning, she waited for him in hope and desperation. And when he was finally proclaimed dead in a shipwreck, she bitterly mourned the loss of her love. The second wedding night that Juliana spent with Rhys Vaughan was six years later, after he returned to claim her just as she was about to wed another. This Rhys was different—bolder, harder, and convinced that she’d betrayed him. Only their blazing passion remains from their years apart. But is it enough to light their way through the maze of mystery, menace, and mistrust—to the love they once shared and would have to find again?


Everyone who likes to read historical romance, knows that there are many books about the Highlands and the Highlanders or England and its Dukes and Lords and whatnots. Like Scotland, Wales has its own history of a fight for freedom and the right to preserve their culture, but despite that fact,  Wales is very rarely a topic of those books. This is one of the many things that make "Stormswept" so special.
What makes it even more special is the fact that it is extremely well told, gripping, shocking and romantic as well. It has an interesting plot full of betrayal, love, second chances, mistrust, hard truths and, well, in the end it all comes down to trust, doesn't it?

I couldn't put the book down, I was so upset by some of the things that happened and especially by the actions of Juliana's brothers and their ruthlessness, I could never have imagined the length to which they went for their own gain - even against their own sister. Oh, and of course I was also worried for Juliana seeing that Rhys was so set on revenge when he thought that she had betrayed him and had condemned him to six long years in hell.

Once more a book where I was also furious because of the power the men had over the women and the few chances women had to create their own life. In this case it is also about the English against the Welsh and about the restrictions against the Welsh and their culture.

Apart from the story that I really loved (and reread more than once since I've read it the first time) I enjoyed the view on Wales and its history, I loved to read about their life and their fight. Those who've read other reviews by me, might have noticed that I always enjoy a challenge. So naturally a book about Wales and its history (even nicely wrapped up in a romance) calls for a search for more information - and I enjoyed reading about it and learning more about this beautiful country.
"Stormswept" is a wonderful and well written romance with amazing and very authentic characters that I can wholeheartedly recommend, I really loved this book.

★★★★★

 

 

...die Reise geht weiter!

Über Bath führt uns die Reise weiter durch Wales:

Auf Reisen....

Einen Ort gibt es, den ich als echter Jane-Austen-Fan natürlich unbedingt besuchen muss:

 BATH

Mal gucken, was ich hier so an interessanten Dingen sehe, ich werde berichten!

A Scandalous Wife (Scandalous #1) by Ava Stone

  A Scandalous Wife (Scandalous #1) by Ava Stone

Blurb:

As the head of his family, Robert Beckford, the Earl of Masten, was accustomed to dealing with various problems his siblings had caused of one sort or another. However he wasn’t prepared when his cad of brother ruined and then abandoned a young lady. To right the wrong, Robert married the girl himself; but his chivalry only went so far. He didn’t want a wife, and most certainly not a scandalous one. So after repeating his vows, he sent her packing, off to a secluded estate and expected her to stay put.

After years of mistreatment at the hands of her family, Lydia was prepared to be an accommodating wife; but her rigid and unforgiving husband asked too much of her. After languishing for years in her opulent prison, Lydia leaves her country estate for the glamour and excitement of London—and unfortunately her husband’s path.


I don't know how often I've read this book already but I just can't get enough of it. You know the kind of book that make you feel well and cozy and that never fail to cheer you up? That's the kind of book  "A Scandalous Wife" is for me.

Seeing overbearing, arrogant Robert Beckford, Earl of Masten fall head over heels in love with his own wife is wonderful to read - even though he fights it, of course and, well, considering their history it is no wonder that Lydia is not ready to trust him and his new feelings for her. The more you get to know about Lydia, the more you wish her well. She is sweet and loving and after everything she's been through, you just want to protect her and make everything alright. But some things can't be changed. You can't change history but you can change the future and that's what Lydia and Robert are doing. A big help in this endeavour are Peter and Penny, Robert's wards aka Lydia's pickpockets.
Unfortunately not everybody is happy when Robert and Lydia fall in love after having been married (and separated) for five years and very soon Robert has to defend Lydia and their love against more than one adversary....

When I started to explore more audio books, I found that everything hinges on the narrator. There are wonderful books that I couldn't listen to despite the fact that I've read and loved them just because I can't stand the narration. So, seeing how much I enjoy reading this book, I was a bit sceptical when I bought the audio book whether I'd like it or not but - I loved it. Stevie Zimmerman is a fantastiv narrator and I really loved every minute of this audiobook. No matter what edition, kindle, paperback or audio book, you can't go wrong with this book.

★★★★

The Scottish Lord's Secret Bride by Raven McAllan ~Review in English~

The Scottish Lord's Secret Bride by Raven MacAllan 

Blurb:
 

Secrets never stay buried for long…

Reluctant heiress Lady Morven Weston is tired of her mother interfering in her love affairs. At twenty-six there’s only so many more society balls she can attend before resigning herself to life as an unmarried maid.

