Tag: L.G. Rollins

Lily for My Enemy (A Lockhart Sweet Regency Romance: Book 2) by L.G. Rollins

~ Jolie ~ 1 Comment
Lily For My Enemy: Lockhart Sweet Regency Romance by [Rollins, L. G.]

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: February 21st, 2020

Genre: Romance

Series: Lockhart Sweet Regency Romance

Wager for a Lady’s Hand—Book 1 (Review Here)

Lily for My Enemy—Book 2

Where you can find Lily for My Enemy: Amazon

Book Synopsis:

He’s from Lords. She sides with Commons.
Watch out London, sparks will fly.

Felix Lockhart is tired of balls, tired of musicales, and most especially tired of society only seeing him as the heir apparent to a powerful seat in Lords. Then, one evening he meets the witty Jocelyn Hunt—perhaps the only young lady in London who isn’t impressed with him.

Jocelyn Hunt will never hold a seat in the House of Commons herself, but she is no less an ardent supporter. When she meets the brooding Felix Lockhart, she is determined he understand that the House of Lords simply cannot continue to ignore the changing times.

Though they quarrel at first, both Felix and Jocelyn find themselves irresistibly drawn toward the other. But when their roles as heir apparent and daughter of a prominent man in Commons push them apart, can their undeniable connection be enough to bridge two groups determined to hate one another?

First Line:

Felix Lockhart, Earl of Sutby, cringed.

Lily for My Enemy by L.G. Rollins

My Review:

Regency romance is one of my favorite sub-genres of historical romances to read. I have said this often, but I love imagining what it was like back then. I have a fascination with the English ton, the Lords, and Ladies. So, when I saw that this book was available for review, I jumped on it.

Lily for My Enemy is the 2nd book in the Lockhart Sweet Regency Romance series. It can be read as a stand-alone. As always, I do suggest reading book one to familiarize yourself with the world. But in this book, the author did a great job of keeping the previous books characters in the background.

The plotline for Lily for My Enemy was medium paced. There was a bit of lag when Jocelyn went to the country, but the author was able to get the book back on track. I did notice that there was a dropped secondary storyline that involved someone paying the urchin to spy on Jocelyn and Felix and then put an unflattering article in the paper. It was never named who, and that storyline was dropped. I wish that it wasn’t. I wish that the person was named. I have a feeling who it was, but now I will never know.

I liked Felix’s character progression in Lily for My Enemy. At the beginning of the book, he was an immature boy who had little regard for people’s feelings. By the end of the book, he matured into a man who was willing to fight for the woman he loved. It was beautiful to read.

I loved Jocelyn. She wholeheartedly supported her father’s causes and his seat in the House of Commons. She viewed the House of Lords as something evil and corrupt (and she wasn’t wrong). I loved how she wasn’t afraid to go toe to toe with Felix. She was a spitfire, and I loved it.

Lily for My Enemy is a clean romance. There is no sex, and you know what, I enjoyed that. I enjoyed not reading a book that had only a couple of kisses in it.

The main storyline about Felix and Jocelyn’s romance had me on edge. I didn’t think it was going to go anywhere because of their father’s animosity towards each other. There was a point where I compared it to Romeo and Juliet. It was when their father’s found out, and the newspaper printed that article. My heart broke for both Felix and Jocelyn. But, I did admire Felix’s guts in going to Jocelyn’s father and asking for her hand in marriage. That took guts.

The end of Lily for My Enemy was your typical HEA. I cannot wait to read the next book!!!

I would give Lily for My Enemy an Older Teen rating. There is sno ex. There is mild language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Lily for My Enemy. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Wager for a Lady’s Hand: A Lockhart Regency Romance by L.G. Rollins

~ Jolie ~ 2 Comments
Wager for a Lady's Hand: A Lockhart Sweet Regency Romance by [Rollins, L. G.]

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: December 26th, 2019

Genre: Romance

Where you can find Wager for a Lady’s Hand: Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

Forced into a betrothal with an abusive man, the only way out might be to beat her fiancé at his own game.

Miss Marianne Twisden knows her best chance at a safe and happy life is to marry a kind man and leave her violent father behind. When her father signs papers betrothing her to Lord Cockell—a cruel and even more violent blackguard—Marianne is desperate for a way out. Her new fiancé gives her one: if Marianne discredits Lord Sheldon Lockhart, England’s newest barrister, Cockell will release her from the marriage contract.

Lord Sheldon Lockhart is determined to rid his neighborhood of Cockell—a man who preys on gamble-hooked gentlemen by loaning them far more money than they could ever hope to repay and then extracting it mercilessly. What he didn’t expect was to fall for Cockell’s most beautiful victim, Miss Marianne.

