Review: "In Search of a Prince" by Toni Shiloh

Do you like royal romances? They're not my favorite, usually (with some notable exceptions, of course). What I am a big fan of is Toni Shiloh's writing, so of course I had to give this book a shot, and I'm so glad I did!

Review: "An Unlikely Duchess" by Jessica Nelson

One of the reasons I love regency romance so much is that practically every other one includes a marriage of convenience, which is by far my favorite romance trope! So when I heard about Jessica Nelson's An Unlikely Duchess, I knew this book would be right up my alley.

Review: "The Indebted Earl" by Erica Vetsch

Erica Vetsch continues her delightful Serendipity & Secrets series with The Indebted Earl!

---

Can Captain Wyvern keep his new marriage of convenience all business--or will it turn into something more?

Captain Charles Wyvern owes a great debt to the man who saved his life--especially since Major Richardson lost his own life in the process. The best way to honor that hero's dying wish is for Wyvern to escort the man's grieving fiance and mother safely to a new cottage home by the sea. But along the way, he learns of another obligation that has fallen on his shoulders: his uncle has died and the captain is now the Earl of Rothwell.

When he and the ladies arrive at his new manor house in Devon, they discover an estate in need of a leader and a gaggle of girls, all wards of the former earl. War the new earl knows; young ladies and properties he does not. Still wishing to provide for the bereaved Lady Sophia Haverly, Charles proposes a marriage of convenience.

Sophie is surprised to find she isn't opposed to the idea. It will help her care for her betrothed's elderly mother, and she's already fallen in love with the wayward girls on the Rothwell estate. This alliance is a chance to repay the captain who has done so much for her care, as well as divert her attention from her grief. When Wyvern returns to his sea commission, she'll stay behind to oversee his property and wards.

It sounds so simple. Until the stalwart captain is arrested on suspicion of smuggling, and Sophie realizes how much he's come to mean to her. Now she'll have to learn to fight, not only for his freedom but also for his love.

Click here to read an excerpt.

---

Oh, how I loved this book! I've read all three books in Erica Vetsch's Serendipity & Secrets series, and I can say that this one is my favorite! 

There's romance, there's intrigue, there's found family. It's such a delightful story!

I loved watching Sophie and Charles fall for each other, and the angst each felt because of Sophie's late fiancé Rich was really perfection. Also, hello marriage of convenience plot! It's my favorite, and I thought it was executed especially well here. 

I also loved the inclusion of the three girls who had been wards of the previous earl. Little Betsy was just the cutest (her insistence on calling Charles "Captain Earl" was adorable), I loved Thea's spunk, and Penny was certainly a typical lovestruck teenager!

The smuggling subplot did seem a little obvious to me, but I suppose I can excuse both Sophie's and Charles's blindness to it. (Had they communicated more, they would've easily put it together.) And it did lead to some really exciting scenes!

Overall, I loved this novel. Regency romance fans are sure to find much to enjoy here. 5 stars.

Note: While this is the third book in the series, and characters from the other novels do appear, it really can be read as a stand alone.

Buy the book (Amazon ad).

Read my reviews of Vetsch's The Lost Lieutenant (4-1/2 stars), The Gentleman Spy (4 stars), and her novella Wonders of His Love (5 stars, found in Joy to the World).

---

Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling and ACFW Carol Award–winning author. She is a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota with her husband, who she claims is both her total opposite and soul mate.

Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks.

A self-described history geek, she has been planning her first research trip to England.

Learn more about Erica Vetsch and her books at www.ericavetsch.com. She can also be found on Facebook (@EricaVetschAuthor), Instagram (@EricaVetsch) and Pinterest (Erica Vetsch).

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review through Read With Audra. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Review: "A Cowboy for Keeps" by Jody Hedlund

Every time I hear Jody Hedlund has a new series starting, I think, "Yes, please!" So when I heard about A Cowboy for Keeps, the first book in her Colorado Cowboys series, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. And then I found out it was a marriage of convenience romance--my favorite!

Review: "His Disinclined Bride" by Jennie Goutet

The "Seasons of Change" Regency romance series is one I've been slowly reading through, so I jumped at the opportunity to read the latest book, His Disinclined Bride, for review.

Review: "Pretending to Wed" by Melissa Jagears

I'm such a sucker for marriage of convenience stories! So I didn't have to think very long when the opportunity to review Pretending to Wed came along. I just said, "Yes, please!"

Review: "A Bride of Convenience" by Jody Hedlund

A new Jody Hedlund book is always cause for celebration!

