Seven Secrets of Seduction by Anne Mallory

Miranda Chase is the kind of woman who likes to think of adventure, she saves and plans for it but never gets around actually doing any of the things she desires. Instead, she spends her days working at her uncles book shop, devouring books and writing letters, and watching her best friend Georgette flirt with just about anyone with a pulse.

One otherwise inconspicuous day, Miranda is pulled away from her book by a husky voice asking her about 'sex'. That's the day she meets Mr. Jeffries (who later turns out of be Lord Maxim Downing) and they discuss a recently popular book called Seven Secrets of Seduction. Miranda is a fan of the book not so much for the seduction but for what she reads between lines. Lord Downing is far more cynical about it.

But so begins their flirtation.

I was disappointed in this book. I had heard great reviews and the beginning of the story itself was lovely, but the story began to lose me after the second chapter. One, because it dragged a bit. Two, because it didn't live up to that first chapter.

I really liked Miranda from the get go, but over time I kept wishing she grew a spine. And Maxim didn't turn out to be the charming guy I hoped, he had twisty ideas about love and marriage, and he was using Miranda almost from the start. And I grew tired of him in his many incarnations. Plus, the resolution came too quickly and too easy. I was one of those "What? No grovel?" books.
1/2

The Bride Price by Anne Mallory

A bunch of self important titled old men, decide to get together and create a 'tournament' of manly skills (with the contestants being third and fourth sons of titled men and bastard sons as well), and the winner gets lots of money, sponsorship to access the highest levels of society, a estate, a newly created viscountcy and a well-born bride Lady Sarah -and, since Lady Sarah is rather shy and no one really thinks of her as a prize, the rest of the prizes are the before mentioned "Bride Price".

Sebastien Deville one of the me who is competing - he's the bastard son of one of the before mentioned self-important titled old men - doesn't much care for most of the prizes except for the property they are offering: it once belonged to his mother's family and is the only home he has ever known.

On the other hand there is Caroline Martin, a poor relation of Lady Sarah, who loves the younger girl and is determined to protect her from a disastrous marriage (just like the one she had). So, even though she was ordered by Sarah's father to facilitate the contest, Caroline secretly sabotages as much as she can.

However, when Caroline meets Sebastien they are drawn together and, well, sparks fly.

Last year I heard a lot about The Bride Price and everyone seemed to love it, and I'm kind of iffy about books everyone likes because sometimes I don't and I feel weird about it, so it usually takes me a while to read the books everyone is talking about - like with the Prince Trilogy by Elizabeth Hoyt or The Black Dagger Brotherhood books by J.R. War (both of which I LOVED) or Delicious by Sherry Thomas (which I didn't like) - but I got to say that this book I did like.

Both Caroline and Sebastien have been hurt in their lives, and have made mistakes but by the time the meet they are both mature and act their own age. And Sebastien does the most romantic little things, which I adored.

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