Bookish Thoughts

Romance novels are all about emotional catharsis. The better the book, the more wrung out and satisfied I feel at the end of it. So when I come across one where I just cry straight through the last five chapters, well, that's the dream. Eleven Scandals to Start... is about Juliana, the Italian half-sister of the St. John brothers who found love in the first two books in this series. I loved Juliana from the first moment. She's feisty and brave. And even though she's unsure about what she wants and what her place in society is, she doesn't let that stop her from defending herself. Her hero is Simon, also known as the Duke of Disdain. He cares for nothing but his reputation, and Juliana confounds him. But Simon won me over, over the course of this book, in the most delightful way. Interacting with Juliana teaches him that love and family are more important that reputation and tradition. And that a life without fun isn't worth much, even if you have the respect of ...

It won't be long before I've read everything Sarah MacLean has ever written. All but two of her books are sitting on my shelf waiting for me to get around to them. I've read enough of them now that I'm starting to recognize characters across the different books, which only makes me want to read more. I need to hear the stories of all these amazing women and how they found the loves of their lives. MacLean's second book focuses on Isabel, the destitute daughter of a deceased Earl who's trying her best to keep the estate running until her younger brother comes of age and can take a stab at a fresh start. She's proud and self-sufficient and definitely doesn't need to be rescued. (Except maybe financially.) When she crosses paths with Lord Nicholas, who has recently been named a "Lord to Land" in a popular magazine and is fleeing London until his infamy passes, sparks fly almost immediately. Isabel is an absolute delight, and I loved everything...

This is Sarah MacLean's first book, and it's pretty much guaranteed that I will now track down and read everything she's written. It didn't feature any of the characters I've come to love from her more recent books. But it does have the wonderful, bold Callie and Gabriel, who can't help but fall head over heels for her. Callie has spent the last decade playing by the rules. She has an immaculate reputation and nothing else to show for it. When her younger sister gets engaged, and it looks like Callie is destined for a life of spinsterhood, she sets out to enjoy all the things she's been denying herself. Along the way she captures the attention of notorious rake, Gabriel. Gabriel has just discovered his half-sister, and he needs help introducing her into society. He strikes a bargain with Callie - she helps his sister and he'll help her. But before he knows it, he's in way over his head. This book was a ton of fun, and Callie strikes an excellent ...