Jaimey Grant

*Book source ~ A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Gertrude tries so hard to be what Society expects of her…a Lady. But it seems no matter what she does it turns out wrong. Her illustrious graceless career peaks when she falls on Lord Chatterton, the catch of the Season. The ton makes fun of her, but Chatterton does not. He treats her like the Lady she truly is, grace or not, and Gertrude can’t figure out why. While waiting for the other shoe to drop, she falls in love with him. But that’s ok, because he’s already in love with her. With his mother, sister and all of Society against the match, do they stand a chance?

This is a fun, sweet, historical romance. Gertrude tends to be on the clumsy side, but Chatterton has a less obvious “flaw” that people rarely see because he’s taken great pains to hide it. Gertrude’s confusion over his attention is fun to witness as are the situations her clumsiness gets her into. I especially chortled at Gertrude’s opening fall in the beginning. Not because she fell and as he was helping her up she fell onto him, but what happened right after that. I will say no more. It’s a must read scene. *giggles* If you’re looking for a fun short read with great characters then look no further!… (más)

Okay, first let me explain my involvement with this project and then I'll get into my review. I watched these writers bust their asses on this project, from conception to publication. I offered my input when they were ironing out some kinks and witnessed their kickass marketing and enthusiasm. If every writer went into projects as this group of authors did, the number of exceptional books on the shelvs would skyrocket.

Now, my rating. I couldn't give this anthology five stars. Actually, my first rating after reading the finished product was a 3-3.5 star rating. A few stories were less than spectacular in my opinion. I was impressed with more than half of them, but in a few the writer in me noticed passive voice, telling, and weak characterization. But then....

My daughter, who is the target audience for Unlocked, asked if she could read it. I said sure. It took me about three or four days to get through Unlocked, Courtney read it in a day. She couldn't put it down. I asked her opinion of the stories, and she picked out one or two that she didn't like because they didn't have enough action. But, she still loved it. She raved about Symbiote, Unlocking William, The Bookseller, and Shoshanna. Those are her favorites, but she laughed through Crop Circles and thought The Key to a Good Education was 'interesting'. What does that have to do with anything? This book is written for a YA audience and the writers hit their target dead on.

So, I reflected on my own initial reaction and realized that I was a little biased. Various factors influenced my 3 star intention. I'd seen various drafts, and knew the authors among other things.

To be fair, this book is a four star book, five stars in my daughter's opinion. I recommend this for all readers. It's worth picking up and you will find a collection of stories that are both creative and memorable.… (más)

Duke Hartley Giles St. Clair or otherwise known as Lord Heartless is a phenomenal character that could give any rogue in any historcal romance a run for his money. His sarcastic wit and audacious manner are infectious. Leandra is an endearing character who is kind hearted and although occasionally feisty when necessary, balances the relationship which develops between her and Hart. Not only is there a romance but a conspiracy is brewing by the most unlikely characters. A large number of twists to the plot certainly keeps the reader hooked and a wonderful writing style that has me eager to read another book by this author. There were a few minor incidences that I felt were not explained as fully as they could have been as well as one particular situation which I also thought could have been explored and that would have made an interesting addition to the story. 4.5 stars

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.… (más)