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Sunday, May 5, 2013

(Triple Review) Tessa Dare Novellas!

Book: Beauty and the Blacksmith by Tessa Dare
Series: Spindle Cove, #3.5
Published: April 30, 2013 (Avon Impulse)
Rating: Lunch Break Read
Thoughts: Diana finally got her own story! I was so excited for this, because I've been waiting for it since the beginning of the series. It was also great having a lower class hero. Not that I don't love my dukes and earls, but it's a nice change of pace. Diana and Aaron had immediate chemistry! Yet it didn't feel unfounded; I could feel the fact that something had been brewing - at least on Diana's side - for a while even though we didn't know the back story yet. Perhaps the best thing about this book is that it was just a straight-up love story. Yes, they had to deal with some issues related to class, but for the most part, it was refreshingly simple, completely adorable, yet substantial. It just made me smile so much! I will definitely keep this one in mind next time I need a quick pick-me-up read.
Yes, you’re big. Yes, you’re strong. Big and strong don’t add up to invincible.

Book: Once Upon a Winter's Eve by Tessa Dare
Series: Spindle Cove, #1.5
Published: November 15, 2011 (Samhain)
Rating: Lunch Break Read
Thoughts: To be honest, I read this one quite a while back, so the details are a little fuzzy. But it had several good qualities. Violet was obsessed with languages and quite adept at them. As I love languages, I loved this aspect of the story! It also wound up being the important factor that led to the interaction between Violet and the mysterious hero. Also, the story progressed at a great pace! It was slow enough to heighten the tension surrounding the mystery, but not so long that it dragged out. I also enjoyed the references to the first book in the series. I would be interested to go back and read it again to see if there was any foreshadowing regarding future Spindle Cove books. For instance, she did that in Beauty and the Blacksmith, which I picked up on (and giggled) because I read Any Duchess Will Do (#4) before I read it.
Even if she did possess wiles, she wouldn’t know how to use them.

Book: The Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr. Wright by Tessa Dare
Published: December 11, 2012 (Avon Impulse)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Thoughts: This book! The second I saw the title, I knew I had to read it, and for good reason! I wound up loving it. I love Dare's humor and her overall writing style. I love how she writes characters that are so wonderfully real. They had flaws. They were selfish. But they also matured. I loved the interactions between Eliza and Harry, particularly the earlier ones. I also love that she actually addressed the age difference between them. There were several instances when Eliza jokingly called Harry ancient. It had superb tension, and I was amazed at how much emotional and relationship development there was for such a short book. The book took place over several years, and while the format of relationship "excerpts" might not have worked in another story, it worked perfectly here. It made me swoon. It made me laugh. I would definitely recommend this one.
Devilish men should not be allowed to hold kittens, babies, or bouquets of wildflowers. There ought to be an Act of Parliament.

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