Even though I really, really want to, I’m not usually one to blog, post or tweet each time I’m fortunate enough to receive a positive reader review. I respect social media etiquette, and try to keep a leash on my exuberance. However, I just had to share this latest one for A Noble Deception. A big thank you, Ysar, for your wonderful review, and a big thank you to all my readers who have written to let me know what you think of my book. You mean the world to me, each and every one of you!
As the illegitimate daughter of an earl, Moira thrives on her independence, content to make her own way rather than rely on anyone else. So when her dying father passes Kildrummond to a distant heir with the condition that Moira marry him, she’s anything but pleased. But refusing would put the land and people at risk, and the handsome Lachlan makes it clear that it would be a marriage in name only, so she does the only thing she can do. Accept and try not to fall in love in the process.
Judging Covers: As much as I love historical romances, most of the time I avoid them because of the covers. I just cannot bring myself to post a review alongside a cover of some simpering, possibly fainting woman whose clothes are falling off while some dude with pecs the size of Volkswagons fawns over her. So little Miss Mischievous on the cover of this one had my attention immediately.
The Verdict: I’m not sure why I’ve been picking up so many Highlander romances lately. It’s not like I’m sixteen years old and raiding my mom’s stash of bodice-rippers. But I find myself in search of the perfect historical romance, and this one came pretty close.
Moira is not your typical romance novel heroine. She’s the illegitimate daughter of a titled man, and as such she’s seen the judgement and derision that was directed toward her late mother. She knows she’s a constant reminder of the earl’s infidelity and that his wife barely tolerates her, and she doesn’t want to risk her independence or pride the way her mother did. But she’s also not the closet beauty one might expect. She’s pretty, but in some ways plain, and she’s too thin — at least according to nearly every man, including Lachlan. Where most books like this simply put Barbie in plaid and have every man in sight falling over himself for her attention, Moira is just another girl, perhaps even too old (by historical standards) to be considered for a wife.
Lachlan was also not what I expected. He wasn’t thrilled to be roped into a marriage he didn’t want, but he wasn’t a complete jerk about it. He instead came up with a very feasible plan to simply have a marriage in name only, have it annulled when the time came, and make sure Moira was guaranteed a home there for as long as she wanted.
But of course, the more time they spent together in their charade, the more they came to like each other, and that’s where the story bucked another standard. They actually had the marriage annulled and went their separate ways. What?!?! Fortunately, the happy ending was around the corner, and we eventually got there with the best response to a marriage proposal EVER… But through it all, A Noble Deception proved to be anything but just another historical romance. It’s fun, with characters you can’t help but love, none of the usual cliche dangers, and just the right amount of romance. The only thing I didn’t like was that there weren’t ten more chapters for me to dive into.
Read the original review on Amazon
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