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Book Review: Dead Man Walking by Giana Darling

Jan 1, 2021

Dead Man Walking (The Fallen Men #6) by Giana Darling

Pages: 542
Publish date: 27 December 2020
Publisher: –
ASIN: B08RDSGPV1
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

A killer.
A criminal.
A psychopath.
The Irish enforcer for The Fallen Men MC is everything good girls are taught to stay away from.
Only, I found myself inexorably drawn into his dark gravitational pull. I wanted to know what it would be like to walk beside the human personification of Death and hold his hand, feel his kiss, and maybe even earn his undying love.
But Priest McKenna is older, cold as ice, and notoriously unfeeling.
So what are the odds that a dead man walking would come to life for little, insignificant me?
When a serial killer begins to target the women of Entrance, BC, and The Fallen suffers another terrible blow, Priest resolves to hunt down the killer himself.
And when the murderer sets his eyes on me?
My very own psychopath steps between me and certain death, thrusting us into an intimacy I prayed we would never recover from.

Dead Man Walking:

I received an earc of Dead Man Walking by Giana Darling for review in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I have a lot of feelings about this book, and even now nearly a week after I’ve finished it. I’m still not sure how I feel. I haven’t read many dark romances. My experience of reading this band of romance is very small. So I don’t have much to compare it to. This isn’t for the faint-hearted. It’s dark, questionable and something I would not want to happen in real life. But it’s also intriguing, damning and sexy. It’s a great addition to this series and adds another layer to all the characters.

As soon as I heard that this was going to be Priests and Bea’s book I was super excited and intrigued. They are such different characters and before this book, we didn’t know too much about them. Priest is very closed off and we only get a few little things about him here and there. And Bea, we might have seen her grow up, but she was a side character for a lot of it. Dead Man Walking follows their journey. The ups and downs. The rough patches. And both of them going through a hell of a lot. At first, they don’t seem like a good pair, but as the novel goes on. It makes sense.

Photo by Tamas Munkacsi on Unsplash

Priest is a very interesting character. As soon as he was introduced in the series, he caught my eye. And as it went on I wanted to know more about him. Priest likes to kill. He does it and will do it again. And that makes him such a hard character to love. He has had a hard life and it’s turned him into someone that doesn’t feel and when he does it’s mostly angry. But because of all this, it makes him intriguing and I just wanted to keep on reading Dead Man Walking. The reader can see Priest come to not only understand himself, the man that he has become, but those around him too. Priest isn’t for everyone, and there are times where I had to pull myself back as well, but I still wanted to know more.

Bea was this fantastic mix of sweet and dark. I really enjoyed this side of a female character. We don’t often see it, especially in MC romances. But the reader can see a side of Bea that is dark and dangerous even. But then there is this sweet side that shines through. She is the sunshine in their group and I loved that. And as Dead Man Walking goes on and things intensify Bea grows and the reader can see her both stand-up for herself and for Priest.

The romance had its ups and downs for me. I think that there was so much chemistry between Bea and Priest that it jumped off the page. I liked seeing them become comfortable with one another and break those walls downs. Priest walls were built over many years and even being part of The Fallen Men didn’t break those. But Bea slowly but surely picked at them and broke it down little piece, by little piece. Like I said before I don’t read many dark romances, and their romance was not conventional. There were a few times that I have to pull myself out and just take a break. But I didn’t hate it either.

Photo by Valerie Elash on Unsplash

The plot for Dead Man Walking was so intriguing and interesting. Like the rest of the book, it was dark and dangerous and kept me hooked. It was so interesting and at first, I didn’t know what to think of it. But as the book went on everything fell into place and just made sense. Dead Man Walking was intense. There were so many moments that were fast-paced and kept ongoing. I have found that a lot in MC books and I think it’s a fantastic mark of it.

Giana Darling did such a fantastic job in Dead Man Walking. She had two very different characters and she was able to make them both interesting, intriguing and real. The MC world in books isn’t always. There is a fine like and this dabbled in the dark side.

Photo by Max Muselmann on Unsplash

Overall, I have a lot of feelings about Dead Man Walking by Giana Darling. This book isn’t for the faint-hearted. Well, none of this series is. But while the series started off somewhat light, as the books went on things got much darker. And Dead Man Walking is dark. Priest is not an easy protagonist to get along with. He isn’t someone that you can fall in love with immediately or at all really. But that made for such an interesting combination, with Bea. Dead Man Walking explores the notion of darkness and light, of good and bad. And the grey in between. If you like you dark and even sadistic romances, then this one is for you.

Have you read Dead Man Walking by Giana Darling yet? What did you think? Have you read any of The Fallen Men Books. You can check out my review of the first four books in the series as well as Inked in Lies for more.

Book Review: His Disinclined Bride by Jennie Goutet

Oct 31, 2020

His Disinclined Bride (Seasons of Change #7) by Jennie Goutet

Pages: 270
Publish date: October 28th 2020
Publisher: –
ASIN: B086RVTN5H
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

She agreed to marry on impulse; he agreed for money.

