Audiobook Review: Unclaimed by Courtney Milan

Author: Courtney Milan

Narrator: Polly Lee

Title: Unclaimed

(Turner #2)

Genre: Historical Romance

Format: Audiobook

Published: September 20th 2011

Where I got It: Audible 

Summary: 

Her only hope for survival...

Handsome, wealthy and respected, Sir Mark Turner is the most sought-after bachelor in all of London and he's known far and wide for his irreproachable character. But behind his virtuous reputation lies a passionate nature he keeps carefully in check...until he meets the beautiful Jessica Farleigh, the woman he's waited for all his life.

Is to ruin the man she loves...

But Jessica is a courtesan, not the genteel lady Sir Mark believes. Desperate to be free of a life she despises, she seizes her chance when Mark's enemies make her an offer she can't refuse--seduce Mark and tarnish his good name, and a princely sum will be hers. Yet as she comes to know the man she's sworn to destroy, Jessica will be forced to choose between the future she needs and the love she knows is impossible.

Review:

I adore the author, liked book 1, AND this fits a reading challenge....so of course, I had to download it. 

I would recommend reading book 1 first. There are a lot of backstory for the brothers there. 

Here we follow Jessica and Mark. Sir Mark Turner is the most sought-after bachelor in London. He is known far and wide for his irreproachable character and for the book about how men should stay virtuous. He comes across Jessica and he can't stop thinking about her. He has been waiting for her all his life. However, Jessica is a courtesan, not the genteel lady Sir Marks believes she is. She is desperate to be free of that life and live in peace, however, she has to seduce Mark and tarnish his good name before she gets the money that will give her what she wants. Love, of course, makes her job that much harder. 

Mark is a good egg and deserves the best. Jessica also deserves all the love and happiness. Poor thing was tossed on the streets and has been just surviving for so long. And the big reveal about what her last "protector" did to her???? Ooo I was seeing red! She is a darling and didn't deserve the life she was forced into. I was mad at her a couple of times, but I understood where she was coming from. 

That ending was good. I'm glad Jessica got to do what she got to do (no spoilers from me). I think it was perfect and it was therapeutic and the only real way she can move forward into her new life with Mark and society. 

The only issue I had was that one of the resolutions with Jessica's family...seemed too easy. The dad really needed to be punished or something. SMH. 

I had no idea how everything was going to be fixed. This relationship seemed impossible, but Mark and his family are clever so I knew it would be fixed. 

The narrator was great. Perfect voices. I didn't recognize the voice, but I hope she narrates book 3!

In the end, this was a lot of fun. I really adored this couple. They deserved the best life has to offer them. They had some rough childhoods. I think I liked this better than book 1. The romance was pretty impossible, but the family was able to make it work. I do think how they resolved one issue was resolved TOO easily. Other than that....I adored this story. Great characters, great narrator, and a romance I kept rooting for. I'll give this 4 stars. 

Challenge(s):
- #20 for Audiobook challenge

- #14 for Romance Reading Challenge - Yellow dress

Book Review: The Duke Who Didn't by Courtney Milan

Author: Courtney Milan

Title: The Duke Who Didn't

(Wedgeford Trials #1)

Genre: Historical Romance

Format: ebook

Pages: 311 

Published: September 22nd 2020

Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

Miss Chloe Fong has plans for her life, lists for her days, and absolutely no time for nonsense. Three years ago, she told her childhood sweetheart that he could talk to her once he planned to be serious. He disappeared that very night.

Except now he’s back. Jeremy Wentworth, the Duke of Lansing, has returned to the tiny village he once visited with the hope of wooing Chloe. In his defense, it took him years of attempting to be serious to realize that the endeavor was incompatible with his personality.

All he has to do is convince Chloe to make room for a mischievous trickster in her life, then disclose that in all the years they’ve known each other, he’s failed to mention his real name, his title… and the minor fact that he owns her entire village.

Only one thing can go wrong: Everything.

Review:

For sure a random find at the library. I adore this author so I was excited to read this one! 

The story follows Jeremy and Chloe. Chloe has plans. She makes lists and has no time for nonsense. Three years ago she told her childhood sweetheart to come back when he was ready to be serious. Well. He disappeared that very night. Now he's back and wants to woo Chloe back. He took three years to get to a spot when he was ready for a wife and be serious about his life. Now...Jeremy has to convince Chloe to make room for him and disclose the fact that he is a Duke. 

