If you’ll recall from my previous review of Tessa Dare’s A Week to Be Wicked, I mentioned that I would probably be going on a Tessa Dare binge pretty quickly. This is the beginning of that. This one came in from the library yesterday, and I bought two others at Bookmans three hours ago. So this is happening. Dammit.
I didn’t like this one as much as A Week to Be Wicked, which is the second book in the Spindle Cove series. A Night to Surrender is the first. The series is set in Spindle’s Cove (dur), a small village on the coast of England known for being a place where women can go to recover, to get away, to take refuge. It has the not very nice nickname of ‘Spinster’s Cove’ as a result. Our main character Susanna Finch took up residence in the Cove ten years previously and is largely responsible for its reputation as a haven for odd or damaged or different women. She loves her little haven and will do anything to keep it a safe place for women to be free from what she sees as society’s damaging expectations (at least, as free as a hypothetical woman could be in the year 1812).
Her romantic opposite is the newly minted Earl of Rycliff, Victor “Bram” Bramwell, who is given the long extinct title (and the ruin of a castle it comes with) after earning distinction on the battlefield. He pops into town, literally knocking Susanna off her feet, and introduces himself by planting one on her. Right from that moment, I was hooked on the book. It was silly, funny, and sexy. All things I enjoy very much. The rest of the book also proved to have a little bit of kick to it as well, with both of them struggling with issues of gender identity and pride. It was very well done, if you like that kind of solid fluff, which I do. Also, verrrry good sex scenes. A plus.
Will be lapping up books three and four (and the two other novellas in the series) shortly.
I was pretty much saying to myself “How is this my fault?” and then I realized that yes, this is totally my fault. Not apologizing. Most of the Tessa Dare books are a lot of fun. This included – even if it’s not as awesome as A Week to Be Wicked.
Gah. Why can’t we edit comments? I hate bad html.
There, I fixed it for you. I think we can only edit comments on our own posts.
I promise this is the last time I will blame you. From here on out, I will shoulder the blame for my own binge-reading behaviors.
I like it when I can blame Malin for something. It’s always something good.
She does have excellent taste.
She really does. I have so much to thank her for.
Just wait… soon you’ll turn into a Tessa Dare completist, and then you’ll have to read all her books! It’s not as bad as it sounds, and her novellas are better than most romance novellas out there!
I am still missing three from her early days as the price never comes down on Amazon.
Me too. I have yet to read her earliest trilogy, the dubiously named Wanton Dairymaid trilogy, but I’m going to get round to it at some point. I absolutely agree on Dare’s novellas. They tend to be great.
The name of that trilogy makes me laugh really hard.
I think I already am one. I’ve got the next novella all ready to go on my Kindle app.