What a Woman Desires by Rachel Brimble

Reviewed by Desere

Every normal woman has dreams, even those who are already married to the wealthiest of men, yes even those have a little side line dream of something or someone that would make them happy.  In this absolutely beautifully crafted read from the multi talented Rachel Brimble we meet Monica Danes. She has always wanted more than what the village of Biddlestone had to offer. After a failed courtship to the man of her parent's choosing , she fled for the city of Bath and never looked back. Now she graces the stage and she's the undisputed queen of the theater , a very wealthy and independent woman. But when she is called home in the wake of tragedy, Monica returns but plans to leave again as soon as possible.

Thomas Ashby has been a groom at the Danes estate since he was a boy, and has enamored with Monica for almost as long. He knows he isn't a suitable match for his master's daughter , despite the special bond he and Monica has always shared. Not to mention the undeniable attraction.  As Monica re-enters the world she left behind Thomas sees it as his final change prove himself as worthy. He will show Monica a life and love she won't want to give up.

This read was filled with such exquisite opulence it was as if I was being transported back in time , a time when romance was pure elegance. Right from the start of the read my heart was pounding with excitement to the point where it would literally feel like it was about to burst of simply jump out of my chest. Yes, I kid you not the excitement was that powerful, this is after all a story written by one of the best romance authors in the world, so it was no surprise, just extremely unhealthy for my poor heart that had to try and keep up with the remarkable magical pace of this read.

There was conflict and I do mean real, in your face, cannot be overlooked conflict, none of that dull this is so boring it;s not even real conflict stuff. No, this author brought her A -game when it came to the conflict. I was hanging onto each and every single word , and I literally wanted to be right there to get in on the action.

The settings in this read were simply put, absolutely, freaking spectacular! I have always said I wish I lived in another time period, a time when romance had elegance and true meaning, a time when ballgowns where the start of your dreams coming true when looking in the mirror. The author dropped me right into the middle of it all. I could smell the elegance, I could touch the richness, I could hear the exquisite heartbeat of a world set in  a time that sadly has been lost.

The characters, were mind blowing, I loved Monica. Her fighting spirit left me with a huge smile on my face and thinking " That's it, you go girl!" Thomas was my weakness, I fell hook, line and sinker for this hero, not because he is the absolute prefect example of a true gentleman but because of his feelings for Monica and the manner he uses to try and convince her that he is good enough for her. I wanted to tell him to keep pushing, to keep fighting , and to never let go, and of course I was over the moon with delight and squealed like a happy child on Christmas day when the man proves he is never and I mean never going to give up.

From the remarkably crafted settings, being transported back into time, falling in love with the hero, rooting for the heroine,  till the absolutely prefect ending to an incredible read, this read had everything I could wish for when picking up a romance book. It's the romance read of the century !

I highly recommend this read for all fans that wish to step back into time and travel on the journey of epic romantic proportions! Rachel , your talent is endless and I cannot wait for the next masterpiece to hit the shelves !

5/5 star review

" She's about to step into the performance of a lifetime, but will the ending be the one she's always desired?" 

The River of no return by Bee Ridgway

Reviewed by Desere


The year is 1812, Lord Nicolas Falcot is about to die on the battlefield. Then suddenly as the hand of death is about to strike the hand of fate intervenes and Nick finds himself very much alive and well living 200 years in the future.

He soon learns of the secret time traveling organization The Guild responsible for "saving" him, the only rule in exchange for the life saving deal, tell no one. As Nick starts his new life and keeps his secret under wraps his heart constantly reminds him of the one he left behind, Julia.

The arrival of a sealed envelope brings about a whole new game and a whole new set of rules, as Nick and Julia 's lives once again intertwines, but what will happen when the real secrets are revealed.

Those who know me well , know that when it comes to historical reads am not a very big fan, but every now and then I do find one that either the cover or the blurb grabs my attention, as was the case this time around. I took one look at the cover and fell in love with the mystery, and when I read the back it really got me thinking ' Time traveling in 1812? Really? Now that 's something I want to know about!'

What I found was really a truly remarkable read, fascinating characters and exquisite historical detail all wrapped up with a stunning string of secrets. Now normally I would go into vivid detail but with this read I think it essential for all reading fans out there to sit down and really take this all by reading it for themselves, so instead of my normal review lines am going to wrap this up in as a neat as possible.