This was for sure different in a lot of ways. What made this really fresh and different is that fact that Jeremy was never supposed to be a Duke. He and his dad had been SO far down the line of those who would inherit, so no one cared that his dad married a Chinese woman. After a lot of tragic deaths, Jeremy was given the Dukedom. Eeek. A half-Chinese Duke? I'm sure the ton had a field day with that. Poor Jeremy. But he is sooo sweet even with the haters. 

Chloe is the daughter of a Chinese immigrant, but she is has the stiff upper lip to make any Englishmen proud. She is all seriousness and has a plan and a list. Jeremy needs a serious wife like her. 

I enjoyed this. The ending made me chuckle. I had a feeling especially after a certain scene. Ooooo you silly boy Jeremy. He is a knuckle-head that is for sure. 

Awww I loved this little village. I hope we get more stories here. Everyone was fun. 

This was overall very sweet. It was a little....repetitive and it took eons for ANYTHING to happen. It got old and I found myself skimming here and there. I would've loved for some of this to be trimmed down or speed up and we could've seen the wedding or so forth. I would've loveeeed to see the epilogue expanded upon. Revenge is so sweet ;) Go Chloe!

In the end, I did like it. Very sweet and I loved our couple and the village. I wish more had happened. I'll give this 3 stars. 

Challenge(s):

- #10 for Romance Bingo - Duke in title. 

Audiobook Review: Hold Me by Courtney Milan

Author: Courtney Milan 
Narrator: Xe Sands, Sean Crisden
Title: Hold Me
(Cyclone #2)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: Audiobook
Published: October 25th 2016
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)



Jay na Thalang is a demanding, driven genius. He doesn’t know how to stop or even slow down. The instant he lays eyes on Maria Lopez, he knows that she is a sexy distraction he can’t afford. He’s done his best to keep her at arm’s length, and he’s succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.

Maria has always been cautious. Now that her once-tiny, apocalypse-centered blog is hitting the mainstream, she’s even more careful about preserving her online anonymity. She hasn’t sent so much as a picture to the commenter she’s interacted with for eighteen months—not even after emails, hour-long chats, and a friendship that is slowly turning into more. Maybe one day, they’ll meet and see what happens.

But unbeknownst to them both, Jay is Maria’s commenter. They’ve already met. They already hate each other. And two determined enemies are about to discover that they’ve been secretly falling in love…

I listened to the first one a while back. I was little unsure about this one since it is taking a break of the two main characters to focus on the roommate Maria and Jay. Not that that is a bad thing...but I really want more of the other two. It was fun seeing them through other people's eyes though.

So, Jay is a demanding genius. Aka a big smart asshole. Maria is a beautiful woman who is also really smart, but there is a huge secret of hers. They meet and hate each other right away, because Jay is an ass. He assumes Maria is like his ex and only cares for her beauty and is a basic chick. Selfie, Starbucks, heels, the works. Little do they know they already love each other! Maria is secretly "M" who is a popular Science Blogger. Jay is "M"'s number 1 fan and they have been chatting for a couple of years and are falling for each other. Oh boy. 

This was fun. I loved seeing the characters hate each other and then bitch about it to someone else, but they are actually bitching about that person. It was fun. It was a mess and I loved it. I really loved when they found out. AWKWARD! "Oh hey - yea....the asshole was you I was talking about. HA." Lots of hurt feelings and lots of baggage between these two. Jay has a million reasons why he is an ass. Maria has a million reasons why she is not trusting and is cautious. Poor her and poor him. 

I was pleasantly surprised when we find out that Maria is a transexual. She had made the switch years past and she is happy. Kind of a spoiler, but not really. I was also so happy that Jay didn't care. It didn't even phase him since he is bi and he just wants Maria. It was sweet. He didn't pry and ask embarrassing questions that a lot of people as the trans community. Is it your business? If they wanna tell you they will. 

I didn't really have any issues with the story. I wanted to smack both of them especially Jay. He frustrated me soooooooooooo much, but he is a Sheldon and isn't the best with realizing he was wrong and that he's an ass. But he does figure it out...slowly. It worked though for him. And kuddos for this not being insta-love. They had a lot to work out. 

The narrators did awesome. They made me more hooked to these characters and their voices were perfect.

Overall, I really did love this story. The characters were dynamic and complex and amazing. Lots of issues. Lots of hurt feelings. Lots to work through. I do miss our main characters so I am excited about the next book. Buuuuuut this was a nice side story to see Maria find love. I'll stamp this with 5 stars. 

LGBTQ

TMST: Favorite Authors

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post on Rainy Day Ramblings where Rainy discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog.

  

Who are some of your favorite authors?

I have sooo many different authors I adore. I'll just name a few just to save space and time!

