Surrender by Amanda Quick

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The Rake Appreciation Society book for September was Surrender by Amanda Quick. This is one of her older standalones and is one of the one's that are popular for Stepback Saturday! I used Surrender to cover the prompts Green on the Cover for Fall in Love and Blue (character that deals with a physical issue) for Color Me Romantic. I also used this to cover the Bang in the Night prompt Published in October and chose the song In the Blue of the Evening off of Frank Sinatra's Reprise Rarities Volume 1.

Victoria is firmly on the shelf. As a lady with a hefty dowry, she has avoided matrimony since a lot of the gentlemen that have been pursuing her have been fortune hunters. When she meets Lucas, the Earl of Stonevale, she can't seem to escape his company. As he finagles more and more chances to be around Victoria, they make a deal. Lucas helps Victoria with the various moonlight escapades she's been wanting to do, and in turn he's going to take the time to charm and seduce her into becoming his wife. When they get caught in a compromising position and forced to wed she finally learns the truth, he is destitute and needs the money. As she travels to his country estate to help get things in order, they struggle to find their footing in their new relationship and with everything out in the open.

Now, I feel like I've said this a lot, but going into a Amanda Quick classic historical, you have to almost expect for things to get a little bit bonkers. I think you just can't go into her books looking to take it super seriously. Not that you can't critique it, but I feel like I get the most enjoyment when I can just go with flow and see what story she's trying to tell. But more specifically to this book, I absolutely adored Lucas. He's probably my favorite of Amanda Quick's heroes so far. I just loved how even though he was going into their situation hoping to seduce her into becoming his wife, he went about it in a way to try to get her to fall in love with him. While I can see others maybe finding this a little bit off, it just really worked for me. Plus Lucas was falling just as much (if not quicker) than Victoria was.

This really only got 4-stars because I really struggled with Victoria at times. She would make some hypocritical decisions that bothered me and then there was her anger that she nurtured throughout the second half of the book. It just bothered me that she would acknowledge society's expectations but then at times act naive or surprised when certain actions were being taken to reign her in or keep her from getting ruined. Honestly though, I could've gotten over that if the second half she really kind of grew up, but I really wanted to throat punch her. Understandably she is angry with Lucas and that he was hiding the true financial status of him and his estate. Where I kind of gave up trying to like her is when she first arrives to the village. She is having a conversation with herself acknowledging that the money he was hoping to receive from her dowry wasn't just to buy fripperies, but actually needed to keep himself and the people that rely on him and his estate living. She recognizes that there needs to be improvements made to get the livestock and agriculture back up to par. She active tries to spend as much as she can in the village to help the local economy. Even though she is realizing that the money he gains from marrying her isn't coming from a greedy place, but one of survival, she actively chooses to deny the reason behind his actions (and the importance of them) and unnecessarily hold on to her anger. She literally tells herself that she doesn't care and she is going to stay angry. It just felt so immature, but the fact that she has this realization when she first arrives on her own but then actively ignores and pretends she didn't drove me absolutely bonkers.

Even though I struggled with Victoria's character, especially during the second half of the book, Lucas really saved it for me and I really enjoyed most of my time reading this book. It's definitely near to the top of my list of favorites of her books so far. I definitely want to continue reading these gorgeous standalones and hope to one day get the full collection with stepbacks! If you haven't participated in Rake Appreciation Society before, it's hosted by Crystal and Jenn on youtube. If you want to check out the live show for Surrender, it was another great meeting. I always have such a fun time discussion historical romance with the other participants!

Have you read Surrender?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Surrender, Amanda Quick, 4-stars, 0 days, Audiobook, 362 pages, published in 1990, traditionally published

Ravished by Amanda Quick

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Time for another Historical Hellions book! The book chosen for August is Ravished by Amanda Quick. I actually read my first Amanda Quick earlier this year and really enjoyed it. I'm super excited to read another. The live show was last weekend, so if you've read the book or want to check out what the "meetings" are like, please do so!

