Review: Seduction & Scandal by Charlotte Featherstone

Seduction & Scandal (The Brethren Guardians # 1)

by Charlotte Featherstone

Historical Romance

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Isabella Fairmont longs for a respectable and safe life and marriage and promises herself that she will never be like her scandalous mother who lived a hard and pitiful life because of her reckless passion. Instead she writes novels pouring her passionate nature into her words. However, the Earl of Black, who bears a remarkable resemblance to the hero of her nover, seems to provoke her in to wantoness and desire whenever he touches her. Black has loved and desired Isabella from a far for a long time and now he is finally taking action. However, he has deep dark secrets and a family legacy he must protect at all costs and his legacy may now be a direct threat to Isabella's life.

I really enjoyed this book, it was very atmospheric and had a very gothic feel to it that really made the book stand out. It was written in Charlotte Featherstones's flowery and poetic writing that makes the whole book seem stuffed full of emotion and is perfect for the dark and gothic vibe of them book.

Lord Black was a great hero, very sensuous and mysterious, yet still quite open in his need for Isabella. I am not sure how Isabella resisted him for as long as she did, despite her reasons for doing so. I liked Isabella as well, although I did start getting frustrated with her resistance to Black. Especially as we could see Black point of view and knew that although he planned to thoroughly ravish her, he also intended to marry her as well.

The love scenes in this were fantastic as well, they were both romantic and completely erotic. Charlotte Featherstone has a way of writing sex that is both hot and yet really beautiful.

What I also liked about this was the mystery and magical element to this, and the Brethren Guardians idea. I won't spoil the story by giving too much away, but Black and two of his friends are descendents of Templar Knights and they all have to protect certain relics for the sake of humanity. However, these items have been stolen and they need to get them back. The story doesn't resolve in this one, but continues to the next book in the series and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Although I really liked this book, for me it isn't quite 5 stars. I thought it was quite slow, I would have liked to see more action in it and also I think Black and Isabella waited too long to be together. It seemed one minute everything was going along at a plodding pace and then in the last few chapters everything happened at once.
In conclusion it was a great read and I am very much looking forward to the next book.

Favouriet Quote:

  
"...I will bear all my sins, all my secrets, when you come to me. It's all I can offer. You see, little love, I'm afriad too, but the difference between us is that I believe it's worth it to face that fear if it means that I'll have you."

Review: The Wedding of the Century Anthology by Mary Jo Putney, Kristin James & Charlotte Featherstone

The Wedding of the Century (Anthology)

by Mary Jo Putney, Kristin James and Charlottle Feathersone

Historical Romance

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This anthology is three stories on what happens after the wedding, when perhaps the hero and heroine didn't quite have the best start, but somehow end up walking the aisle anyways. Can these three couples fall in love despite the circumstances that brought them together?

The Wedding of the Century by Mary Jo Putney

This is a my first Mary Jo Putney book and although it didn't set my world a light it was quite nice. I think what stopped me from enjoying it so much was that the whole story was based around misunderstandings and miscommunications. These kind of stories bug me, I spend the whole book just wanting to bang the protaginists heads together and tell them to sit down and have a proper discussion like rational adults instead of agonizing in silence. This book was no exception it bugged me. But not enough to spoil the whole thing, I did like the main characters of Sunny and Justin, Sunny was as the name implies has a cheerful dispostion, but when her mother forces her to marry Justin she fears that she will never love or be loved when he seems so distant and cold. But little does he know that Justin has loved her since he first saw her and although it may be a marriage of convinience he longs for it to be more.

In conclusion I did enjoy this story, it had likable characters and a hot moment or two, and I will keep a look out for any Mary Jo Putney books that interest me.

Jesse's Wife by Kristin James

I have a weakness to western romances, so I think I was predisposed to like this story before I even started! But I did genuinely like this, it was a sweet story about a young newly wed couple, who had been forced in to the marriage by unfortunate circumstances. However, Jesse doesn't think the marriage unfoturnate at all as he has been in love with Amy for years, but she was above his station as he is him employers daughter, so they were just close friends.

Like the MJP book this book was based around a misunderstanding, but it didn't annoy me as much in this book, mainly I think because there wasn't as much silent anguish (just a huge case of blue balls!) I thought the whole story was rather cute, watching them both come to terms with their newly married state and watching Jesse trying to keep his hands off Amy, due to the erroneous assumption that she would not welcome him.

This was an enjoyable and light read that left me with a smile on my face.

Seduced by Starlight by Charlotte Featherstone

I am a huge fan of Charlotte Featherstone, and this story was the reason I wanted to read this anthology. It is about the Jase and Blossom the children of the couples in "Addicted" and "Sinful"

This book was more to do with Jase's seduction of Blossom and his efforts to convince her that he was genuine in his courtship and really wished to marry her, but it does have a chapter of them on their honeymoon having a wicked time with some strawberries and clotted cream!

Although I did not think this was as good as "Addicted" and "Sinful" I really liked this story, it was sensual and sweet, definately a lot naughtier then the previous two novellas. Jase was seductive and charming and I am really not sure how Blossom managed to resist him for so long! I would have been a puddle at his feet from the first moment. But Blossom was strong willed and spirited and I found myself liking her immensly and understanding that she was trying to protect herself.

What also delighted me about this book was that you got to see some famliar characters, I love to see couples after they have had their HEA, so it was a treat to see the Anais and Lindsey and Jane and Matthew a couple of decades later and still very much in love.