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Showing posts with label Author: Sarah MacLean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Author: Sarah MacLean. Show all posts

Thursday, 18 July 2013

Series Spotlight: Love by Numbers by Sarah MacLean


Series Spotlight is a new weekly feature here on Once Upon a Series, where I will be highlighting a series that I would either like to read if I get a chance to, or would like to finish reading at some point. Hopefully it will give you all some ideas for other series to read... or if you've read something similar that you think other fans of the series featured would like, then please do mention it in the comments.

The series I will be featuring today is the Love by Numbers series by Sarah Maclean. I have read and reviewed the first book, Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, which is an amazingly fun historical romance! Now I want to try and get the rest of the series finished up.


1. Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
A lady does not smoke cheroot. She does not ride astride. She does not fence or attend duels. She does not fire a pistol, and she never gambles at a gentlemen's club.

Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried — and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she’s vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she’s been missing.

But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss — to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston — charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile.

If she's not careful, she'll break the most important rule of all — the one that says that pleasure seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love...

2. Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord
Since being named on of London’s “Lords to Land” by a popular ladies’ magazine, Nicholas St. John has been relentlessly pursued by every matrimony-minded female in the ton. So when an opportunity to escape fashionable society presents itself, he eagerly jumps—only to land in the path of the most determined, damnably delicious woman he’s ever met!

The daughter of a titled wastrel, Lady Isabel Townsend has too many secrets and too little money. Though used to taking care of herself quite handily, her father’s recent passing has left Isabel at sea and in need of outside help to protect her young brother’s birthright. The sinfully handsome, eminently eligible Lord Nicholas could be the very salvation she seeks.

But the lady must be wary and not do anything reckless…like falling madly, passionately in love.

3. Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart
She lives for passion.

Bold, impulsive, and a magnet for trouble, Juliana Fiori is no simpering English miss. She refuses to play by society's rules: she speaks her mind, cares nothing for the approval of the ton, and can throw a punch with remarkable accuracy. Her scandalous nature makes her a favorite subject of London's most practiced gossips . . . and precisely the kind of woman The Duke of Leighton wants far far away from him.

He swears by reputation.
Scandal is the last thing Simon Pearson has room for in his well-ordered world. The Duke of Disdain is too focused on keeping his title untainted and his secrets unknown. But when he discovers Juliana hiding in his carriage late one evening—risking everything he holds dear—he swears to teach the reckless beauty a lesson in propriety. She has other plans, however; she wants two weeks to prove that even an unflappable duke is not above passion.

Tuesday, 4 June 2013

Review: One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean (Rules of Scoundrels #2)

Publisher - Piatkus
Publication Date - 29th January 2013
Paperback - 384 pages
Genre - Historical Romance

Source - Received from publisher for review

Rating - 4.5 out of 5: I really liked it

Reviewed by - Chrissie

Book Info - Lady Philippa Marbury is odd. The bespectacled, brilliant daughter of a marquess cares more for books than balls, flora than fashion and science than the season. About to become engaged to Lord Castleton, before she marries she wants to explore the scandalous parts of London she's never seen. And she knows just who to ask: the tall, charming, quick-witted bookkeeper of the Fallen Angel. London's most notorious and coveted gaming hell, known only as Cross.

Pippa's done her research and Cross's reputation makes him perfect for her scheme. She wants science without emotion - the experience of ruination without the repercussions. Who better to provide her with the experience than this legendary man? And when this unusual female propositions Cross, it's more than tempting... and it will take everything he has to resist following his instincts - and giving the lady precisely what she wants.

My Thoughts - This is the second book that I have read by Sarah MacLean. A while ago I read Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, the first book in her other series, and I absolutely loved it. But I think that I may actually have loved this one even more. I will certainly be getting my hands on more of MacLean's work some time in the very near future.