The seemingly simple game becomes complex when a deep, abiding affection grows between Marianne and Sheldon. It is made all the more perilous when Cockell refuses to play by the rules. Strategizing together, Marianne and Sheldon must think several steps ahead if they ever hope to out-play their opponent and have a shot at victory and their own happily ever after.

First Line:

Lord Sheldon Lockhart, second son of the Marquess of Rampart, would not allow himself to be distracted tonight.

Wager for a Lady’s Hand by L.G. Rollins

My Review:

When I got the invite to review Wager for a Lady’s Hand, I was intrigued. See, I have read several books by the author, but they were all steampunk/fantasy/dystopian/paranormal/romance based books. So, to see a historical romance by her caught my attention. When I read the blurb, I was all in to read this book. I am glad that I did because this was a wonderful historical romance.

The plotline for Wager for a Lady’s Hand was fast-paced and well written. The author didn’t allow for two many secondary storylines, and in turn, allowed for a book that flowed well. There was some slight lag towards the end of the book. But the author was quick to get the book back on track.

I loved Marianne. She dealt with a lot during the book. But she wasn’t one of those heroines who screamed and fainted when it started getting tough. Instead, she came up with solutions to her problems. Her father drinks too much and starts to become abusive? She drugs him. She didn’t want to be married to Lord Cockell? She tries to bargain with him. The list could go on and on.

I did think that Sheldon was a bit clueless during the first half of the book. Not that I didn’t like him, he just didn’t put two and two together when it came to Marianne. I mean, if the woman I was interested showed up with bruises around her neck and on her arms, I would make it my business to find out what is going on. Which he did but not until the second half of the book.

The romance involving Sheldon and Marianne was sweet. I loved watching them fall in love. Even when Marianne was at her lowest, Sheldon was there for her.

I also loved that it was a clean romance. There was one kiss between Marianne and Sheldon, and that was at the end. It was refreshing. Don’t get me wrong; I like a raunchy romance as much as the next person. But sometimes a book doesn’t need that. And this one was.

There were a couple of things that I didn’t like about Wager for a Lady’s Hand. The first was there was never any explanation about who was supplying Lord Cockell with all of his information. If the author had gone more into that, it would have made for an interesting side story.

The other thing I didn’t like about Wager for a Lady’s Hand was that it got repetitive. By repetitive, I mean that Sheldon’s case and Marianne’s blackmail was addressed a lot during the book. It got to a point where I started skimming over those parts when it happened.

The end of Wager for a Lady’s Hand. It did end in a HEA. But, the lead up to the HEA was fantastic. Honestly, I couldn’t have written a better ending.

I would give Wager for a Lady’s Hand an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Wager for a Lady’s Hand. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Stolen Bloodlines (Steam and Shadow: Book 4) by L.G. Rollins

~ Jolie ~ 1 Comment
Stolen Bloodline (Steam and Shadow Book 4) by [Rollins, L. G.]

4 Stars

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services

Date of publication: August 20th, 2019

Genre: Romance, Steampunk, Paranormal

Series: Steam and Shadow

Masked by Moonlight—Book 0.5

Buried in Blue—Book 1

Waltz of Crows—Book 2 (review here)

Clockwork Image—Book 3 (review here)

Stolen Bloodlines—Book 4

Where you can find Stolen Bloodlines: Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

The heritage she never knew was hers. The future he never believed could be. 

Jasper Wimple’s art is gaining popularity and life is falling into place for him at last. After meeting the Ambassador from China, a relationship that could propel him forward, Jasper’s street smarts tell him to steer clear of the man. But nothing could have prepared Jasper for a ghostly visit from one of the ambassador’s murdered victims, or taught him what to do when the ghost demands Jasper help protect his surviving wife and daughter.

Ju is done mourning a father she never knew for the entirety of Ghost Month, despite her mother’s insistence that they continue the tradition. Instead, Ju focuses on her upcoming audition—her one chance to enter London’s most prestigious dance school.

But then her mother’s life is threatened, and Ju sets everything else aside. Working together as new friends and unexpected allies, Jasper and Ju struggle to protect Ju’s mother and each other. With their own lives, the lives of those they care most about, and a budding romance all on the line, will they bring one of the most powerful men in England to justice before he silences them for good?

First Line:

Zhi Liling slipped in through the door and tip-toed up behind her husband, Ju-Long.

Stolen Bloodlines by L.G. Rollins

My Review:

The blurb for Stolen Bloodline caught my attention. Not only because it was Jasper’s story but because of Ju. Those two paragraphs made me want to read Stolen Bloodline. I wanted to see who the lucky lady was that caught (and held) Jasper’s attention. I also wanted to see if his story was as good as Tressa. I was pleased with both.