Review: "Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey" by Abigail Wilson

In the past six months or so, I've developed a great love for Regency romance. I'd enjoyed a few titles here and there in the past (mainly written by Julie Klassen and Carolyn Miller), but for me, 2020 is turning into the year of the Regency! So if you take a Regency-era novel and combine it with a marriage of convenience plot (my favorite romance trope!), you've got a book I can't resist!

Review: "Practically Married" by Karin Beery

I am a sucker for the marriage of convenience trope. It's very common in historical romance, but I don't often see it done well in contemporary romance (it often feels quite contrived). Still, I'm always ready to try out a modern marriage of convenience romance, so of course Practically Married appealed to me.

Review: "More than Words Can Say" by Karen Witemeyer

If you've been around here very often, you know that marriage of convenience stories are my absolute favorite! You also know that I'm much more drawn to contemporary than historical novels ... but I will absolutely read just about any historical marriage of convenience novel, which is why I decided to pick up More than Words Can Say. It was a wise decision 🙂

Review: "A Love Most Worthy" by Sandra Ardoin

A book set in Alaska during the Gold Rush wouldn't normally entice me ... but throw in the words "mail-order bride," and I'm in.

Review: "Searching for You" by Jody Hedlund

It always makes me a little sad when a series I enjoy draws to an end. Jody Hedlund's Orphan Train series has been such a joy to read, and she saved the best for last with Searching for You!

Review: "Rose in Three Quarter Time" by Rachel McMillan

A few weeks ago, my Twitter feed started blowing up with mentions of Rose in Three Quarter Time. I didn't really know much about it, but when I looked it up and saw that it 1) only cost 99¢ and 2) featured a marriage of convenience (my favorite trope ever), I decided to get it.

Review: "A Cowboy of Convenience" by Stacy Henrie



On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Though I've read and enjoyed a few Love Inspired titles, this line still has a bit of a stigma in my mind of being the "B team" of inspirational romance. I certainly wouldn't normally pick up a Love Inspired title unless it was written by an author I already know and love. So why did I choose to review A Cowboy of Convenience? It has to do with that final word in the title: "convenience." Marriage of convenience stories are my absolute favorite, forever and ever, amen. So how could I pass this one up?

"An Uncommon Courtship" by Kristi Ann Hunter

As has been well established, marriage of convenience stories are my favorite. I probably wouldn't have picked up An Uncommon Courtship had it not been a marriage of convenience story ... and I would have been missing out on a series I'm sure I'm going to love.

"Forever Safe" by Jody Hedlund

Marriage of convenience novels are my favorite. But a marriage of convenience novel that's also reminiscent of Runaway Bride? What could be better?

"A Convenient Christmas Wedding" by Regina Scott + Giveaway

If you know me, you know that I'm a sucker for the "marriage of convenience" trope. (I even wrote about my love for it here.) So when the opportunity to review A Convenient Christmas Wedding presented itself, well, I couldn't resist!

"the convenient groom" by denise hunter

Back in 2008—well before I was reviewing books on a regular basis—The Convenient Groom caught my eye. I had never read anything by Denise Hunter before, but I gave it a chance based on two things. 1) That cover. I just love it! 2) It's a marriage of convenience story, a trope I've loved ever since I read Lori Wick's Sean Donovan as a high schooler.

I adored The Convenient Groom, and it set off a love affair with Hunter's writing that continues to this day. (Her books routinely make my yearly "best of" lists.)

When I learned that the Hallmark Channel was turning The Convenient Groom into a film starring Vanessa Marcil (Brenda on General Hospital) and David Sutcliffe (Christopher on Gilmore Girls), I decided that maybe it was time to revisit the novel and see if it was as good as I remembered it being.

Spoiler Alert: It was.

---

She wrote the book—literally—on finding the right mate. But does she really understand what love's about?

Five hours before her Nantucket beach wedding—and on the eve of her big book launch—celebrity marriage counselor Kate Lawrence has everything in place.

Everything, that is, but the groom. She might not have a career, either, when her nationwide audience finds out their marriage guru has been left at the altar.

Enter Lucas Wright, who offers to stand in for the missing husband-to-be and marry her. Kate's desperate enough to agree—although she's sure this Mr. Wright is completely wrong for her. But can they pull it off? And why would Lucas marry her in the first place?

Could it be that "Dr. Kate" doesn't know the first thing about love?

