Friday, May 21, 2010

[NOR Review]: "My Darling Caroline"


My Darling CarolineTitle: My Darling Caroline
Author: Adele Ashworth
Publisher/Publication Date: Avon; Reissue edition (January 26, 2010)
*Reprint*
Genre: Historical Romance
Summary (Amazon):
No man's darling . . .
One by one, Lady Caroline Grayson watched her four sisters celebrate their betrothals, truly sure that marriage was not in her future—and perfectly pleased with that fact. Or so she thought.


Brent Ravenscroft, Earl of Weymerth, nearly gave his life for the Crown. He returned to England a hero with no intention of taking a bride, certain his brusque demeanor would intimidate any young ladies drawn to his good looks—or so he thought.


Bound by a business transaction, Caroline and Brent begin life as husband and wife. Utterly determined not to fall for each other, they stubbornly ignore the sparks flying between them and keep secrets at every turn. They would resist the lure of love—and the pleasures of the marriage bed—forever . . . or so they thought.



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My Review:

What began as an okay storyline in My Darling Caroline quickly turned into one of my favorite historical romances this year! At first, I was a bit hesitant about the characters, especially Brent, but as the story developed—and the characters along with it—I changed my mind completely, and found myself falling for Brent much like Caroline did.


Adele Ashworth has done a spectacular job at creating a beautiful love story. The romance is there, clearly seen, and even more importantly the connection between Brent and Caroline blossoms throughout the novel, beginning as a fresh bud and growing into a lush, full rose by the HEA. A touching romance, with the sweet and tender moments along with the the hot, lusty ones, My Darling Caroline grabbed me and pulled me right into the story, until all the characters seemed real, touchable, not just a name on a page.


Besides the romance, which was very well done, the book also had a story to it, one that, while maybe not the most original, is no where near a cliché either. In fact, just when you think that you've got it figured out, Ashworth would throw something new at you, especially towards the end. Between the perfect romance, the interesting storyline, witty conversations, and lively characters, My Darling Caroline is sure to leave an impression on the reader long after the last page has been turned!


4.5 STARS! I'm glad that I didn't give up on My Darling Caroline after the first few chapters because in the end I was left breathless from the outstandingly written romantic story! Between the interesting dilemmas the H/Hr faced, their passion for one another, and the tender love story that develops, this is a must read! Be sure to pick this one up if you want a refreshing voice in the historical romance genre. I look forward to reading more books by this talented author, including her upcoming novel later this year, The Duke's Captive.






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Thanks to Night Owl Reviews, where I received this book for free in exchange for reviewing the book. (Free book does not equal biased review, however!) This review is the property of NOR.
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Enjoy!






Until Next Time,
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2 comments :

Julie at Outlandish Dreaming said...

I really loved this one too - I consider it a thinking woman's romance. I too wasn't sure about him at first, but I grew to love him and the whole relationship that grows between the two and her love for botany was unusual and his past in the wars - it was all very, very well done!

Lover Of Romance said...

I love reading from Adele Ashworth!!! She is such a talented author, that brings the characters and the story to life!!! I haven't had the chance to read this one, but its definitely going on my TBR!