REVIEW: The Dove and the Rogue by Harper St. George

OUR REVIEW: 

This final book in The Doves of New York series, The Dove and the Rogue, is probably my favorite. Jenny and her Duke enter into a marriage of convenience, but as they get to know each other, their initial assumptions of what will be change. Jenny and David find that they have a genuine affection for each other--one that they both try to deny and fight since it doesn't fit the narrative they've told themselves. Jenny considers their marriage a necessary evil, one that is finite, and one that she will not engage with, other than the one night she's agreed to. David, on the other hand, seems a little more open to a more long term future. He's been intrigued with her from the moment he met her and while he agrees to her terms, it seems like he's more open to a real future with her. As a matter of fact, he's the one who pursues it-a real future with this intriguing woman. He's met with resistance, mainly in the form of her refusal to see that a real future is possible (she's been burned before), but he eventually shows her that real love can exist.

I enjoyed that David was the pursuer. I loved that Jenny insisted on living her dream. And I loved that David respected her and her wishes and never considered any other option than what she wanted. A perfect ending to this series--one that has me wondering what and where Harper St. George will take us next.

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SYNOPSIS:

American heiress Jenny Dove thought a marriage of convenience would solve all her problems, until her heart decided to rewrite the terms…

Jenny Dove has spent her life training to become an opera singer, determined not to repeat her mother’s mistake of sacrificing her career for love. But when her younger sister needs her help, Jenny strikes a daring bargain. To save her sister’s future, she’ll marry a titled gentleman long enough to unlock both their inheritances, then return to Paris to live out her dream.

Lord David Felding, heir to a dukedom and unapologetic rake, has no interest in finding a wife, until Jenny walks into his life with an audacious marriage proposal. She’ll give him one night in her bed in exchange for the protection of his name. It’s supposed to be a simple transaction—no emotions, no complications. But when their wedding night reveals unexpected passion and a startling connection, walking away is anything but easy.

Instead of continuing his roguish life in London, David follows Jenny to Paris—and begins to court his own wife. As their sham marriage deepens into something real, Jenny glimpses the wounded man behind his charm and feels her carefully guarded heart begin to yield. But falling in love means a slow, irresistible unraveling of everything they thought they wanted…and trusting in something neither dared to hope for.
 

REVIEW: Eliza and the Duke by Harper St. George

 

OUR REVIEW:

Eliza and the Duke couldn't have come at a more perfect time. I'd just finished watching a series, A Thousand Blows, that just so happened to be set in England and featured the birth of boxing as we know it, so my appetite for England, boxing, and romance was hearty and this novel fed it. 

I enjoyed Eliza and Simon-she's a mischievous American betrothed to a man she doesn't know or love, and Simon is a scruffy gentleman, living in affluence but brought up in poverty. Through their interactions, we learn about his secrets, she reveals some of her own, and as they get to know each other, and love each other, we know that something has to give to assure that they end up together. And as you know, in romance, something does give and we get that HEA we love to get. 

Harper St. George always gives a well researched historical romance that is entertaining, swoony, heartfelt and fun. I can't wait for the next installment in this series.  

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SYNOPSIS:

American heiress Eliza Dove was resigned to a polite marriage of convenience...until she spent one wicked night with the Duke.

All hopeless romantic Eliza Dove asked for was one night of adventure. One glorious evening of freedom to explore the dark corners of London with a mysterious stranger before a lifetime trapped in a quiet, respectable marriage of convenience. Except now she wants more. Now she wants him.

Simon Cavell is no gentleman. Known only as ‘the Duke,’ Whitechapel’s prize boxer is one fight away from achieving his goal: to safeguard his late sister’s only treasure and leave the streets for good. He cannot allow some pretty young heiress to spill his secrets, no matter how tempting she might be. In return for her silence, Simon will give Eliza a taste of the darkness…and hope he doesn’t lose his heart in the process.

But one night together could never be enough. And now Eliza has a new plan—an even more scandalous bargain that will either land the heiress her duke or ruin them both.

REVIEW: The Stranger I Wed by Harper St. George

OUR REVIEW:

The Stranger I Wed is the first book in The Doves of New York Series; a series about three sisters and their mother going to London to try to change their lives, due to manipulations of the 'patriarch' of their family. This first book introduces us to the entire Dove family but focuses on Cora, the oldest sister, and the one who instigates their move to London, after confronting her father and discovering conditions on her inheritance. 