Kitty Stokes never imagined she’d be so weak as to sacrifice herself on the altar of family obligations, but when her brother impresses upon her that her only alternative to marriage with Phineas Hayworth is to play nursemaid to his own children, Kitty agrees against her better judgment. On her wedding day, the certainty she has made a grave error is only outweighed by the realization that it’s too late to back out now.

Phineas Hayworth refrained from setting eyes on his new bride before their wedding day. It was the price he forced himself to pay for being so mercenary as to contract a marriage with a wealthy merchant’s sister to save his estate from foreclosure. Her beauty, therefore, comes as a shock, as does her icy treatment, which he cannot but secretly feel he deserves. He swears an oath he will not approach her for an heir unless the invitation comes from her.

As Phineas sets out to repair the estate, dismiss lazy servants, and bring Kitty to Bath to present her to local Society, he finds his wife to be more enchanting than he could have hoped for, even in a love match. Kitty continues to hold him at arm’s length, although he suspects her feelings for him run just as deep. As Phineas’s love and desire for his wife grows, the oath he swore her begins to suffocate, and it soon becomes clear he must win her over completely or spend the rest of his life in a loveless marriage.

His Disinclined Bride:

I received an earc of His Disinclined Bride by Jennie Goutet for free in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I didn’t know what to expect going into His Disinclined Bride by Jennie Goutet. I hadn’t heard about it before, I hadn’t heard about the author before. But when I checked out the synopsis, it caught my eye right away. It sounded intriguing, and I’m always up for new historical romances.

His Disinclined Bride follows Kitty Stokes as she is about to marry the man that her brother has arranged. She never thought that this would happen, but she takes it in her stride. But she has never met the man that she is about to marry and doesn’t until they are at the altar. Phineas Hayworth didn’t expect to be taken aback by his new wife beauty, but when he sees her on their wedding he is blown away. Now married Kitty and Phineas need to not only get to know one another but find a balance in their new lives. Nothing ever comes easy, and the more time that they spend together, the more they get to know one another.

Photo by Danny Gallegos on Unsplash

Kitty was such a pleasure of a character. She was engaging, smart and loving. As His Disinclined Bride went on the reader can see Kitty not only find herself but those around her. I thought that her characterisation was fantastic and well thought out. At first, we can see her anger and hesitation. But as she gets to know Phineas more and the life that they build together, she finds herself. I adore her caring nature, it was so nice to see and she melted my heart so many times. I do wish that she stood up for herself a little more especially regarding Phineas’ parents, there were hints of this. But I wanted more.

Phineas was an interesting protagonist. It did take me a little while to warm up to him, but as Kitty can break down his walls, it was easier to know him. It took him a little while to warm up to Kitty as while and their new life, but once that happens everything seems to flow so much better. I liked seeing him grow throughout the novel. At the start, he is very closed off and holds back, but as the novel goes on he starts to let go. And when he does that, he becomes a better person.

The romance in His Disinclined Bride had a tiny rough start to me. The reader can see that they both find each other attractive, but they don’t connect right away. They come from different lives and with that, they see things differently. But I adored that Phineas didn’t push Kitty for anything. That was one of my favourite things about the book. It made me so happy and excited. They had a lot of ups and downs, they fought, but they also didn’t know what to do with each other at times. However, when they let go, they came together and it was great.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Overall I enjoyed reading His Disinclined Bride by Jennie Goutet. It was intriguing and the romance and the characters were fantastic. I had such a good time exploring Kitty and Phineas and watch them not only fall in love but create a family. It was an engaging historical romance that didn’t disappoint. It’s also a great one to start with as it’s easy to read and follow. If you want a fresh new historical romance this is a great place to start.

About the Author

Jennie Goutet is an American-born Anglophile, who lives with her French husband and their three children in a small town outside Paris. Her imagination resides in Regency England, where her historical romances are set. Jennie is also the author of the award-winning memoir, Stars Upside Down, and the modern romances, A Sweetheart in Paris and A Noble Affair. A Christian, a cook, and an inveterate klutz, Jennie writes about faith, food, and life—even the clumsy moments—on her blog, aladyinfrance.com. You can learn more about Jennie and her books on her author website, jenniegoutet.com.

The Duchess and the Beast | Historical Romance Reviews

Oct 25, 2020

Today I thought I would share my thoughts on some of my recent historical romance reads with some mini-reviews. I’ve been loving reading more historical romance this year and I’ve picked up some pretty amazing ones recently.

In this post, I’m sharing my thoughts on The Duchess Deal (Girl Meets Duke #1) by Tessa Dare and Brazen and the Beast (The Bareknuckle Bastards #2) by Sarah MacLean. Let’s Go.

The Duchess Deal (Girl Meets Duke #1) by Tessa Dare

Pages: 370
Publish date: August 22nd 2017
Publisher: Avon
ISBN: 9780062349064
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

When girl meets Duke, their marriage breaks all the rules…

Since his return from war, the Duke of Ashbury’s to-do list has been short and anything but sweet: brooding, glowering, menacing London ne’er-do-wells by night. Now there’s a new item on the list. He needs an heir—which means he needs a wife. When Emma Gladstone, a vicar’s daughter turned seamstress, appears in his library wearing a wedding gown, he decides on the spot that she’ll do.