Harriet is a rector's daughter and taking care of her household after her father passed. She is trying to earn enough money doing her fossil work to support her aunt and sister and prepare to give her sister a season. While exploring the local cave system, she finds out that thieves are using one of the caverns to store their stolen goods. Knowing it's above her, she contacts the lord of the area Gideon, a.k.a. Viscount St. Justin, for help. What she doesn't know is his sordid past in the area and why he's stayed away. They quickly become intrigued by each other and end up getting stuck together in the caves when the tide comes in. Of course Harriet is ruined by the event and so begins their marriage.

I really enjoyed this book. I'm glad that the second Amanda Quick I read help up to my expectations. I really loved Gideon and his growth throughout the book and really coming to terms with both Harriet and his parents. I enjoyed how he reflected on his actions and yet at the same time didn't even really care what the ton thought. My favorite scene was when they were having the great "Quarrel" and were at a ball. Harriet is trying to ignore him when he asks her to dance. He responds as if she agreed and literally picks her up and takes her to the dance floor. I could just picture it in my head and really loved Gideon as a hero.

Where the book fell short for me was Harriet. I enjoy the headstrong, bluestocking heroine, but she was a little too much for me. As I just mentioned, Gideon grows and learns how to adjust to having a second person in his life that cares. I didn't feel like I got the same growth from Harriet. While she fell in love with him earlier and was fighting for him throughout the book, I just wish she wasn't quite as headstrong. There were so many moments where she acted without thinking and it felt like she was constantly forcing Gideon to be the one to compromise when it should've been from them both. I did enjoy how she saw past his scar and was immediately on the defensive for him, especially when they got to London and were taking apart in society. Some of her actions were just a little too much and she never really seemed to stop and think, or even hesitate the more they happened. I also didn't like how she was so staunch against Gideon moving against anyone meaning her harm. I understand she was worried for him, but she was a little too stubborn on top of naïve that it just ruined my connection to her. Also she could've been stronger when she was "kidnapped." I wanted her to stand up for herself in that moment like she had every other moment before then. It just felt weird to me.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and love Amanda Quick's writing style. Despite it actually taking 3 days for me to get through, I still feel like it went quick. I just don't have a lot of free time during the week to read, on top of one of my main shows being back on. I'll definitely be picking up another Amanda Quick and would love to have some of her historicals in paperback because they have such unique and fun stepbacks!

Have you read Ravished?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Ravished, Amanda Quick, 4-stars, 3 days, eBook, 385 pages, published in 2005

Dangerous by Amanda Quick

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Book 3 of 2021 was Dangerous by Amanda Quick. This was the the book for week two of the Seasonally Booked Up - Winter of the Wallflower book club hosted by Kelly and Dana. This is a standalone historical romance.

I loved this book. This is way more my speed when it comes to historical romances. It grabs you from the first page. I love the more quirkier characters and instantly fell in love with Pru and Sebastian. Why oh why are there so many broody and swoony Sebastians in historical romances? I feel like I need to rank my favorite historical Sebastians. Anyways, back to the book. Prudence is a regency ghost hunter and Sebastian has an interesting hobby in that he solves cases for a bow street runner. They both were so well matched in their intellectual thinking and love of solving puzzles. The murder case was a little predictable, but I don't read these for the who-dun-it. I loved the banter and relationship between our hero and heroine and couldn't put it down. If I hadn't started this at 9pm, I would've read it in one sitting. The couple also get married about half-way through the book. I love it when they get married earlier on and we get to see married life for the couple and that issues do arise after the proposal and/or wedding. It just makes the HEA (happy ever after) so much more believable. I laughed so much with this book and wish so much this was a series so we could see their hijinks in the background while also getting their friend's and family's HEAs! Oh, and Sebastian has a cat named Lucifer. Need I say more?

Overall I thought this book was a wonderful delight and just what I needed to help prevent going into a book slump after The Gilded Web. I will definitely be picking up more Amanda Quick and can't wait to get into her backlist.

Have you read Dangerous?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Dangerous, Amanda Quick, 5-stars, 1 day, eBook, 352 pages, Published 1993