When they arrive in London, the sisters begin scouting their prospects and on one such scouting exhibition, Cora meets her future spouse, the Earl of Devonworth when he accidentally runs her over while playing football. As one might expect, they both find the other fascinating and because of the nature of him needing money and her needing a title, they end up marrying fairly quickly after that meeting. Initially the marriage is one of convenience--he needs the cash and she needs the security his title offers; he doesn't want to risk his heart and she most definitely doesn't want that either. What she does want, however, is independence and freedom. As they get to know each other, their resolve to not know each other disappears and with that respect and love blooms. Before you know it, they're writing together, laughing together, and seem like a team--something neither of them anticipated. Of course, because this is a romance, there's that hesitation about whether this development in their marriage is something that they want. With a little conflict and reflection and resolution, these two find their happily ever after and now we get to see Eliza's journey from single New Yorker to the newest belle of London. 

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SYNOPSIS:

New to wealth and to London high society, American heiress Cora Dove discovers that with the right man, marriage might not be such an inconvenience after all. . . .

Cora Dove and her sisters’ questionable legitimacy has been the lifelong subject of New York’s gossipmongers and a continual stain on their father’s reputation. So when the girls each receive a generous, guilt-induced dowry from their dying grandmother, the sly Mr. Hathaway vows to release their funds only if Cora and her sisters can procure suitable husbands—far from New York. For Cora, England is a fresh start. She has no delusions of love, but a husband who will respect her independence? That’s an earl worth fighting for.

Enter: Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth, a no-nonsense member of Parliament whose plan to pass a Public Health bill that would provide clean water to the working class requires the backing of a wealthy wife.  He just never expected to crave Cora’s touch or yearn to hear her thoughts on his campaign—or to discover that his seemingly perfect bride protects so many secrets...

But secrets have a way of bubbling to the surface, and Devonworth has a few of his own. With their pasts laid bare and Cora’s budding passion for women’s rights taking a dangerous turn, they’ll learn the true cost of losing their heart to a stranger—and that love is worth any price.

 

The Lady Tempts an Heir by Harper St. George

 

OUR REVIEW:

The Lady Tempts an Heir continues following the Crenshaw family as Max falls under the manipulative tactics of his parents. Luckily for us all, Helena is also in need of partner, and so together they work to try to maneuver around the expectations of their parents. As with the prior two novels, this novel features two characters who are immediately drawn to each other and yet are in a constant battle to try to suppress what they're feeling. They're both focused on the outcomes of their agreement but not so much that they can't find time to flirt and long for each other. Their courtship is delightful, even as they're in constant delightful, and I think it's probably my favorite so far. 

Every one of the novels in this series has featured wonderfully progressive and evolved characters. The men are strong and women are even stronger and their eventual happy endings are always so satisfactory. I thought, sadly, that this might be the last novel in the series but I'm happy to see that there will be more to come.

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SYNOPSIS:

A fake engagement brings together a lady with bold and daring dreams, and the heir whose heart she captured—perfect for fans of Bridgerton!

Tall, dark, and brooding—to say that American Maxwell Crenshaw stood out in the glittering ballrooms of London is an understatement. He vowed never to set foot in England again, but when a summons from his father along with an ultimatum to secure his legacy has him crossing the Atlantic for the last time, reuniting him with the delectable Lady Helena March, he can’t deny the temptation she presents. Or the ideas she inspires…
 
Lady Helena March is flirting with scandal. Instead of spending her time at teas and balls in search of another husband, as is expected of a young widow, Helena pours her energy into The London Home for Young Women. But Society gives no quarter to unmarried radicals who associate with illegitimate children and fallen women, and Helena’s funding is almost run out. So when the sinfully seductive Crenshaw heir suggests a fake engagement to save them both—him from an unwanted marriage and her from scorn and financial ruin—Helena finds herself too fascinated to refuse the sexy American.
 