His terms are simple:
– They will be husband and wife by night only.
– No lights, no kissing.
– No questions about his battle scars.
– Last, and most importantly… Once she’s pregnant with his heir, they need never share a bed again.

But Emma is no pushover. She has a few rules of her own:
– They will have dinner together every evening.
– With conversation.
– And unlimited teasing.
– Last, and most importantly… Once she’s seen the man beneath the scars, he can’t stop her from falling in love…

The Duchess Deal:

This is the second Tessa Dare book that I’ve picked up and let me tell you I loved this one so much more. This is the first book in her newest series and follows Emma Gladstone, a vicar’s daughter turned seamstress as the appears in the every elusive Duke of Ashbury’s library. Ash came back from the war, scarred. And since then he has kept to himself. But no he needs a wife, and one so happens to be in his house. While Ash has his rules that Emma needs to follow, Emma has rules of her own.

This was such a fantastic read, seriously. As soon as I started it I knew that I was going to love this one. The characters, the plot and the writing grabbed me from the get-go. I adored historical romances with the marriage of convenience trope. It just works so well and in The Duchess Deal, it worked perfectly.

Emma was such a pleasure of a female protagonist in The Duchess Deal. I liked her from the first moment. She knew what she wanted and nothing was going to get in her way. I loved her determination and will. It just made for such a great contrast against Ash and it just so much fun. Emma’s growth throughout the book was great and I really enjoyed seeing her grow.

Ash was a grumpy, pain in the butt, male protagonist and I loved him. Like I said the contact between Emma and Ash was great. The Duke is such an intriguing and pulling character. From the start the reader wants to know more about him and why he is the way he is.

The romance was exactly what I wanted and expected in The Duchess Deal. I adored that it was hate to love and marriage of convenience. It was fantastic. I adored that they were both able to break down each other’s walls and get to know one another so well. It was sweet and sexy and what I love about historical romances.

Overall, I ordered reading The Duchess Deal. Emma and Ash were perfect for one another and I adored seeing them fall for one another. Break down each other’s walls and slowly understand each other. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series, I already have them ready to go.

Brazen and the Beast (The Bareknuckle Bastards #2) by Sarah MacLean

Pages: 400
Publish date: July 30th 2019
Publisher: Avon
ISBN: 9780062691989
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

The Lady’s Plan

When Lady Henrietta Sedley declares her twenty-ninth year her own, she has plans to inherit her father’s business, to make her own fortune, and to live her own life. But first, she intends to experience a taste of the pleasure she’ll forgo as a confirmed spinster. Everything is going perfectly… until she discovers the most beautiful man she’s ever seen tied up in her carriage and threatening to ruin the Year of Hattie before it’s even begun.

The Bastard’s Proposal

When he wakes in a carriage at Hattie’s feet, Whit, a king of Covent Garden known to all the world as Beast, can’t help but wonder about the strange woman who frees him—especially when he discovers she’s headed for a night of pleasure… on his turf. He is more than happy to offer Hattie all she desires… for a price.

An Unexpected Passion

Soon, Hattie and Whit find themselves rivals in business and pleasure. She won’t give up her plans; he won’t give up his power… and neither of them sees that if they’re not careful, they’ll have no choice but to give up everything… including their hearts.

Brazen and the Beast:

I knew that after finishing the first book in this series I had to jump on the rest, and I loved this one so much. You can check out my review of Wicked and the Wallflower to see how much I loved that one. But Brazen and the Beast stands on its own.

This one follows, Lady Henrietta Sedley, as she plans to take on her twenty-ninth year as her own. And no one will stop her. She wants to take over her fathers business and live her own life. However, at first, she plans to go away with being a spinster. But things don’t always go as planned. Whit or Beast is about to ruin the Year of Hattie. But there is an unexpected passion between them. Now Hattie and Whit find themselves rivals in both business and pleasure.

Hattie was such a fun character. I loved that she was independent and rough around the edges. She was sassy and didn’t let anyone tell her what to do. And what got on Whit’s nerves and it was fantastic. As a woman, she was always looked over by her family, even though she is better than all of them. I adored that she was persistent and stood her ground.

I already loved Whit from the first book and it was fantastic getting to know him more in Brazen and the Beast. Like the rest of his family, he has been through a lot but that doesn’t stop him. He pushes himself, but he also closes himself off to others. However, as the novel goes on the reader can see Whit grow and not only understand himself but those around him.

The romance was fantastic in Brazen and the Beast. It was exactly what I wanted and expected. It was intense and full of ups and downs. But that is what made it fantastic. It was sexy, smart and intense. Whit and Hattie are both such strong-minded characters and when you throw them together things get very interesting. And I loved it.

Overall I adored Brazen and the Beast. It’s exactly what I expected from Sarah MacLean and just what I needed. It’s sassy and smart and full of a fantastic romance. I adored the banter and tension between Hattie and Whit. It was excellent to not only watch them fall for one another but get one each other’s nerves. I’m so excited to read the last book in this series.