But when Lord Fraser Napier, the man Morven ran wild with one long, hot summer, returns to Scotland, his shocking revelations change everything. Fraser never annulled their whirlwind marriage all those years ago!

Preparing to take up his ancestral seat, Fraser’s not letting go of his secret bride that easily – he needs an heir. It’s only a matter of time before Morven surrenders to Fraser’s seductive touch and finds herself in his bed…

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I was never tempted to put it away because it is really well written and the characters were also complex and interesting especially - or rather - at least the heroine and the hero. So this should have been at least for stars instead of three, right? Right.
And I must admit that I changed my mind about that again and again and... well, you get the point. In the end I decided that I loved this book and will definitely read it again but there were some inconsistencies in the plot that really bothered me and that finally tipped the balance.

I will try to phrase it in a way that I don't spoil anything for other readers, of course.
On the one hand, we have two people who are very obviously in love. You can feel it, you read about it and you feel that they belong together. Soooo.....no problem there? Well, actually there is a problem concerning their marriage. Yes, their marriage is a problem for those two people in love, you got that right!
Apart from this marriage problem which might have been handled differently, those two are subjected to a fair amount of meddling and matchmaking attempts from their families, which is not only confusing for them but also for the reader especially as their families' feelings and actions seem to contradict each other every other minute.

Due to that, you never get close to the other characters, so it is just the hero and the heroine that are more developed and appear authentic whereas the other characters remain a bit flat.

For good measure there is also some mystic element represented by some feelings or intuitions and, of course, the gypsies.

Okay, rereading all that, I must admit that it sounds rather bad but as a matter of fact it isn't. Not at all.
I really loved reading about Morven and Fraser and I loved how open they were with their feelings for each other despite everything that had happened and that had torn them apart - and I wouldn't have minded to send their families to the northpole or wherever far away because they got a bit on my nerves with their contradictory actions. The story about the lovers is sweet and the hero and the heroine are both very lovable and loving characters and -which was really refreshing- despite their past, they are not given to misunderstandings and false accusations.

Sooo....on the whole I really liked the book and will definitely read it again but the flaws in the plot are still rather ovious.

★★★

 

 

Und es geht auf die Reise!

Da mein Mann zu Hause die Stellung hält, dürfen wir anderen eine tolle Tour machen.

Der eine oder andere erinnert sich vielleicht an die vielen Reiseführer, die ich im Laufe des letzten Jahre hier rezensiert hatte? Na, wohin geht es?

Genau!

Erst einmal an die Südküste Großbritanniens....

Parthena's Promise - Valerie Holmes

  

 Parthena's Promise by Valerie Holmes

Blurb:

England, 1815

London barrister and gentleman, Jerome Fender, has just returned to England after five years as a Captain in the killing fields of the Napoleonic Wars.

With the harrowing scenes of battle still haunting his every thought, he sets out to start a new life and to find a wife who will share it with him.

Meanwhile recently orphaned 21-year-old Miss Parthena Munro has also arrived at a North Yorkshire market town.

She has been sent away by her scheming sole relative, cousin Bertram, to be governess to a local family, only to find that the family has already moved away from the area.

Left stranded far from home with no job and no place to stay, Parthena encounters Mr Fender outside an inn, where she takes a chance to steal his money in a witless moment of desperation.

She whispers a promise to return the money one day and makes off across the wild Yorkshire moors.

But it’s not long before Fender catches up with her.

However, on learning of her plight they set out on a plan to seek justice against the wrongs plotted by Bertram.

With Jerome’s help, Parthena returns to her home to the great surprise of Bertram, who, thinking that Parthena, the rightful heir to the estate, was now out of the way, was about to clear his debts by selling the family estate.

Jerome endeavours to hatch a new plan to thwart Bertram, but Parthena’s rightful inheritance can only fall to her if she marries within the month.

Parthena and Jerome discover the flame of love has been kindled between them, but is it already too late?

(Well, I think the blurb will be much longer than the review itself in this case....never had that before...)

This book was nice and I really enjoyed reading it even though it is a rather straightforward story. Solid, reliable - a couple falling in love, the good guy helping the innocent girl who has been wronged and the bad guy going down.

The story is well told, the characters are very likeable and the story is interesting and gripping despite its straightforwardness. Nevertheless I was a bit disappointed at the end because I felt that it wasn't really finished. Right it was an ending it was obvious what would happen but when I just leaned back and wanted to enjoy this last romantic bit and see how everything turns out - poff - the story was over. Done. Fini. Ende.

I know that the story is short but in this case I missed a real ending. Yes, I am mean and vengeful, I would have loved to see Thena's Cousin fall, I would have enjoyed to see him go and the less vengeful but very sentimental part of me would have loved to see Parthena and Jerome find love and buld their life together. Sure, this story would have been much longer than the one I read now but I think it would have been worth it.

★★★