Bite Sized Reviews: Most Eligible Sheriff

Published:  March 4th, 2014

Most Eligible Sheriff (Sweetheart Nevada #3)

By: Cathy McDavid

Harlequin

ISBN-13:  9780373755110

A Reason To Stay

Las Vegas casino manager Ruby McPhee needs to lay low while the police deal with a stalker at work.  So she's trading in her high heels for cowboy boots and assuming her twin sister's identity at the Gold Nugget Ranch.  Ruby only plans on staying in Sweetheart, Nevada, until the threat back home has passed.  But then she discovers a detail her sister forgot to mention -- the handsome sheriff she's dating.

It only takes a single kiss for Cliff Dempsey to realize the woman in his arms is someone entirely different...and completely irresistible.  To protect Ruby's secret, Cliff mantains her ruse, but soon the lines between duty and desire begin to blur.  Ruby and Cliff know they have a once-in-a-lifetime connection, but will they have a chance to let their love grow?

Review

     Ruby McPhee is on the run, to take over her sister Scarlett's life while her stalker is in jail in Las Vegas.  She needs to get away until the trial is over, and Scarlett is trying to reconcile again with her on-again/off-again boyfriend, Dimitri.  So Ruby goes to fill in at work for her, so Scarlett won't lose her job at the ranch where she works.  Of course her sister left out a very important detail when she was giving Ruby the lowdown on her life - she's been dating Cliff, the local sheriff!  Imagine Ruby's surprise when he shows up at the ranch, starts talking about going out on a date, and kisses her!  Cliff immediately knows that she's not Scarlett and after some skepticism and anger, he decides to help Ruby pretend to be Scarlett until her stalker is put away.  But when the danger finally comes to town, can everyone escape unscathed?  And can Cliff and Ruby ignore their attraction to one another, or are they simply meant to be?

     I for the most part really enjoyed this small-town romance!  I didn't realize that it was #3 in an on-going series, but it definitely works as a stand-alone as well.  The history of Sweetheart, the town Cliff lives in, was very adorable and I loved how it played into his romance with Ruby.  Also, the differences between her and Scarlett, and the mishaps they caused were pretty funny at times.  The attraction between Cliff and Ruby definitely rings true throughout the book, and I liked that this one wasn't all about the sex between two people.  It was more about the falling in love part of love, than the lust factor in the equation.  I totally understood why Cliff was hesitant to get involved with Ruby, after having gotten involved with a witness to a crime in Reno and being burned by the relationship.  Plus, it ruined his standing with the police department he worked for.  Probably my least favorite things about this one were the selfish, flaky attitude of Scarlett, who is stringing along Cliff as a placeholder until she can be with Dimitri, and the attitudes of Cliff, his family and the other townspeople after the showdown with the stalker.  Yes, Scarlett made a bad decsion to go off on her own with Cliff's cousin's children, when a crazed freak was after her identical twin.  But it was Cliff's fault for leaving the kids with Scarlett, when he knows she's an undependable, opportunist who has not a brain in her head most of the time!  

     The way they blame Ruby for everything and how they treat her about it, is completely abominable.  The ending resolves very sweetly after Cliff and his Aunt (the mayor) take their heads out of their asses and Ruby swings a high profile wedding to jumpstart the town's economy.  Overall, a very cute and fast-paced romance, with a slight thriller element to it.  But that ending just left a little bit of a bad taste in my mouth.  If you're looking for a quick, romantic read and you might enjoy it.

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

*I received a print ARC of this book from a representative (thanks Anna!) at Harlequin, as part of their Just Can't Get Enough campaign (March Theme: Weddings).  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book was published on  March 4th, 2014.*

Undercover Girl

 

Expected Publication:  November 5th, 2013

Palace of Spies (Palace of Spies #1)

By: Sarah Zettel

HMH Books for Young Readers

ISBN-13:  9780544074118

 

A warning to all young ladies of delicate breeding who wish to embark upon lives of adventure: Don't.

Sixteen-year-old Peggy is a well-bred orphan who is coerced into posing as a lady in waiting at the palace of King George I. Life is grand, until Peggy starts to suspect that the girl she's impersonating might have been murdered. Unless Peggy can discover the truth, she might be doomed to the same terrible fate. But in a court of shadows and intrigue, anyone could be a spy—perhaps even the handsome young artist with whom Peggy is falling in love . . . History and mystery spark in this effervescent series debut.

 

Review

 

      Peggy Fitzroy (nod to the royal bastard of the Tudor era here, maybe?) is an orphan living on the charity of her stern and dour Uncle.  But when he arranges for her to marry a notorious rake against her wishes, Peggy decides to meet up with a mysterious man, Mr. Tinderflint, who claimed to have known her Mother and take him up on a job offer.  It turns out he and a group of others have a scheme to get Peggy into the court of King George as a spy - by impersonating Lady Francesca who's a recently deceased, orphaned noblewoman who is a lady in waiting to the Princess Catherine.  Peggy decides to participate in the charade, but finds herself in over her head when confronted by a secret lover of Fran's, drawings depicting court happenings that could get her tried for treason and the very real possibility that Fran herself might have been murdered for her own not quite so Crown-loyal activities.  Can Peggy pull off becoming Fran without raising suspicions and being exposed?  And will she manage to outwit whoever murdered the real Fran, who may not have really been as innocent as she made herself seem to everyone around her?  While trying to deal with a mystery Peggy might just also find herself in love, which presents all sorts of problems all its own.....

     I really enjoyed this novel and Peggy was definitely an interesting character.  I did get the feeling like a lot of other readers, that things in regards to the language and narration were a little too modern to be a truly good historical fiction novel.  Peggy, as a girl with nothing, has nothing to lose in deciding to impersonate Lady Francesca in King George's court.  I did like the banter between her and her cousin in the beginning pages of the novel and the reintroduction of her cousin into her new, crazily mixed-up life later on in the narrative.  It was a fairly enjoyable, funny play at a historical spy novel.  The romantic aspect between Peggy and the artist's apprentice Matthew Reade, plus her confused feelings for Fran's secret love, a footman in the palace were very well-drawn.  At times the love triangle got slightly angsty, but I always kind of knew who Peggy was going to end up with even at the beginning - which was perfectly okay with me as someone not fond of love triangles being drawn out. 

     As someone who doesn't really know a lot about that period of time in the history of the English crown/royal genealogy, I didn't find myself picking at things the author might have changed.  I might have even learned something.  I found it interesting that there was a rebellion between George, who wasn't the closest descendant by blood to the throne but was King, and James who WAS closest to the throne but was exiled and called "The Pretender."  The spy plot in this book is all about proper claim to the throne, and possible plots to overthrow current rule by King George.  As much as I liked the rompy, slow-building action of the court intrigue in this book I did find myself a little disappointed in it's predictability.  The evil fellow lady-in-waiting Sophy Howe, and her true intentions, the realities of Francesca and her real parentage/status/personality and actions, & the dual resolution/open ended spying plot.  Overall, this book was really a fun read and it gave me a reprieve from all the heavy books I've read lately.  I enjoyed the humor of it and the enthusiasm of the main character and the author.  I'll definitely be reading the next one, even if it just turns out to be a fun and fluffy series instead of anything truly long-lasting in my reading life.  I'd recommend it to fans of lighter historical fare, who aren't nitpickers.

 

VERDICT:  3.75/5  Stars

 

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication is November 5th, 2013.*