The Wicked Wedding of Miss Ellie Vyne by Jayne Fresina

The Wicked Wedding of Miss Ellie Vyne (2013) (Sourcebooks Casablanca)
Jayne Fresina
Grade: C
Genre: historical romance
Sex scenes: hot
Source: NetGalley/own
Sydney Dovedale: (1) The Most Improper Miss Sophie Valentine, (2) The Wicked Wedding of Miss Ellie Vyne

Romance RBC 2014: A book with a heroine in disguise 

In order to finance her step-father’s expensive tastes and keep the creditors at bay, Miss Ellie Vyne is prone to dressing up as the Count de Bonneville and conning London’s Ton of their money and most precious jewels. When she lifts a diamond necklace off the deplorable Miss Ophelia Southwold, what Ellie doesn’t realise is that what she has in her possession is the Hartley Diamonds, belonging to her childhood nemesis, James Hartley. James tracks down the ‘Count’ to a rowdy inn, only to walk in on a nearly naked Ellie with the diamonds and the count nowhere to be found …

A Woman of Virtue by Liz Carlyle

A Woman of Virtue (2001) (Pocket Books)

Liz Carlyle

Grade: C+

Genre: historical romance

Sex scenes: a little shy of hot

Source: own 

Lorimer Family and Clan Cameron series 

As the widow of the late Lord Walrafen, Cecilia Lorimer has free reign over her life. Her short, two-year marriage was anything but a love match and she now revels in the freedom that widowhood affords her. She has chosen to devote her time to the Daughters of Nazareth Society – a charity mission for former prostitutes, run by an old friend. When that same friend ropes in his brother-in-law David Branthwaite, Lord Delacourt to take over in his absence, both Cecilia and David are disgusted. Just six years before, David  compromised Cecilia against her will, which led to a hasty proposal. Adamant that she wouldn’t let society’s derision dictate her life, Cecilia jilted David publicly and he has never forgotten – or forgiven – her.

Kidnapped by Nicola Cornick

Kidnapped (2009)
Nicola Cornick
Grade: C+
Genre: historical romance / ship
Sex scenes: doesn't hit mild
Source: library

The death of eighteen-year-old Catriona Balfour’s father just short months after it took away her mother has left Catriona numb. Her parents never resented the fact that she was a girl and their only child, and her father never thought that her lack of a ‘Y’ chromosome meant that she couldn’t be educated to the highest level in astronomy, mathematics and philosophy. She loves the small Scottish village that is her home but her newly orphaned status and almost-penniless state means that she can stay no longer. Fortunately, her Balfour relatives have taken her in, but as Catriona later discovers, this is a mixed blessing.