Historical Romance Round-Up Part 2 (Published January-June 2017) -

A Counterfeit Heart by K.C. Bateman
4.5 stars






Richard has been searching for an infamous French forger for years, until Sabine turns up at his home late one night and claims to be the very forger he has been chasing.  After coming to terms with the fact that the Frenchman is actually a beautiful woman, Richard decides to use her for his own purposes.  This has everything that I want in a historical romance; a strong and intelligent heroine, feisty dialogue and great chemistry.   I read this one without reading the prior books in the series but will now go back and read those as well.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 




Lord of Pleasure by Erica Ridley
4 stars








Michael is know as the lord of pleasure.  His caricature is constantly in the papers with his supposed scandalous exploits and his friend mercilessly tease him for his rakish reputation.  Camellia is the oldest of three sisters and has done whatever she can to protect her good reputation.  An arranged marriage to an older man has her throwing away her scruples and attending masquerades where she meets the dashing Lord X and starts an intense romance.  The plot is fantastic and the characters are incredibly interesting.  The chemistry between the two characters is somewhat hit or miss depending on whether they are anonymous at the masquerade or bickering in real life which affects the overall romance a little.  Overall, though, I have liked both books in this series and look forward to future books.  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 























Wed to a Spy by Sharon Cullen
4 stars






Sharon Cullen is becoming a very dependable source of historical romance for me.  I have yet to be disappointed with one of books and this is no exception.  Taking place during Tudor times in the Scottish court of Queen Mary, two people sent to spy on the queen are forced to wed even though it doesn't at all fit into their plans.  Also, their is a plot in the works to assassinate Queen Mary's key advisor and throw the court into chaos.  What I love most about this author's work, is that she develops interesting plots alongside the romance, which makes it a joy to read.  She does tend to write shorter books, and in this case the story may have benefited from more, but overall this is another great start to a series.  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.