On His Watch by Katie Ruggle
Publication Date: January 5, 2016
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Amazon Link: HERE
Received From: Purchased


Summary (from Amazon):
In the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder...

Ice rescue diver Derek Warner never meant to be a hero. But when two little girls go missing, he's the first in line to bring them home—even if that means scouring the wilderness with the woman he once loved and lost, Artemis Rey.

Artemis has never stopped wanting Derek. Now, racing to find the girls before it's too late, minutes turn to hours. Night falls. Old flames rekindle. And a danger grows in the darkest wilderness that may be more than even the Search and Rescue brotherhood can hope to face...

Review:
When two girls run away after they dare a boy to jump in the freezing water, Artemis, the children's teacher, knows she has to find them before it's too late, even if it means working with Derek, her ex-boyfriend, who she still has feelings for. Artemis and Derek dated years earlier but they broke up because Derek didn't think he was good enough for Artemis, even though he never stopped loving her. While they work together to find the two missing girls, will they give into their desires or is it too late to pick up where they left off?

On His Watch is a novella that is part of Katie Ruggle's Search and Rescue series. The novella is only 100 pages long, but I thought the author did a good job of creating an interesting plot while also developing the relationship between Artemis and Derek. I usually don't like novellas because they usually seem too short and the story doesn't seem fleshed out enough, but I enjoyed On His Watch. I liked that the relationship between Derek and Artemis was a second-chance romance, because it helped to create a more realistic romance since the relationship progressed quickly in the story. But while I enjoyed the story and the romance, it wasn't one of my favorites and I don't think it's unique enough to stand out from other novellas or novels.

Overall, I recommend On His Watch to fans of Katie Ruggle or readers looking for a novella featuring a search and rescue team and a second-chance romance.

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The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan
Publication Date: April 21, 2012
Publisher: Self Published
Amazon Link: HERE
Received From: Purchased


Summary (from Amazon):
Hugo Marshall earned the nickname "the Wolf of Clermont" for his ruthless ambition--a characteristic that has served him well, elevating the coal miner's son to the right hand man of a duke. When he's ordered to get rid of a pestering governess by fair means or foul, it's just another day at work.

But after everything Miss Serena Barton has been through at the hands of his employer, she is determined to make him pay. She won't let anyone stop her--not even the man that all of London fears. They might call Hugo Marshall the Wolf of Clermont, but even wolves can be brought to heel...

Review:
After the Duke of Clermont wrongs Serena, while she was working in his household, she goes to him for payment. But the Duke refuses her request, so Serena decides to sit outside his residence every day, all day, until he gives her what she wants. The Duke instructs Hugo to get rid of Serena before his wife finds out, and Hugo, who has to fulfill the request in order to get his money so he can start his own empire, obeys. But even after filling her bench with other people so she has to stand all day, and threatening to throw Serena and her sister out of their apartments, Serena refuses to give in for the little sum Hugo tries to persuade her to take. And after a few days of being in each others company, stubbornness turns into something more and they can't help but wonder if giving in will get them what they truly desire. 

I've read and enjoyed novels by Courtney Milan before, and The Governess Affair was no different. I was pleasantly surprised by both Serena and Hugo, because Serena was stubborn but in a way that I couldn't help but admire and Hugo was a good man behind his gruffness and ambition. Their characters also came across as real and believable, which was one of the things that really stood out to me. This is a novella, since it's only 98 pages, but not once did I think the story progressed too fast. Courtney Milan did a great job with developing the characters in such a short time, and I almost wished the story was longer because I enjoyed the characters so much. 

Overall, I would definitely recommend The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan to anyone looking for a well-written historical romance novella. 

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Submitting to the Marquess by Em Brown
Publication Date: August 16, 2016
Publisher: Self Published
Amazon Link: HERE
Received From: Purchased


Summary (from Amazon):
Would you spend one night at the Chateau Debauchery to indulge in wicked pleasures of the flesh?

Mildred Abbott is a proper Regency miss, but she cannot deny the dark desires that torment her body in the quiet of the night. Engaged to an uninspiring sycophant, she asks her influential cousin to interfere and break her engagement. When her appeals to him fail, she decides to take a singular opportunity—a visit to the Chateau Debauchery—to indulge her most wanton cravings before she submits herself to a life of wedded dullness.

The Marquess of Alistair concerns himself with no one, but to appease his aunt on her birthday, he agrees to select one person whose interests he will look after. It was not his intention to choose his plain and simple cousin, Mildred, but when she unexpectedly shows up at the Chateau Debauchery, his hand is forced. Knowing his aunt to be partial to Miss Abbott, he grudgingly decides to act the part of a gentleman to preserve her honor by removing her from the Chateau.

But Mildred refuses to go until she has had her night of wicked debauchery.

Review:
Although Alistair is hard and selfish, to appease his family he bestows a dowry on his cousin by marriage, Mildred. Mildred is tired of her parents pushing her to marry, and because of their pushing she agrees to marry dull George Haversham, but she instantly regrets it. She begs Alistair to take away the dowry in the hope that George will no longer want to marry her, but Alistair refuses. Resigned to marry, Mildred with the help of her aunt, decides to spend one night at the Chateau Debauchery, a place where men and women act out their deepest desires. But seeing Alistair there is awful, because not only does he find out about her sexual desires and lack of innocence but he also prevents her from going off with the man of her choosing. The thought of his cousin by marriage Mildred having desires is something Alistair's surprised by, but in no way will he let her go off with a stranger to fulfill those desires, so he takes matters into his own hands.

I've read and loved Em Brown's books before, especially Submitting to His Lordship and Punishing Miss Primrose, and Submitting to the Marquess was no different. Submitting to the Marquess is a historical romance with heavy erotic and BDSM elements. But even though most of the story is comprised of sex, Em Brown is able to weave a story that is interesting and kept me turning the pages. I really enjoyed both Mildred's and Alistair's characters—Mildred is strong enough to know what she wants and isn't the typical innocent heroine that we often see in historical romances, and Alistair is the typical rogue that only focuses on his own pleasure. The cousin storyline was a little worrying to me at first, but it turned out to be something I wasn't bothered by because Mildred and Alistair are only cousins by marriage. But still, at times I felt a little awkward by their positions as family, even if they weren't blood related, so if that idea grosses you out at all, I would stay away from this one.

Also, please note that this is the first book in a series and the sequel will be coming out in November 2016.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a historical erotica with BDSM elements.

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