I loved reading about Cross and pretty much fell in love with him from page one. He has an interesting back story that kept me turning the pages as I wanted to find out so much more about him and, despite the fact that he runs a gaming hell and thinks of himself as a scoundrel, he's got a protective streak a mile wide and will do anything to protect the honour of the women around him. The only thing I found slightly frustrating about him was how he always believed he knew what was best for the women closest to him (his sister and Pippa) despite not discussing with them what they wanted or needed from the situation. But then, hey, he is a man :P

Pippa is possibly one of my favourite female characters ever! She is incredibly smart and always says exactly what she is thinking, leading to some embarrassing moments where I couldn't help but laugh out loud no matter where I was or who else was around. Some of the things she comes out with were shocking for a woman living in her time, yet she says them with an innocence that just makes her so endearing. Although, for me, Pippa doesn't start to really come into her own until she starts falling in love with Cross. Before this, Pippa lacks emotion as she sees everything as a scientist. But once she realises that things that can't be scientifically proven (eg. emotions) do exist, she becomes a much more loveable and three-dimensional character.

The romance between Cross and Pippa is sweet, hot and completely believable. Despite all the obstacles that stand in their way it is instantly obvious to the reader that these two belong together. He loves her for exactly who she is, for all of her oddities and lack of social graces. And she is the woman who allows him to feel again after everything that he has been through in the last six years. And the chemistry between them just sizzles off the page. I honestly could not put this book down as I just had to find out how everything would work out for these two characters.

Summary - A perfect historical romance, with loveable characters, sizzling chemistry and a great plot. I can't wait to get my hands on more books by this author... she is fast becoming one of my favourites.

Other books in this series:
1. A Rogue by Any Other Name
2. One Good Earl Deserves a Lover
3. No Good Duke Goes Unpunished (released November 2013)

Thursday, 12 April 2012

Review: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean (Love by Numbers #1)

Publisher - Piatkus Entice
Publication Date - 14th February 2012
Genre -  Historical Romance

Source - Received from publisher for review

Rating - 4 out of 5: I really liked it

Reviewed by - Chrissie

Book Info - "A lady does not smoke cheroot. She does not ride astride. She does not fence or attend duels. She does not fire a pistol, and she never gambles at a gentlemen's club."

Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried - and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she's vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she's been missing. But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss - to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St John, the Marquess of Ralston - charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile. If she's not careful, she'll break the most important rule of all - the one that says that pleasure-seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love...

Review - I am very new to the world of historical romance (this is only my second book from the genre) but Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake is such a fun and entertaining read that I can't wait to read more from this series, and the genre as a whole.

I absolutely loved the descriptions of the fashions and customs of the times. It was all just so elegant, with all the dances and traditions that seem to surround everything that happens, and it made me want to travel back in time to the 19th Century.

And the characters were so much fun! Callie, a wallflower who believes she is now too old to find herself a husband and will spend the rest of her life 'on the shelf', decides that she will now no longer be restrained by society's rules. She writes a list of nine things that she would like to do, all of which would thoroughly ruin her reputation. I loved this sense of adventure that she shows, and the courage that it must have taken for a young woman to do these things at that time. And to add the icing on the cake, Callie does not take any nonsense from Gabriel St. John. She tells him exactly what she thinks, often leading to some hilarious exchanges between the two of them. The only thing that did irritate me slightly about Callie is that she sometimes has the tendency to look down on others, but this wasn't really enough to make me dislike her.

And as for Gabriel *sigh*, he is a character that I fell in love with instantly. He is a complete womaniser, but at the same time he is so charming it is easy to forgive him for this. But he is trying to mend his ways as a sister unexpectedly arrives on the scene who he has to introduce to proper society. He knows that his own bad reputation could reflect badly on his sister so he decides to take a break from his womanising ways. However, then Callie arrives on the scene with her list and he gets drawn into her little adventures, risking both of their reputations and once again providing some very funny moments. He often becomes frustrated with her and her list, leading to much bickering and then much *ahem* making up!

The romance between Callie and Gabriel is steaming and I loved reading about the two of them together. They really complement each other well and I enjoyed the bickering between the pair of them just as much as the intimate moments. The ending is a perfect happy ending, although there were probably one too many diversions on their route to happiness for my liking.

Summary - Overall, I absolutely loved Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake. It was just so much fun and I couldn't get enough of the humour, the loveable characters, and the descriptions of people, places and customs. I can't wait to read more from this author in the future.

Other books in the series:
1. Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
2. Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord
3. Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart

Other reviews of this book:
Alexa Loves Books / Book Whore Blog / Under the Covers

This book counts towards the following challenges:
Book #23 for 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge
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