Review: The Earl's Christmas Colt by Rebecca Thomas

This is my review of The Earl's Christmas Colt by Rebecca Thomas. I was given a copy to review by NetGalley.

Synopsis:

Lady Arabella Sutton is stunned to learn her brother has betrothed her to a stranger despite his promises for a season in London. Although she is the first to admit no man would suit, since she’s more interested in horses than marriage, the last thing she wants is to become a brood mare to a stuffy old earl. Facing a future she cannot abide, she takes an impetuous ride to clear her head and ends up tending her injured mare instead.


Oliver Westwyck, the Earl of Marsdale, can’t believe his luck when he stops at an inn the night before he’s to meet his fiancée. In the stable, while tending the colt he intends to give to his future wife, he happens upon her—rain-drenched but beautiful. She assumes he’s a stable hand, a fine joke he means to end...until Lady Arabella declares all noblemen are egotistical, conceited, and arrogant. How can he reveal his true identity before he’s managed to change her mind and win her heart?

Review:

This was an extremely short book so didn't take me long to read at all, so would be perfect for a lunch break or a trip on the bus/train.

It wasn't a bad book but it was a bit cheesy for my taste, but I suppose that it has to be really to fit the story into only a few pages.

Both characters, Oliver and Arabella are quite likable and leave you rooting for them to get together and have a happily ever after.

The synopsis basically tells you all of the story line and there weren't any surprises.

There isn't a great deal to say about this book. It was a short pleasant read suitable for those who like a lighthearted historical romance.

I would give this book

3 out of 5 stars.

Review: Witch Interrupted by Jody Wallace

This is my review for Witch Interrupted by Jody Wallace. I was given an advanced reader copy by NetGalley to review.

Publication Date: 24th Feb 2014

Synopsis:

Two decades ago, assassin Katherine Zhang faked her death to escape the Keepers, a secret council of witches who use magic to kill those who pose a threat to their kind. Once a powerful Keeper, she lives a solitary-but peaceful-life as a tattoo artist. Until a strange, handsome lone wolf named Marcus Delgado walks into her shop.

Marcus has his own reasons to hate the Keepers. A scientist who sacrificed himself to test the fragile boundaries between witch and wolf, he believes there's a way to harness the combustible power between the two species. If he succeeds, he'll be protected from the Keepers, but he needs a willing partner-and the delicious Katie just might be the perfect test subject.

Katie knows working with a wolf, an adversary she's undeniably attracted to, is a dangerous proposition...no matter how tempting she finds Marcus's proposal. But when a common enemy from their past threatens them both, working together might be the only option.

Review:

I started off reading this book a little bit confused as it seems to jump into the story without giving us any background about the characters and the location.

It does get better as we find out about the back-story of the characters. Really liked how the two main characters couldn't seem to resist each other despite a relationship between them being seen as taboo.

The minor characters in the book were enjoyable as well, I especially liked the feisty-ness of Katie's grandfather and he certainly gave me a few laughs throughout the book.

This is a paranormal romance but leans heavily towards the fantasy genre so it wasn't completely up my street.

I love a good shapeshifter romance but this just didn't hold my attention as much as I wished it had. I couldn't really connect with the main characters and found myself wanting to skip chapters to get to the end (I did resist!).

If you like a paranormal/fantasy novel don't let this review put you off as I think this book just wasn't to my taste. The writing was very good and the author was certainly an imaginative writer.

My overall rating for this book is:

I can only give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars because despite it being well written it just wasn't my cup of tea.