---

I clearly remember reading The Convenient Groom into the wee hours of the morning the first time I read it. This time was no different, except that I also had to take time to compare versions! (Seriously. It was 2 a.m., and I was flipping back and forth between my paperback and Kindle copies.) See, my paperback copy is the 2008 version, but somewhere along the line, the story was revised to make it more clearly Christian, and the revised version is the one you'll get if you buy it on Kindle (which I picked up for $.99 last year).

For the most part, the story is the same, except that Kate and Lucas are clearly Christ-followers in the revised version, whereas God isn't really mentioned in the original. I didn't even notice any differences until a pivotal plot point near the end of the novel didn't play out like I remembered. So I pulled my paperback off the shelf, and, sure enough, things were different. It's not a make-it-or-break-it kind of thing, but I do vastly prefer the way things unfolded in the original version. So if you find yourself with a choice between the original and revised versions, I'd definitely recommend the original!

Either way, though, The Convenient Groom is a great story! I loved the way Lucas slowly and surely won Kate's heart, and the two have chemistry in spades. Also, each chapter begins with a quote from Kate's book, and it was fun to see how those quotes fit in (or didn't) with the events in Kate's life.

The Convenient Groom is a wonderful romance, and I highly recommend it! 5 stars.

Buy the book: Original Paperback & Revised Kindle.
Read my reviews of Hunter's Summer Harbor novels Falling like Snowflakes (5 stars) and The Goodbye Bride (5 stars); Chapel Springs books Barefoot Summer (5 stars), A December Bride (4.5 stars), Dancing with Fireflies (5 stars), The Wishing Season (5 stars), and Married 'til Monday (4.5 stars); and Big Sky novels A Cowboy's Touch, The Accidental Bride (3-1/2 stars), and The Trouble with Cowboys (4-1/2 stars).

---

Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 20 books, including Dancing with Fireflies and The Convenient Groom. She has won The Holt Medallion Award, The Reader's Choice Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist. When Denise isn't orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking green tea, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are raising three boys. You can learn more about Denise through her website DeniseHunterBooks.com or by visiting her FaceBook page at facebook.com/authordenisehunter.

 

Exciting news for fans of Denise Hunter's stories: Her book The Convenient Groom is making its silver screen premiere as a Hallmark Channel Original Movie! Join Denise and other readers on Facebook on June 16th for a fun author chat party at 8:00 PM EDT (that's 7:00 Central, 6:00 Mountain, & 5:00 Pacific)! Denise will be chatting about the book, answering your questions about the book-to-movie process, and of course, there will be plenty of fun giveaways too: a $100 Amazon gift card and 25 signed copies of Denise's newest book, The Goodbye Bride!

The movie releases two days after the author chat party on Saturday, June 18th, 9 EDT/8 CDT. Click here for details and to find out more about the movie.

Get your copy of The Convenient Groom so you're ready for a fun book discussion. You can order your copy and find out more about the book here.

Hope to see you on June 16 for Denise's The Convenient Groom Pre-Premiere Facebook Party!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I purchased this book myself and reviewed it by choice. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"wrong place, right time" by brooke williams

As soon as I finished reading Brooke Williams' delightful Accept This Dandelion, I purchased Wrong Place, Right Time—I wanted more of Williams' writing!

---

As the bumbling town TV traffic reporter, Kate Covington is a constant source of entertainment, but Kate sticks with her dead end job because of her love for news anchor Brian Schaffer. When Brian spontaneously runs off to marry his high school sweetheart, Kate panics and quickly follows. She finds herself in a Las Vegas wedding chapel, desperate to tell her best friend how she feels before he makes a huge mistake and marries the wrong person. The mistake, however, is all Kate’s. 

As the scorned bride runs back down the short aisle, Kate quickly realizes she just interrupted the wrong wedding. The would-be groom, Chad Leida, explains the predicament Kate has caused him…he needs to marry before turning 30 in order to inherit his family fortune…and he no longer has a bride. 

When Chad asks Kate to marry him and promises her a million dollars for a year of her time, Kate isn’t sure what to do. She has a great deal of debt to her name due to caring for her ailing grandmother, but she also doesn’t want to let go of the idea of love and marriage going together. 

Kate’s impulsive decision changes her entire lifestyle…and her ideas about love. From Las Vegas to San Francisco and even to the Midwestern city of Omaha, Kate learns that even when she turns up in the Wrong Place, sometimes it is at just the Right Time.

---

Wrong Place, Right Time is a sweet romance with the added bonus (at least in my eyes) of being a marriage of convenience story—my favorite! It's pretty short at around 150 pages and can be read in an hour or two.