Stolen Bloodline has an exciting couple of plot lines. Jasper is an artist who is starting to become famous. The Chinese Ambassador, Leng, approaches Jasper at one of his showings. Leng wants Jasper to steal something for him. In turn, Leng will guarantee that Jasper’s career as an artist will explode. Jasper declines, and he is visited by Leng’s associated later on that night. Jasper must choose, does he do what Leng wants and become famous, or will he risk losing everything he loves.

I loved Ju. From the minute she was introduced in the book, I knew that she was going to be unique. I did raise an eyebrow when she had the talk with her mother about not doing Ghost Month. I did think it was a little disrespectful for her not to honor the ancestors like her mother. But, then I got to thinking. If I was the daughter of an immigrant, would I have acted the same way? Yes. I also liked how Ju concluded that honoring her ancestors wasn’t bad. It was refreshing to read.

I also liked how Ju tackled her race in Stolen Bloodline. She was aware that she was different. Ju knew that there wasn’t a lot of girls/women who looked like her auditioning at the school. She still went and did it. Again, it was refreshing to read.

I loved Jasper in Stolen Bloodlines. He took being approached by Ju-Long in ghost form very well. But then again, he had dealt with a vampire in the last book, so nothing phased him. I liked that he knew how he felt about Ju. I also liked that he was awkward when trying to explain how he felt about her. There was another thing that made me love him. Unfortunately, it is part of the end of the book, so I can’t say what it is.

The paranormal angle of the book was terrific. The author had the werewolves back in this book, which I loved. But, she also had ghosts. I hope that she expands on how they interact with people. Because it was interesting!!

The romance angle of the book was subtle. It did take some time to get moving. It did get frustrating at times, but at the same time, I loved watching the dance they did.

I want to add that while Stolen Bloodlines is the 4th book in the Steam and Shadow series, it can be read as a stand-alone.

The end of Stolen Bloodlines was action-packed. I was happy that things got resolved the way they did. Leng deserved everything that happened to him. I thought what Jaspar did to call attention to Leng was ingenious. I loved that Ju and Jasper got their HEA. I am wondering if there will be a book 5 and who will it be?

I would give Stolen Bloodline an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Stolen Bloodline. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Clockwork Image (Steam and Shadow: Book 4) by L.G. Rollins

~ Jolie ~ 2 Comments
Clockwork Image (Steam and Shadow Book 3) by [Rollins, L. G.]

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: July 25th, 2019

Genre: Steampunk, Paranormal

Series: Steam and Shadow

Masked by Moonlight—Book 1

Buried in Blue—Book 2

Waltz of the Crows—Book 3 (review here)

Clockwork Image—Book 4

Where you can find Clockwork Image: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Vandals and Vampires Beware: 
Tressa won’t let anyone stand in her way.

After years maintaining engines and repairing machines, Seawoman Tressa Wimple has come into a shockingly large sum of money. It only takes Tressa a single breath to decide what to do—she will donate it all to Westwood Orphanage, a home for children who are otherwise bound for the streets. They saved her and her brother many decades ago; now, she wants nothing more than to reach out a hand to the small and helpless of London. 

All her plans are derailed, however, when a faceless adversary decries Westwood and claims that the orphanage is a front for something far darker; as dark as an alleyway where Tressa first rescues a boy from a vampire. With the help of her brother, Jasper, and the tall, alluring Brox, Tressa determines to get to the bottom of the claims and protect the children, regardless of the risks. 

When all that is dark is forced into the light, Tressa must face her most combustible problem yet: her own past.

First Line:

Seawoman Tressa Wimple closed her eyes and listened to the boiler.

Clockwork Image by L.G. Rollins

My Review:

Seawoman Tressa Wimple has lived for 20 years on the sea, fixing machines and maintaining engines. Landbound, Tressa is surprised when she comes into a considerable sum of money. She decides to donate that money to the orphanage that raised brother and herself. She wants to give back to the place that took her and her brother in. But her memories of Westwood are not all sunshine and rainbows. Something happened to Tressa there, something terrible. Something that was supposed to be stopped 20 years previous. Determined to solve the mystery, Tressa is helped by her brother and a mysterious, attractive man named Brox. What she finds hidden inside Westwood is evil at its purest. Will Tressa have the strength to confront her past? Will she be able to help the children?

Clockwork Image is a novella that takes place in the Steam and Shadow world. For a book that was 127 pages, the author was able to pack a punch. The plotlines were fast-paced. There were not any dropped storylines. Which I was thankful for. Lately, I have read a few books where some of the storylines disappeared. That drives me nuts!!

What I also liked is that while this book is 4th in the series, it can be read alone. Some of the other characters from the previous books to make an appearance, but they are in and out. The author didn’t linger on them. Again, something that I enjoyed.

I liked Tressa. She was at a loss on what to do with her life after her career ended. She wanted to do good for Westwood even if she had bad memories of the place. So, donating the money she came into seemed like the best thing. I got her confusion when things started happening. Everything seemed to be pointing to that mysterious event in her past.