The characters were all really written well, I particuarly loved the character of Nick, the poor man goes from about to die to living in a whole new world to back to his old life and trapped between saving the new world or sacrifising it all in the name of love. I loved how the author let his uncertainly and fear shine through but no so much so that he appears to be one of those " Too weak to stand " types of hero's , those I really do loath, so nicely done Bee.

The descriptions of both the new and old worlds were simply breathtaking , I was transported back with heart-stopping clarity and brought back again with a bang! The book was so much more than just a series of characters living between the past and now, the secrets are what made this read.

From the how is this possible to the who was that and the why 's it all was brought together with remarkable talent, I look forward to what this author has to offer up next.

And of course my review is vague but as I said you want to , no make that you have to read this, got get a coy now!

4.5 star review
" The here and now is all that matters, right?" 

**Now available at Penguin Books South Africa 

Bellissima by Anya Richards

Reviewed by Desere

Jane Rollins is anything but a plain Jane, but in order to keep her position as housekeeper for a wealthy family she hides her beauty and just goes on working every day, with no problems. That is until the master of dance Sergio Fontini waltzes into her life. 

Sergio sees the real beauty that lies behind the drab clothes and he wants to badly uncover it for all the world to see. The question of course is why would Jane even let him do so, she's been working real hard to keep up the facade in the first place. 

Then there's the matter of life of death, for if Sergio persists and seduces Jane it will put both their livelihoods at risk, and then there will be nothing left for them and one cannot survive on love along, right ? 

This read was a little different than what I usually read, it was still romance but with the different setting I can't say I was completely comfortable, kind of like when you know everyone knows a secret but you are the last to know. 

I liked the passion and romance that sparkles between Sergio and Jane, and I absolutely adored that Sergio could see the real Jane , it was a really nice and sweet touch especially because I did not really see that coming , it 's something I expect to pop up in contemporary romance reads but in historical I was thinking more they meet , but their love is forbidden and then they find a way kind of element , but the author as I said surprised me and I really liked it. 

I great message about how there is always a way to make things work, it might look bleak but it will work out if you look hard enough there's a way. 

4 star review 

" He sees her, the real her, but will she let him keep her?" 
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Reviewed by Nas

BELLISSIMA by author Anya Richards is a September 2014 release by Samhain Publishing.

It's super hot, historical saga. I loved this author Anya Richards writing. She brought to live the settings of the era so beautifully that I felt I was in that era with the hero and the heroine.

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The Chatsfied ~~ Short Reads : The Couple in the dream suite by Marguerite Kaye

Reviewed by Desere

World world one just as many other wars of our time, caused loss, confusion, tragedies no one ever wants to speak of again and countless broken hearts.

In this short read, author Marguerite Kaye adds in her two cents for the brand new Mills and Boon The Chatsfield series, and took me not only on a journey of love but one of healing during a time the world seemed at it's cruelest.

The read tells of Justin and Vera, they both have love and lost a piece of themselves during the war, and it seems one magical night will help them both to simply forget it all for a few hours. But once morning light comes Vera is all about forever, only Justin pushes her away, and it seems that happy ever after for these two will never happen.

I really loved the character of Justin, he suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which after what he has gone through is completely understandable. In my line of work I deal with war hero's suffering from the very same each and every minute of every day, so I am always a little skeptical to read romance books that have a relation to PTSD.  I always fear I will not pick up on the full impact it has on a person's life, or that the author will not let me in on the very raw heartache and despair that the men and woman from war have to face when the war ends.

I am delighted to say the author totally nailed it all, I felt Justin's anger, hurt and despair and it crawled deep into my soul. I wanted to grab him, hold him tight and just help him. And Vera oh my Vera was such a stunning character that totally amazed me with her strength.

I am taking away a message of life is cruel and unkind, and most of the time we never understand why it happens. But there is always hope and a chance for healing, but you need to let that one special person in to your world of darkness in order to find the light at the end of the tunnel.

I recommend this read for anyone and everyone who loves a good romance set against a stunning roaring twenties backdrop setting. It was all simply magically brought to life !

4.5 star review
" The dreams within a suite takes a step outside the doors"