Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Spoiler: The Dog Dies

Passions of a Wicked Earl by Lorraine Heath

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It sets a certain tone when a historical romance opens with the hero going at it with his mistress. The series is called “London’s Greatest Lovers”, after all. Like the heroes of the other two books in the trilogy, Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman and Waking Up with the Duke, as well as a couple of other Lorraine Heath heroes, the gentleman in question has an enchanted phallus and hard-earned prowess in slipping it to women. The kind of mad skillz that render the heroine’s […]

Another Historical Romance, But with a Bit of a Tirade on My Part

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It’s 1858, Mercy Dawson and her bastard son have been brought to the family home of Stephen Lyons. Appalled by her conduct, her father abandons her there. Thinking Stephen dead, Mercy is hoping that in bringing his son to his aristocratic family, they will let her stay on as nanny. She just wants to be with her child, but quickly learns that Stephen is very much alive and in rough shape. Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman follows the development of their relationship and the marriage […]

Another Historical Romance Series, But with an Homage to Oliver Twist

In Bed with the Devil, Between the Devil and Desire, Surrender to the Devil, Midnight Pleasures with a Scoundrel, and The Last Wicked Scoundrel by Lorraine Heath

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Every romance author has a through line to her work and Lorraine Heath’s is damaged people finding strength in each other and themselves to persevere and succeed. The Scoundrels of St. James series has this through line, as well an homage to Oliver Twist. There is an Oliver, a Feagan, a Dodger, a Sykes, and a Nancy. A group of four friends – don’t worry, Sykes isn’t one of them – have survived and escaped Victorian London’s rookeries and built better lives for themselves; in […]

Another Historical Romance, But with Yule and Alacrity

Deck the Halls with Love by Lorraine Heath

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I continue to work my way through Lorraine Heath’s catalogue filling my time with B-list historical romance. This novella belongs to the Lost Lords of Pembrook series which includes: She Tempts the Duke – tortured hero, kind and loving heroine Lord of Temptation – so much meh Lord of Wicked Intentions – really good, great heroine Deck the Halls with Love was a quick read even for a novella. Lord Chetwyn was jilted by Anne, the heroine of Lord of Temptation. Specifically, he consented to […]

Another Historical Romance, But With Illiteracy

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Armed with my library card, I have been working my way through Lorraine Heath’s back catalogue. She is a B-list author for me: I don’t buy her books, but I will pick them up, if they are close to hand. Reading the older novels, I find I like her better. I’m going to keep going until my library’s supply is exhausted. As an Earl Desires is the story of the Dowager Countess of Sachse and the new Earl, a man who has risen in life […]

Another Historical Romance, But With Adultery

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The Marquess of Walfort has a proposal for the Duke of Ainsley: For one month, Ainsley and Walfort’s Marchioness, Jayne, will shag each other rotten in an attempt to knock her up. Left paralysed and impotent by a drunken carriage accident Ainsley caused, Walfort feels he is owed this opportunity to give his wife the child he is unable to. Ainsley and Jayne are dead set against it. Ainsley very sensibly does not want to cuckold his friend, no matter what his debt/guilt, and, of […]



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