Sophie Reads YA: Lynne Connolly

2023 New Release challenge

ARC Review: The Talk Of The Town (The Brazen Burrells #3) by Lynne Connolly

12:00

The Talk Of The Town
Series: The Brazen Burrells #3
Author: Lynne Connolly
Published June 6th 2023 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.

Goodreads Synopsis
Once Bianca was the talk of the town. Now all she wants is a quiet life. Until murder and mayhem erupt around her - again.

When Bianca, Duchess of Whiston is invited to a house party at Stonyhurst, she is looking to restore her reputation. But it doesn't work out that way. The marquess's heir, Mr. Alexander Fraser, draws her as no other man has, not even her late husband.

Events escalate, until Bianca finds herself in the middle of a scandal she may never recover from.

Alex's father turned his back on his aristocratic heritage. He made a name for himself in the new, exciting world of industrial enterprise. He was so successful that his son came to be called the Midas of The North. But when the Marquess of Stonyhurst's three heirs die in battle, Alex becomes the heir, despite his desire not to be so.

Until he meets Bianca. Then he's not so sure about anything any longer, except that he wants her.
Goodreads

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

After her estranged husband dies in a house fire, and is lauded as a hero, Bianca, Dowager Duchess of Whiston, retreats to Edinburgh to grieve, before she makes her return to society. When she is invited to a house party hosted by a former friend, Bianca decides it is time to live again, but she never expects she would meet someone who makes her consider marrying again. Alexander Fraser has always known he was descended from aristocracy, but after his father (the third son of a Marquess) married a woman from India, they were cut off. Making a name for himself, and his family, Alex's father leaves him wealthy, and with no need to rub shoulders with the ton. However his uncle is old, and has no heirs of his own, and Alex is next in line. Arriving at Stonyhurst's home, he is told he is the last choice, but he needs to learn how to act in case he ever inherits. Alex wants nothing to do with his uncle, or his uncle's young wife, but Bianca makes him reconsider.

This book was a lovely story for Bianca, though not an easy one. After what she went through in the previous books, she deserved a happy ending, but didn't believe it was ever going to happen. I loved that she was strong and stood up for herself, and didn't let Stonyhurst run roughshod over her, or play along with his games. Even so, she could still be vulnerable, and was able to open up to Alex, and he to her too. They may have started out with a simple basic attraction to each other, but it was soon obvious that they were the only thing holding the other at the house, and after some events put them more in the spotlight, they trusted the other enough to get through it all, even when it seemed like all was lost. A great ending to Bianca's tale, and the series as a whole!

Dates Read:
June 1, 2023

Rating
3 Stars

2023 New Release challenge

ARC Review: An Unusual Courtship (The Brazen Burrells #2) by Lynne Connolly

11:00

An Unusual Courtship
Series: The Brazen Burrells #2
Author: Lynne Connolly
Published January 17th 2023 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.

Goodreads Synopsis
A diplomat Earl and a scandal-ridden adventuress aren’t the perfect match—except in passion.

When Juliet Burrell meets Valerian, Earl of Langston, their attraction is immediate, but their path to happiness is littered with obstacles it will take all their strength to overcome. Val is a diplomat, looking for a well-connected, scandal-free bride to help further his career. Juliet is surrounded by constant scandal, even though none of it is of her making. And Val is engaged to be married to Juliet’s best friend.

But when Val discovers that his future bride is in love with someone else, he and Juliet join forces to help them and end up in a betrothal themselves. As Juliet gets to know Val better, she tumbles further into love with him, but she’s acutely aware that she is the exact opposite of what he needs. She cares for him too much to let him sacrifice everything for her and refuses to accept that their betrothal will result in marriage, even though their attraction has blossomed into passion.

Val wants Juliet, though he knows he might have to give up his treasured diplomatic career to have her. For years he’s engaged in the dark world of espionage, secrets, and lies, and he has done his job well and kept people safe. But he has always viewed his future in terms of the diplomatic work he is suited to, work that may not be possible with Juliet at his side.

It’s not long before trouble and tragedy plunge the Burrells into the mire once again, and Val may be the only one who can rescue Juliet from a situation that goes beyond scandal and into treason.

Is love worth the sacrifice he may have to make?
Goodreads

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

As both an Earl and diplomat, Valerian, Earl of Langston, knows that he needs the perfect wife who can support him in his endeavours. And when he thinks he's found her, it's perfect. Now he can stop thinking about the beautiful and smart Juliet Burrell, who plagues his dreams. However it seems that his fiancee is in love with someone else, and Juliet is the one who can help him. But tragedy and scandal follow the Burrells, and when they once more fall from grace, will Val be willing to give up on his hopes of an overseas placement to be with the woman he loves?

This was such an enjoyable book. From the moment I started it, I didn't want to put it down. Val and Juliet's feelings for each other was palpable, and though they tried to fight it, they had been in love for quite some time. Val thought he needed the 'perfect' society miss to be his wife and countess, but Juliet, though her family had scandal attached to them, was right for. She was smart, beautiful, and brought out the best of him. However, Val's overseas placement was not guaranteed, and when a treasonous plot is discovered, it takes them both to solve it, but not without tragedy. I'm really looking forward to the third book, and seeing if Bianca can finally have a happy ending.

Dates Read:
January 22, 2023

Rating
3 Stars

2022 New Release challenge

ARC Review: The Only Honest Man in London (The Brazen Burrells #1) by Lynne Connolly

10:00

The Only Honest Man in London
Series: The Brazen Burrells #1
Author: Lynne Connolly
Published July 15th 2022 by Dragonblade Publishing

Goodreads Synopsis
When the adventuress and the earl meet – sparks fly!

Welcome to book 1 in the new series The Brazen Burrells by USA Today Bestselling author Lynne Connolly.

When the Burrell sisters take the ton by storm, nobody is more surprised than Viola. The whirlwind of their elevation to the highest in the land pushes her into the arms of the Earl of Knowsley. Viola is lost, all her careful plans abandoned. She has nothing to offer but her beauty. A hidden disability has taken away her confidence and her grace. If she gives him her heart, will he give her a ring, or a carte blanche?

Gerald wants to marry, but not to the ravishing beauty who entrances him from the first time he sets eyes on her. He wants a rational marriage with moderate affection, not the tempest of passion Viola leads him into.

From an encounter in the sordid London docks, to a presentation at court, to riding lessons in the park, Viola and Gerald grow closer, until the actions of her sister and his best friend threaten to force them apart.

If they survive this, they can survive anything. If they don’t, they’ll part forever.
Goodreads

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

The Burrell sisters have one final chance to make good marriages, and set the family up, but it's harder that Viola Burrell ever expected. Though they are related to nobility, they are ignored by their grandfather due to their mother's Irish birth, and the money is running out. Taking London by storm, they need to have the perfect reputation, especially after Bianca's fashion faux pas at the theatre. The only person who Viola is drawn to is Gerald, the Earl of Knowsley, who made a bad first impression. But as the season continues, Viola and Gerald are thrown together again and again, and grow closer than ever.

This was an alright book. I liked Viola, but there was something about the whole book that didn't really grip my attention. I was wanting Viola and Gerald to get together, and the ending was great, but there was too many drama and cliches for my liking. I may continue with the series, because the second sister, Juliet, wasn't really discussed much in this book, and I think she has a lot of potential.

Dates Read:
August 14-15, 2022

Rating
3 Stars