I loved Kate's story and her courage to pursue her dream. I do have to say, though, that I think this story would have been better served in a full-length novel. I would have loved more time to see Kate interact with Chad and his family. The ending especially felt a bit incomplete—everything wrapped up really quickly. But overall, I really liked Wrong Place, Right Time, and Williams is quickly becoming a must-read author for me! 3-1/2 stars.

Buy the book. (It's FREE as of 2-14-15—don't know how long that will last!)
Read my review of Williams' Accept This Dandelion.

---

Brooke Williams writes in a sleep-deprived state while her daughters nap. Her romantic comedy is best read in the same state. Brooke has twelve years of radio in her background, both behind the scenes and on the air. She was also a television traffic reporter for a short time despite the fact that she could care less about hair and make-up. Today, Brooke stays at home with her daughters and works as a freelance writer for a variety of companies. When she isn’t working for paying clients, she makes things up, which results in books like “Accept this Dandelion.” Brooke is also the author of “Wrong Place, Right Time,” “Someone Always Loved You,” and “Beyond the Bars.” And she looks forward to the upcoming released of “Mamarazzi” and “Baby Sheep Gets a Haircut.” Brooke and her husband Sean have been married since 2002 and have two beautiful daughters, Kaelyn (5) and Sadie (nearly 2).

Connect with Brooke:
Facebook
Website
Blog

Disclosure of Material Connection: I purchased this book myself. The opinions I have expressed in this review are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"a sensible arrangement" by tracie peterson

About the book (from Litfuse): A Lone Star Brides book.

Marty Dandridge Olson is ready to leave behind the pain of the past.

Answering an advertisement for a "Lone Star bride," she leaves her Texas ranch and heads to Denver to marry a man she doesn't know.

Jake Wythe is the man waiting for her.

Burned by love, he marries now simply to satisfy the board of Morgan Bank, which believes a man of his standing in society should be wed. Together Jake and Marty agree they are done with romance and love and will make this nothing more than a marriage of convenience.

When missing money and a collapsing economy threaten his job, Jake's yearning to return to ranching grows ever stronger, much to Marty's dismay. But a fondness has grown between them, as well, further complicating matters.

What will happen when their relationship shifts in unexpected ways . . . and dreams and secrets collide?

My take: It's no secret that marriage of convenience stories are my favorite, so of course I jumped at the opportunity to review A Sensible Arrangement. It's the compelling story of a man and woman who choose to marry for vastly different reasons: he to satisfy the board of the bank he works for, and she to escape the memories that haunt her in Texas. Along the way, of course, the two fall in love. But Marty's secrets and lies threaten their happily ever after.

One aspect that I absolutely loved about this novel was that Marty wasn't the typical romance novel heroine. She had struggled with lying her entire life, and even when she recommitted herself to Christ, her tendency to lie didn't go away, though she did fight it much harder. I appreciated that she was a representation of a real woman with real issues.

I did get a bit tired of Marty's refusal to tell Jake the truth about her ranch, but at least the secret did not hold the love story hostage. And sometimes Peterson would set up events, only to have the next chapter be days or even weeks in the future—I felt a bit cheated to not be able to "experience" the events with Jake and Marty.

Also, be aware that while Marty and Jake's love story is resolved, nothing else is. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the Lone Star Brides series to find out what happens next!

My rating: 4 stars

See what others are saying.
Buy the book.
Read my review of Peterson's House of Secrets.

About the author: Tracie Peterson is the award-winning author of over 100 novels, both historical and contemporary. Her avid research resonates in her stories, as seen in her bestselling Heirs of Montana, and Alaskan Quest series. Tracie and her family make their home in Montana.

Learn more about Tracie at www.traciepeterson.com.

About the giveaway:  Welcome to the campaign launch for Tracie Peterson's 100th book! A Sensible Arrangement launches Tracie's new Texas-based series, Lone Star Brides, that’s sure to please. As a special treat, devoted fans will be able to catch a glimpse of several popular characters from previous series.

Tracie is celebrating by giving away an iPad Mini and hosting a LIVE webcast event on 4/29.

 

  One winner will receive:

• An iPad Mini
• A Sensible Arrangement by Tracie Peterson

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 29th. Winner will be announced at the A Sensible Arrangement Live Webcast Event on April 29th. Connect with Tracie for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Tracie will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books, fun prizes, and gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of A Sensible Arrangement and join Tracie and friends on the evening of April 29th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by signing up for a reminder. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 29th!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."