Karen Hawkins: Caught by the Scot

Karen Hawkinsin historiallisessa viihderomaanisarjassa kolme veljestä pakotetaan naimisiin kolmessa kuukaudessa tai he menettävät perintönsä: Caught by the Scot (Headline Eternal, 2017; ISBN 978-1-4722-2908-3).



Kirjasarjan ensimmäisessä osassa on monenmoista hömppämäistä juonenkäännettä ja huumoriakin on pujahtanut mukaan.

When the dark Duke of Hamilton loses his beloved wife, he heeds her dying wish that he make certain her three brothers marry well for she fears they are all headed to ruin. Heartsick, the Duke approaches the task with a heavy hand, ordering the three brothers to marry within three months or forego their inheritance.

The middle brother, the dashing Conner Douglas, is not about to give up his independence, but he knows marriage doesn't always mean one must change, does it? If anything, being married to a pliable sort of female would give him even more opportunity to seduce the married women of the ton. So he heads straight for the most pliable female he knows - a childhood acquaintance and now mousy spinster, the English born and bred Miss Theodora Cumberbatch-Snowe.

Julia Quinn: To Sir Phillip, with love

Julia Quinnin historiallisessa viihderomaanissa kirjeenvaihto johtaa ehdotukseen avioliitosta, mutta odotukset ja todellisuus ovatkin aika lailla erilaisia: To Sir Phillip, with love (HarperCollins, 2017; ISBN 978-0-06-242411-2).



Quinn osaa kirjoittaa huumorilla höystettyä dialogia, ja vaikka ihmishahmoissa on melkoisesti stereotypiaa - juro mies ja puhelias nainen - onnistuu romaani ujuttautumaan pintaa syvemmällekin.

Sir Phillip knew from his correspondence with his dead wife's distant cousin that Eloise Bridgerton was a spinster, and so he'd proposed, figuring that she'd be homely and unassuming, and more than a little desperate for an offer of marriage. Except ... she wasn't. The beautiful woman on his doorstep was anything but quiet, and when she stopped talking long enough to close her mouth, all he wanted to do was kiss her.

Eloise Bridgerton couldn't marry a man she had never met! But then she started thinking... and wondering... and before she knew it, she was in a hired carriage in the middle of the night, on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match. Except ... he wasn't. Her perfect husband wouldn't be so moody and ill-mannered. And he certainly should have mentioned that he had two young - and decidedly unruly - children, as much in need of a mother as Phillip is in need of a wife.

Jane Ashford: Lord Sebastian's secret

Jane Ashfordin historiallisessa viihderomaanissa fiksu nainen ja lukutaidoton aatelismies suunnittelevat naimisiin menoa, mutta mitä tapahtuu kun salaisuudet paljastuvat: Lord Sebastian's secret (Sourcebooks, 2017; ISBN 978-1-4926-2163-8).



Teos löytyi Helmetin e-kirjoista. Romaani on nopealukuinen mutta tarjoaa hiukan lajityyppiään syvällisempääkin sisältöä.

Lord Sebastian Gresham is a battle-tested soldier and brilliant strategist. Yet all his life he’s had to hide his complete failure to decipher letters. In his own mind, he’s just stupid. What a miracle it is that he’s found the perfect bride.

Lady Georgina Stane is beautiful, witty, and brilliantly intelligent. Sebastian is head over heels in love, proud as a peacock, and terrified. If she finds out his secret, will he lose her love forever?

Julia London: The year of living scandalously

Julia Londonin historiallisessa viihderomaanissa juonitellaan ja salaillaan sekä yritetään selvittää mysteeriä hiukan dekkaria muistuttavassa tarinassa: The year of living scandalously (Pocket Books, 2010; ISBN 978-1-4391-7545-3).



Kirja on sujuvasti kirjoitettu mutta sisällöltään tyhjähkö hömppäromaani, josta jäi varsin vähän mieleen.

When Declan O’Connor, Earl of Donnelly, arrives at Hadley Green to meet with Lily Boudine, the new countess of Ashwood, he knows instantly that the lovely woman who welcomes him is not who she pretends to be. In an attempt to avoid an unwanted marriage, Keira Hannigan has assumed her cousin’s identity and is staying at the estate while Lily is abroad.

When Declan threatens to expose her, Keira convinces him to guard her secret, then enlists him in her investigation of the missing jewels, for she now believes an innocent man was hanged.

Yasmine Galenorn: Witchling

Yasmine Galenornin romaani on näköjään suomennettukin, nimellä Noitanainen, mutta löysin teoksen Helmetin e-kirjoista alkuperäisversiona: Witchling (Penguin Publishing Group, 2006; ISBN 978-1-4406-2364-6).



Kirja ilmeisestikin aloittaa teossarjan, mutta minulle riitti pari ensimmäistä sivua. Itseasiassa romaanin ensimmäinen sivu jo käytännössä riitti osoittamaan että tämä kirja ei ole minua varten.

We're the D'Artigo sisters: Half-human, half-Faerie, we're savvy—and sexy—operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. But our mixed-blood heritage short-circuits our talents at all the wrong times. My sister Delilah shapeshifts into a tabby cat whenever she's stressed. Menolly's a vampire who's still trying to get the hang of being undead. And me? I'm Camille—a wicked-good witch. Except my magic's as unpredictable as the weather, as my enemies are about to find out the hard way.

At the Wayfarer Inn, a portal to Otherworld and the local hangout for humans and beasties alike, a fellow operative, Jocko, has been murdered. Every clue points to Shadow Wing, the soul-munching, badass leader of the Subterranean Realms. He's made it clear that he aims to raze humankind to the ground, turning both Earth and Otherworld into his private playground. Our assignment: Keep Shadow Wing and his minions from creeping into Earth via the Wayfarer. The demons figure they're in like Flynn. After all, with only my bumbling sisters and me standing in the way, how can they miss? But we've got a secret for them: Faulty wiring or not, nobody kicks ass like the D'Artigo girls.