Jane Austen

Kate Quinn

Tricia O'Malley

J.R.R. Tolkien

Lauren Willig

Edgar Allan Poe

Sandra Schwab

Haruki Murakami

Cecy Robson

Courtney Milan

Hannah Fielding

Audiobook Review: Trade Me by Courtney Milan

Author: Courtney Milan
Narrator: Xe Sands & Sean Crisden
Title: Trade Me
(Cyclone #1)
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction
Pages: Audiobook
Published: January 19th 2015 
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)



Tina Chen just wants a degree and a job, so her parents never have to worry about making rent again. She has no time for Blake Reynolds, the sexy billionaire who stands to inherit Cyclone Technology. But when he makes an off-hand comment about what it means to be poor, she loses her cool and tells him he couldn’t last a month living her life.

To her shock, Blake offers her a trade: She’ll get his income, his house, his car. In exchange, he’ll work her hours and send money home to her family. No expectations; no future obligations.

But before long, they’re trading not just lives, but secrets, kisses, and heated nights together. No expectations might break Tina’s heart...but Blake’s secrets could ruin her life.

I've enjoyed other books by this author so this was a no-brainer. Plus I would love the concept of this story. 

Tina is striving to get her degree and find a good job so she can take care of her parents and sister. Blake is trying to get a degree too so he has something of his own. He is a billionaire who is going to be inheriting his father's company some day. Things happen and Tina opens his eyes and inspire him to offer her a trade. Tina gets his income, house, car, and part of his duties. Blake will get a job like Tina's, her hours, budget, and her obligations. Things happen and they fall for each other, but they are both broken and terrified. 

The author really knows how to write a people story. They talk, they share, they grow, they feel, and they love. It is really sweet, but it wasn't all rainbows and kittens. I think what I really loved was that these two characters are sooo flawed even pretty boy billionaire. Even their families are flawed which added to the story as well. 

I really liked Blake. I didn't think I was going to, but he was much more complex than I was expecting. His big "problem" really made me like him more. It was sad, but it really made him more human. 

Now, I did feel for Tina. She has the poor girl and poor family thing going on. She is pretty much the adult for her family. She also had a crappy ex who made her doubt herself. However, I did get really annoyed with her. Her constant "not safe" mentality killed me. Love is always risky and he OBVIOUSLY loves you and he has money. And you love him! Sighs. C'mon woman!

The ending was too easy. SMH. Hopefully, it really isn't AS easy as the author is making us think. There are other books in the series...soooo who knows? But some of the issues seemed to be too quickly resolved. Mmm

Now, I really liked the narrators. They had one for Tina and one for Blake. They both did a good job with their characters. The accent they gave Tina's parents seemed a little off though. 

Overall, I did like this story. The next book isn't about Tina and Blake, but I am curious about it. I think Tina and Blake come back in book 3? I do want to check out book 2 though. Some issues I had, but I liked this overall. I'll stamp this with 3 stars. 

One line done for Billionaire!

Audiobook Review: Unveiled by Courtney Milan

Author: Courtney Milan 
Narrator: Rebecca De Leeuw
Title: Unveiled (Turner #1)
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: Audiobook
Published:  January 25th 2011
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)



Ash Turner has waited a lifetime to seek revenge on the man who ruined his family - and now the time for justice has arrived. At Parford Manor, he intends to take his place as the rightful heir to the dukedom and settle an old score with the current duke once and for all. But instead he finds himself drawn to a tempting beauty who has the power to undo all his dreams of vengeance….

Lady Margaret knows she should despise the man who's stolen her fortune and her father's legacy - the man she's been ordered to spy on in the guise of a nurse. Yet the more she learns about the new duke, the less she can resist his smoldering appeal. Soon Margaret and Ash find themselves torn between old loyalties - and the tantalizing promise of passion….

I feel soooo late to the Courtney Milan train. So many people I know like her books and here I am just now catching on to how good she is. Sighs. 

But yes, another series I am tackling. This one starts with Ash Turner who is stealing the dukedom from his nemesis. Lady Margaret, the daughter of the evil duke, is acting a spy in the guise of a nurse for her ailing father. She should hate Ash, but she comes to realize Ash is a better person than her brothers and father. However...shouldn't family come first? 

This started off super meh for me. I wanted to quit. I'm not sure why but I was not feeling Ash and Margaret. I liked them both....don't get me wrong....but I just had the damndest time getting into the story. Not the narrator's fault. She was good (not as good as the last one. Sighs I miss her). However, I stuck to my guns and stayed aboard.