I did have a small complaint about the event. The author did a great job of keeping everything wraps, but she did it too well. The clues were leaked too far apart. I did start to lose interest in that storyline.

The steampunk angle of the book was terrific. I loved that Tressa spent her entire career maintaining engines and fixing boilers. The author went into detail about what Tressa did while at sea. Tressa fixing Brox’s engine and the beginning scene fascinated me.

I loved the romance angle. I liked that Tressa was struck by Brox as soon as she saw him. I didn’t like that she had such self-doubt about how he felt about her. I liked that Brox wanted to court her. I mean, he asked to kiss her!! But what I liked the most was that there was no sex. It made for a refreshing read..

I do want to comment on Jasper and Tressa’s relationship. At the beginning of the book, I didn’t know what to think about how they interacted. But, everything smoothed out by the end of the book.

The end of Clockwork Image was explosive!! The twist that the author threw in took me by surprise. I couldn’t believe what I was reading!! Of course, I should have known. What happened to that little boy at the beginning of the book should have clued me in.

I would give Clockwork Image an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Clockwork Image. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Waltz of the Crows (Steam and Shadow: Book 3) by L.G. Rollins

~ Jolie ~ 4 Comments
Waltz of the Crows (Steam and Shadow Novel Book 3) by [Rollins, L.]

4 Stars

Date of publication: June 4th, 2019

Genre: Steampunk, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Romance

Series: Steam and Shadow

Masked by Moonlight—Book 1

Buried in Blue—Book 2

Waltz of the Crows—Book 3

Where you can find Waltz of the Crows: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Leila Hale’s orders are clear: impersonate a nurse, make contact with her fellow spy, and get London the information it needs without being caught or killed; or worse, tripping up so horribly her superiors deem her incompetent.

Samuel Rowley has returned to find his hometown disease-ridden, with many on the brink of madness. Not a man to sit back and merely hope for the best, he determines to explore every resource available until he finds a solution. 

Together, Leila and Samuel sort out the relevant from the distractions and tease truth from lies. But as they uncover various secrets, it becomes evident that this insanity isn’t a disease at all, but a meticulously infiltrated poisoning; and the perpetrator has them in their sights.

When all is made known, will Leila and Samuel have enough wit and strength to save themselves, their future, and a town full of innocent victims?

Waltz of the Crows is Book 3 in the Steam and Shadow Series; all books in this series are stand-alone and can be read in any order. Waltz of the Crows is a Victorian Era Steampunk (think Woman in White but with cool gadgets) bundled up with a cozy mystery and sweet romance. Perfect for lovers of Marissa Meyer’s Cinder and Stephanie Garber’s Caraval.

My Review:

When I read the blurb for Waltz of the Crows, I got excited. It has been a long time since I have read a good steampunk book. I was hoping that the book lived up to its blurb. I am happy to report that this book lived up to the blurb and then some!!

The plot for Waltz of the Crows was simple. Leila was in France on a mission. There is a deadly flu that has been confined to a village in France. Leila is to gather intel on the flu and send it to London. While in France, Leila meets the dashing Samuel. With his help, Leila discovers that the people are being poisoned. Soon, it becomes a race to find out who is poisoning the village and why. Can Leila and Samuel expose the villain without getting themselves hurt? Can they stop the poisoning?

I loved Leila. She had been forced into the field early and hadn’t been able to complete her training. She was terrified that she was going to get killed or be labeled incompetent. It made her cautious at the beginning of the book. But once Victor was compromised, she started to shed her doubts. I loved watching her character grow. I cheered her on when she was intel gathering. I liked her.

I liked Samuel too. At first, I did wonder why he was being brought into the book. But as the book went on, his role in everything became crystal clear. He had a set of skills that Leila needed. He also wanted to get to the bottom of who was poisoning the village. I loved watching him fall for Leila. It was sweet.

The steampunk angle of the book was well written. This book was set in Victorian England. There were motorcars, steam run submarines, gears, and airships. I couldn’t get enough of reading about that. I couldn’t get enough of reading about that.

The mystery angle of the book was well written also. The author did a great job at keeping who was poisoning the village under wrap until the end of the book. I did have my suspicions about who it was, and I was wrong. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I loved it!!

There was also a romance angle in Waltz of the Crows. The romance between Leila and Samuel was sweet. It was innocent. It was a perfect fit in with the story.

The end of Waltz of Crows was action-packed. I was surprised at who the villain turned out to be. The author did a great job of keeping it under wrap. The other surprise is what happened to Leila and Samuel. I never predicted what happened to happen. It was a fantastic end to the book.

I would give Waltz of Crows an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Waltz of Crows I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**