Sophie Reads YA: Jenna Jaxon

ARC Review: Yule Be Mine (The Welwyn Marriage Wager #3) by Jenna Jaxon

12:00

The Baron's Halo
Series: The Welwyn Marriage Wager #3
Author: Jenna Jaxon
Published December 5th 2023 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.

Goodreads Synopsis
‘Tis the season for love—no matter how much mistletoe it takes!

It’s Christmas time and Ulysses “Yule” Quartermain is unenthusiastically looking for a bride when Penelope St. Clare, the little sister of his boyhood friend, makes an appearance at a Christmas party. But it’s been ten years since he’s seen her. Penelope is no longer a child but a ravishing beauty, who’s turning heads everywhere she goes. And much to his discomfort, Yule is not immune to the charms of the little girl next door. But he’s working on it.

Penelope has wanted to marry Ulysses Quartermain for most of her life. Now she’s on the brink of her come out Season--a desirable young lady with wit and determination--and her happy ever after is within her grasp. If only she can make Yule see that she’s grown up and would make him the perfect wife, it’ll be the best present she’ll ever get.

Still, Penelope is not leaving anything to chance. Utilizing every ball of mistletoe she can find, she teases and tantalizes Yule, daring him to kiss her in hopes of breaking down his staunch resolve. As Christmas Day approaches, Penelope sets a final desperate plan in motion.

Before the holiday is over, Yule will know just how much of a woman she truly is!
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Ulysses "Yule" Quartermain knows that he will soon follow his cousins down the aisle, and find a bride, but he never expected his childhood friend would be that woman. To him, Miss Penelope St. Clare will always be the little girl he gave a rag doll too before her family moved to Ireland, and he can't reconcile the beautiful woman in front of him with his memories. Penelope, however, has always known she will marry Yule, and just needs to convince him of that. As they spend the holidays together, using every opportunity she can to get close to him, will Yule finally come to terms with his feelings, and propose?

I think this one might be my favourite. The book was such a quick read, and the relationship between Yule and Penelope seemed so real. I loved the brother's best friend trope, and though Penelope was quite a bit younger than Yule, she had grown into a mature young woman, who knew what she wanted, and wasn't going to accept defeat. Yule just needed a little bit longer to realise she wasn't a little girl any more, and she was the perfect partner. A lovely addition to the series.

Dates Read:
April 1-2, 2024

Rating
3 Stars

3 Stars

ARC Review: The Baron's Halo (The Welwyn Marriage Wager #2) by Jenna Jaxon

11:00

The Baron's Halo
Series: The Welwyn Marriage Wager #2
Author: Jenna Jaxon
Published September 8th 2023 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.

Goodreads Synopsis
If love’s a game, he’s playing to win.

For reasons of her own, Isabelle Devereaux isn’t looking for a husband. Yet thanks to her mother here she is, in the middle of the social whirl of the Little Season. Thinking to refuse any gentleman who offers for her, Isabelle endures the lavish entertainments, saddened that she’ll remain a spinster.

Enter Baron MacKay, Sandy to his friends, in search of a wife to win a family wager. Dazzled by Isabelle’s beauty, he’s drawn to the vulnerable young lady. From the moment they meet, he charms her with his kind and generous nature until, against her will, Isabelle falls in love with him. Even though she knows marriage to him may end in disaster, she can’t resist his kisses…or where they lead.

Desperate to marry Sandy, Isabelle puts her misgivings aside, but circumstances spiral out of control as their wedding approaches. Isabelle must confront the demons that haunt her and make an agonizing can she marry Sandy without telling him the one impediment that may shatter their happiness forever?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Baron Saunders MacKay, Sandy to his loved ones, sets out to fulfil his grandfather's wager, and marry. Meeting Miss Isabelle Devereaux, Sandy thinks he might have found his wife, but though she seems receptive to his attentions, there is something she is hiding. And when her stepfather returns from the dead, Isabelle needs to find a way to escape, and Sandy might be her only hope.

I think I liked this a little more than the first book, but the story was definitely darker. I could tell where the plot line was going, and hated that it had to be included, but it helped to explain the way Isabelle acted at times. Sandy and Isabelle did have a bit of an insta-love romance, but it worked so well for them. Sandy was a protector, and from the moment he met her, he took on that role with her. I liked their connection, and though there was a blip in their relationship which was extremely unnecessary, I felt like they were a better couple than in book 1.

Dates Read:
March 30, 2024

Rating
3 Stars

3 Stars

ARC Review: Until I'm Safe in Your Arms (The Welwyn Marriage Wager #1) by Jenna Jaxon

10:00

Until I'm Safe in Your Arms
Series: The Welwyn Marriage Wager #1
Author: Jenna Jaxon
Published May 30th 2023 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.

Goodreads Synopsis
Can a wager to find a wife turn into a true love match?

Entered into a wager that he can wed within a week, Captain Alex Bancroft pursues the first pretty woman he Miss Emma Washer. Their courtship proceeds at a furious pace, including a dalliance that might ruin them both. Before it can, Alex proposes and is stunned when Emma agrees to marry him. Alex desperately tries to keep word of the wager from his new wife, not knowing Emma has secrets of her own to keep.

As passion erupts between the newly wed pair, the circumstances of Emma’s past threaten to tear them asunder. Alex’s regiment is directed to sail to a place Emma dares not go.

She refuses to accompany him, leaving Alex with a devastating leave England to fulfill duty to Queen and country or stay and revel in his newfound love for his wife?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Captain Alex Bancroft and his five unmarried cousins are given a wager they can't lose, be married by this time next year, and their grandfather, the Duke of Welwyn is grant them all an estate and £10,000. The Quartermain's are always up for a wager, but being leg shackled might be too far. However, Alex can't help but take it one step further, and bet that he'll be married by the end of the week. So how can he make this happen? Luckily his uncle's house party happens to be this week, and he meets the beautiful Miss Emma Washer. Emma sees the handsome captain in his red coat, and thinks he might be her hope of safety and security. But she is hiding a secret past, and Alex's new military posting might be too much for their marriage to survive.

I found this a quick and enjoyable read. The premise of the series is an intriguing one, and I'm definitely going to be reading the other books in the series to see how the 6 cousin's romances pan out. Alex and Emma were a good couple, and though they had their differences, they worked well together. I did think that the plot line surrounding Emma's past in India, and Alex's potential posting there was a good one, but could've been looked at a little more delicately. The book was quite short, and could've gone into more detail in places. Even so, it was enjoyable and a good start to the series.

Dates Read:
March 26-27, 2024

Rating
3 Stars