Author: Judith Ivory
Publication date: December 8, 1999
Series: NA
Pages: 355
Genre: Historical, Romance
Synopsis: No man, gentleman or otherwise, has ever looked at Lady Edwina Bollash the way the brash, handsome man standing before her is doing now. Edwina has accepted the challenge to transform incorrigible Mick Tremore into a gentleman in just six weeks. And although the linguist is sure she can rise to the task, she isn’t at all certain she won’t swoon under his frankly sensuous gaze before her job is done.

Mick has lived outside of London society long enough to know that appearances can be deceiving. Edwina might look all buttoned up—the perfect English lady—but there is unleashed passion existing just below her placid facade (not to mention a great pair of legs!). And as she prepares him to take his place in society, Mick prepares Edwina to take her place in his heart…and in his bed.

Love Factor (How much I loved it):
Would I recommend it:
Would I read it again:

This book may contain explicit intimate scenes, so if you are not 18+ then I probably wouldn’t recommend it for younger readers.

My Opinion

First off, I am so glad that I was able get my hands on a physical copy of this book as it was that great. I loved everything – from the start to the ending. An it is definitely worth being in my physical book collection which is growing quite rapidly these days.

I really LOVED Mick. He was a brash / dirty talker, rat catcher who has penchant for long female legs, whom has a cockney accent so thick that he butchers the English language to where most people cant understand him except for Winnie. She finds his speech interesting and wants to study his linguistic skills and speech so therefore that is where the ‘proposition’ part comes in – she has 6 weeks to turn him in to a smooth talking polite proper gentleman that she can present to the society.

During the 6 weeks, Mick is taught how to act, behave, dress, and speak like a true gentleman of English society which was a fun ride. I loved how during Winnie’s dance lessons, Mick feigned on about not knowing how to dance so he could dance with her longer. I also loved how Winnie would become irritated with him when he’d twitch his mustache at her which results in her to asking him to get rid of it but Mick wont settle for just shaving it off, he barters for it an I loved that scene. Also another part that I loved, which he did throughout the book was mischievously wiggle his eyebrows at Winnie and tell her if she wants him to kiss her, all she has to do is just ask him – my gosh he was such a hoot!

About half way to three quarters through, Mick realizes he is in love with Winnie and has thoughts of marrying her, but what lady of her breeding would want to marry a man of his class? Near the end he realizes that he doesn’t care about where he stands in society, that he loves Winnie, and he believes he deserves a chance with her and asks her to be his wife.

I will say I was absolutely surprised with how the last part of the book went, I didn’t expect that at all. But lets just say everything turned out splendidly – Mick and Winnie having their HEA. A great amusing read that shouldn’t be missed by anyone if you love historical romances settled in the Victorian era (1890s) with a cheeky brash male character whom you will 100% completely fall in love with.

Author: Lorraine Heath
Publication date: June 1, 1997
Series: Texas Trilogy #1
Pages: 384
Genre: Historical, Romance
Synopsis: She was his brother’s wife…

Arriving on the Fort Worth train, Miss Amelia Carson, mail-order bride, had never met Dallas Leigh, the Texan she promised to marry. The tall cowboy at the station wasn’t Dallas. He was Houston, Dallas’s brother, sent to escort her on the rugged three-week trek to the ranch where Dallas waited. Brought up in war-ravaged Georgia, Amelia thought Dallas’s letters made Texas sound like heaven, a place for her dreams to grow with the right man beside her.

And his only love…

By all appearances, Houston Leigh would hardly be considered the “right man.” The war he survived had scarred him inside and out, and he was little competition for his handsome brother. But from the moment Houston met Amelia, he knew she possessed the courage this wild land needed. She had eyes that could see past his wounded face to his soul. And he would fight any man—except his brother—for her heart. Now he and Amelia were riding down dangerous trails, sleeping under the stars, and God help them, they were falling in love.

Love Factor (How much I loved it):
Would I recommend it:
Would I read it again:

This book may contain explicit intimate scenes, so if you are not 18+ then I probably wouldn’t recommend it for younger readers.

My Opinion

As I started this book, I had no idea that I would end up loving it as much as I did.

Houston is scarred on the outside as well on the inside due him being in the Civil War at 15 years old (he was force-ably joined at 12 by his father along with his brother) as a drummer. While in battle, he suffered a tremendous blow from shrapnel from a mortar blow that badly mounded his left side of his body resulting in him loosing his sight and hearing. Ever since he kept to himself, not opening to anyone until he meets Amelia – whom is his older brother’s Dallas’s hand and heart mail order bride. He meets her at the train station to take her back to his brothers ranch an along the way, Amelia gets Houston to open up when no one else could. He constantly struggles – as so does Amelia – with his feelings for Amelia as he believes he shouldn’t have them as she is promised to his brother and thinks Amelia deserves a hell lot better than what he (Houston) could ever offer her. But finally, in the end, he opens up to Amelia an admits his feelings for her, telling her that he needs her. Dallas could see their love for one another and grants Amelia an annulment so she is free to follow her heart.. An as you can assume everything is HEA afterwords.

I really loved an enjoyed Houston’s character and how him and Amelia interacted with each other. They were just suburb together. I loved when they played checkers and how she would flip the board over just to rile him,when he was attentive to her after she got bitten by a snake, their game of truth or dare, and when he told her numerous times that “you’re aggravating, you know that?”.

All in all, it was a sweet read that I enjoyed thoroughly and look forward to see what beholds Dallas and Austin.