And it turned around. It really did. I would say about 30% through. I'm glad I stuck it out. I wanted to bash Margaret's knee. Dumb girl. I get you to want to be loyal to your family and etc, but they are bad people. They do not have the same loyalty to you as you do to them. I could see that a mile away. Poor girl. Such a rug to be walked on. Thank goodness Ash never gave up on her. He loved her from the start. 

Ash was amazing. Yes, he is stealing the dukedom away from a heartless man, BUT he is not heartless. He is willing to compromise and give some mini aid to the heartless sons of the bastard. What a good man. And what he does at the end made me want to swoon! Oooo Ash. You are a good one. 

I'm glad Margaret gets a backbone. It takes pretty much the whole novel...but I am glad. Poor girl. 

Overall, I did end up liking this even though the beginning had me nearly give up. I held onto the train and it ended up with me really liking this. I am curious about the next book. I'll give this 3 stars. 

Audiobook Review: Talk Sweetly to Me by Courtney Milan

Author: Courtney Milan
Narrator: Rosalyn Landor
Title: Talk Sweetly to Me (Brothers Sinister #4.5)
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: Audiobook
Published:  August 18th 2014
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)


Nobody knows who Miss Rose Sweetly is, and she prefers it that way. She's a shy, mathematically-minded shopkeeper's daughter who dreams of the stars. Women like her only ever come to attention through scandal. She'll take obscurity, thank you very much.

All of England knows who Stephen Shaughnessy is. He's an infamous advice columnist and a known rake. When he moves into the house next door to Rose, she discovers that he's also wickedly funny, devilishly flirtatious, and heart-stoppingly handsome. But when he takes an interest in her mathematical work, she realizes that Mr. Shaughnessy isn't just a scandal waiting to happen. He's waiting to happen to her...and if she's not careful, she'll give in to certain ruination.

Oh no! The final book of the series has arrived. Technically it is only a novella/short story, but it is still part of the series and counts. Hehe. But yes, I am sad that this series is now over. This was a good series! Makes me want to read more by the author. I am worried they will not be as good as this series. 

The story follows Rose and Stephen. Both are SOOO different, yet SOOOO similar. Rose is a shy, but smart girl. She is also black (or part black? I’m blanking) but she is not treated the nicest. Stephen is a writer for an all women's newspaper. He is also an Irish Catholic…soooo he isn’t treated the nicest. It also doesn’t help he is a rake. The two meet and they fall in love. But this isn’t an easy love for many reasons. 

This was a very sweet one with two lovable characters. I liked Stephen in the last book. He was a hoot. He is quick with a joke and he doesn’t let things get under his skin. Carefree. He even jokes about this fact. No hidden depths of sorrow or tragedies. I wish I could be like him! He knows life sucks, but he doesn’t let it hold him down. 

This was very sweet and short. I do wish that we were able to explore more of the aftermaths of their marriage at the end there. He had a bad reputation for being a rake and she is a woman of color…I would like to see what happened. Sure you can imagine, but I feel like it would’ve made the story better to get a couple of chapters that go over events AFTER the marriage. They have a lot to overcome for sure especially when they have kids. 
The narrator was the same as in the previous of the series and she was just as good as previously. 

In the end, I enjoyed it. Very sweet and short. I wish we had a couple of chapters after the two got married, but I still enjoyed this. I will stamp this with 4 stars.   

Audiobook Review: The Suffragette Scandal by Courtney Milan

Author: Courtney Milan
Narrator: Rosalyn Landor
Title: The Suffragette Scandal (Brothers Sinister #4)
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: Audiobook
Published: July 14th 2014
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)

An idealistic suffragette...

Miss Frederica "Free" Marshall has put her heart and soul into her newspaper, known for its outspoken support of women's rights. Naturally, her enemies are intent on destroying her business and silencing her for good. Free refuses to be at the end of her rope... but she needs more rope, and she needs it now.

...a jaded scoundrel...

Edward Clark's aristocratic family abandoned him to die in a war-torn land, so he survived the only way he could: by becoming a rogue and a first-class forger. When the same family that left him for dead vows to ruin Miss Marshall, he offers his help. So what if he has to lie to her? She's only a pawn to use in his revenge.

...and a scandal seven years in the making.

But the irrepressible Miss Marshall soon enchants Edward. By the time he realizes that his cynical heart is hers, it's too late. The only way to thwart her enemies is to reveal his scandalous past... and once the woman he loves realizes how much he's lied to her, he'll lose her forever.