As their arrangement of convenience melts oh so deliciously into nights of passion, their deception starts to become real. But if Max knew the true reason Helena can never remarry, he wouldn’t look at her with such heat in his eyes. Or might the Crenshaw heir be willing to do whatever it takes to win the one woman he’s never been able to forget…

REVIEW: The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George

 

OUR REVIEW:

Just like the first book in this series, The Devil and the Heiress leaves no detail unexplored. Harper St. George puts us in a world that is very far away and yet so very relevant; while no one I know has to be married off to create a presence in society, I do find that some of the issues that Violet and Christian must can be seen in the world today. The pressures of family and societal expectations and how your own needs and desires have to sometimes be pushed aside to meet those expectations, is something I know many people struggle with. 

These Crenshaw siblings are a delight, even if their parents are total a-holes. I love their fiery and independent spirits and their willingness to do whatever it takes to get what they want. Their romantic counterparts are equally interesting and delightfully flawed, stubborn, and swoony. Violet and Christian continue with those traits--their journey to their HEA made more interesting by the literal journey-- and I'm eager to see what happens next (with the hope that their parents finally get their comeuppance!). 

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No one would guess that beneath Violet Crenshaw's ladylike demeanor lies the heart of a rebel. American heiresses looking to secure English lords must be on their best behavior, but Violet has other plans. She intends to flee London and the marriage her parents have arranged to become a published author--if only the wickedly handsome earl who inspired her most outrageously sinful character didn't insist on coming with her.

Christian Halston, Earl of Leigh, has a scheme of his own: escort the surprisingly spirited dollar princess north and use every delicious moment in close quarters to convince Violet to marry him. Christian needs an heiress to rebuild his Scottish estate but the more time he spends with Violet, the more he realizes what he really needs is her--by his side, near his heart, in his bed.

Though Christian's burning glances offer unholy temptation, Violet has no intention of surrendering herself or her newfound freedom in a permanent deal with the devil. It's going to take more than pretty words to prove this fortune hunter's love is true....

REVIEW: The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George

 

OUR REVIEW:

This is a new historical romance writer for me and I enjoyed it so much that I have already procured a copy of the next novel, in the  hopes that it follows August's sister (or brother). In this particular novel, we have an American mother, in particular (though abetted by the father), who wants to rise above her New Money station and she sees an opportunity by marrying off a daughter to a Duke. And, we have a Duke whose family is in dire financial straits and needs the funds marrying an American heiress could provide. So as you can see, these two families can each fulfill a desire or a need of the other. The only problem? The potential bride in question wants nothing to do with it....so we're off on an adventure of figuring out how these two families will find their HEA.

One of the things I enjoyed about this particular historical romance was how independent our heroine, August was. She was raised and allowed to pursue her interest in the family business and so she was reticent to give that up. She liked her freedom and the respect she felt her position gave her--more so than your average woman in that time. I also enjoyed that Rothschild (Evan), found her spirit and independence as positives and had no desire to see those things stripped from her. While there things about both of them that were annoying and frustrating, that they were evolved and on the same page about progressing the rights of those around them was refreshing. These were no simpering fools.

I also enjoyed that the writer made me love to hate August's mom and dad the more they revealed who they were. I loved that undercurrent of conflict and how August just refused to capitulate...or Evan refused to let her; even before they were officially a 'team', they were a team. 

There were a few parts that felt a little slow, but maybe I was just eager to see them end up together? And this was definitely a s-l-o-w burn so if you don't have the patience for that, know that upfront. All that being said, though, I'm eager to read another one.

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SYNOPSIS:

Even a fortune forged in railroads and steel can't buy entrance into the upper echelons of Victorian high society--for that you need a marriage of convenience.

American heiress August Crenshaw has aspirations. But unlike her peers, it isn't some stuffy British Lord she wants wrapped around her finger--it's Crenshaw Iron Works, the family business. When it's clear that August's outrageously progressive ways render her unsuitable for a respectable match, her parents offer up her younger sister to the highest entitled bidder instead. This simply will not do. August refuses to leave her sister to the mercy of a loveless marriage.

Evan Sterling, the Duke of Rothschild, has no intention of walking away from the marriage. He's recently inherited the title only to find his coffers empty, and with countless lives depending on him, he can't walk away from the fortune a Crenshaw heiress would bring him. But after meeting her fiery sister, he realizes Violet isn't the heiress he wants. He wants August, and he always gets what he wants.

But August won't go peacefully to her fate. She decides to show Rothschild that she's no typical London wallflower. Little does she realize that every stunt she pulls to make him call off the wedding only makes him like her even more.