I really wanted Free to have her HEA so when I have seen this on the list I was soooo excited. I was so happy that this was available as a freebie in my Romance package on Audible. :D 

The story follows Free and Edward. Free is the daughter of  Hugo Marshall and the half-sister of Oliver (both characters from previous novels). She is an outspoken, strong, woman who wants all women (rich and poor) to be able to vote. She attends protests and owns her own newspaper. I love how supportive her family is with this. Then there is Edward. Oooo Eddie. He was abandoned by his crappy family and so he did what he had to survive the war. He became a rogue and forger. His vow was to never return to his family and he let everyone believe he was dead. Don't blame him. However, he does come back to visit friends and start a little bit of revenge on his terrible brother. Free and Edward are drawn together to help in the revenge and to save her newspaper. 

I loved both characters. Free is a woman of my own heart. She wants equality for all and she wants to be heard. Edward is the perfect hero. He is a little broken, but he is a good man overall. Sure he has done some bad things, but he is a good man. He starts off by helping Free for the name of revenge, but in the end, he realizes Free is an amazing woman. I loved seeing them start with a touch of lust but end up falling in love. 

Honestly, my favorite scene was between Free and the Duke of Clermont (her brother's half-brother). It was really sweet. 


This book was sweet but then there were times it was not so sweet and I liked that. It did reflect the reality of the times. The author really knows how to blend the lovey-dovey, but remind us that the time period was not perfect. Women were not equals, but there were some women who tried. Bravo.

Should I even comment on the narrator??? The narrator was amazing as usual. Once this series is over, I really should keep an eye out on other books she reads. SOOOOO good. 
Overall, I loved this book. It had the sweet. It had the dark. It had Free and Edward. Just overall awesome. The narrator, like normal, made this even better. I highly recommend this, but I would read the others since there are a lot of return characters and certain moments that are shared that you will only understand if you read the others. I’ll give this 5 stars. 

Audiobook Review: The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan

Author: Courtney Milan
Narrator: Rosalyn Landor
Title: The Countess Conspiracy
(Brothers Sinister #3)
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: Audiobook
Published: December 16th 2013
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)

Sebastian Malheur is the most dangerous sort of rake: an educated one. When he’s not scandalizing ladies in the bedchamber, he’s outraging proper society with his scientific theories. He’s desired, reviled, acclaimed, and despised—and he laughs through it all.

Violet Waterfield, the widowed Countess of Cambury, on the other hand, is entirely respectable, and she’d like to stay that way. But Violet has a secret that is beyond ruinous, one that ties her irrevocably to England’s most infamous scoundrel: Sebastian’s theories aren’t his. They’re hers.

So when Sebastian threatens to dissolve their years-long conspiracy, she’ll do anything to save their partnership... even if it means opening her vulnerable heart to the rake who could destroy it for good. 

I was unsure about this one because I wasn't a huge fan of Sebastian in past novels. He seemed lacking. I had hoped he was deeper than he showed in the other stories. I was proven that my fears were unwarranted. The author would never deliver a 2D mess. 

Sebastian is a rake, but a smart rake. However...he is just the face of the science. Violet seems to be the respectable and poster child for proper society, but in reality, she is a brilliant scientist and a woman of great promise, but due to her sex and position, she cannot go public. Sebastian and Violet have both been living a lie and now Sebastian is done. He doesn't have the heart to go forward for many reasons. 

I loved this especially since it was commonplace. Men got all the credit and thanks to society women had to hide their talents and brains. It's all really tragic if you think about it. How many women have been lost in the folds of time? Tragic indeed. 

It took forever and a half for this couple to really come together. Violet had a dreadful hubbie and she feels she is damaged goods. I am so happy that Sebastian was so wonderful to her. He has loved her since he was a child, but it was never in the stars so he took what he could get and be her friend. It was lovely. Even after Violet's hubbie died, he realized she needed to find herself again and stayed a loyal and loving friend. He shows the world a carefee rake, but he really is a lovely person. 

I liked Violet...after a while. It took me a while to really warm-up to her. She had some major issues. Poor girl. 

After a certain event, I loved the mom. Oooo! That nasty sister of Violet's >_> made me angry. Everyone's true colors really came out at the end there! 

The ending was unrealistic but I liked it. It made me happy. Cannot say more without spoiling! I do think the author got a touch carried away there, BUT I it was sweet. 

The narrator, as usual, was good. Her voice is really growing on me. She certainly can bring the author's words to life. Lovely!

In the end, I liked this. I went in a little worried, but I was proven wrong. The story was good, the characters amazingly complex, and the narrator did wonderfully. Even with an unrealistic ending, I still ended this with a smile. I'll give this 4 stars.