The Unwanted Earl by Ruth J Hartman ~ Book Review

Book Summary:

Amelia Talbot has been issued a death sentence. At least it feels that way. The thought of marrying a man old enough to be her grandfather sends her into a panic. So much so that she sets off on a desperate search to find another man to marry her—quickly.

Conrad Croome, the Fifth Earl of Lofton, knows all too well that blackmail isn’t the way to form a marriage. How ironic that one Amelia Talbot uses a Croome family secret he’d thought long buried to force him to marry her.

Is Conrad doomed to a life of marriage based on an exposed secret, or could Amelia learn to love an unwanted earl? 

Purchase on Amazon US | Amazon CA | Smashwords |

About the Author:

Ruth J. Hartman spends her days herding cats, and her nights spinning sweet romantic tales that make you smile, giggle or laugh out loud. She, her husband, and their three cats, love to spend time curled up in their recliners watching old Cary Grant movies. Well, the cats, Maxwell, Roxy and Remmie, sit in the people's recliners. Not that the cats couldn't get their own furniture. They just choose to shed on someone else's. You know how selfish those little furry creatures can be.

Ruth, a left-handed, cat-herding, Jeep driving, farmhouse-dwelling romance writer uses her goofy sense of humor as she writes tales of lovable, klutzy women and the men who adore them. Ruth's husband and best friend, Garry, reads her manuscripts, rolls his eyes at her weird story ideas, and loves her in spite of her penchant for insisting all of her books have at least one cat in them. Or twelve. But hey, who's counting?

Connect with Ruth on her Blog * Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter

Review:

Did you read Love Birds at Regent's Park? If you have you will get a better understanding to Lord Lofton in this new novel. You can read this book without reading Love Birds but I do recommend it as the characters cross over into The Unwanted Earl. In The Unwanted Earl we follow Lord Lofton (Conrad) in his quest to marry and find is real father. Conrad also decides to change himself for the better and be nicer to the people around him, especially his servants & commoners.

The author does a great job with making each character likeable in this book even though I really didn't like Conrad in Love Birds. Neither of them are as mean as they portray themselves to be at the beginning of the book. The author did a great job with the storyline and incorporating the characters from her last book into this one. I loved learning why Conrad didn't like the outdoors or animals. It was funny to see him paired up with a lady that loves to spend all her time around animals and being outdoors.  Conrad found himself being blackmailed into marrying Amelia but as the book went on you could see the budding romance between both of them and knew by the end they would be marrying for love.

Another great sweet romance from Ruth J Hartman. I am hoping for a book #3 to see where the marriage takes Amelia and Conrad. This isn't your typical regency romance and some history buffs may not enjoy but if you go into the book wanting a light romance with humor  you will enjoy this book. I laughed so hard at the end Amelia's mom is just too funny having "the talk" with Amelia and also the behaviour of the two mothers is a hoot.

I give this book a 4.5 stars out of 5.


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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New Release ~ The Matchmakers by Ruth J Hartman ~ Book Review

Book Summary: 

Who's to say cats can't be matchmakers?

Jessie Selkirk has a mission — to take care of every stray cat she finds. They are her life, her sole reason for being. But when Baldwin Rutledge steps into her barn looking for a cat, she develops a whole new interest. One in which she must continually remind herself there is no future. No. Best to hope for nothing beyond friendship and spare herself a broken heart.

Baldwin Rutledge is desperate to stop his aunt from trying to find him a wife. So he decides to distract her by procuring a second cat for her. His plan is working beautifully, until he meets pretty Jessie Selkirk. Now marriage is the only thing he thinks about. He’d like to be more than acquaintances, but convincing her of that might take some doing.

Purchase on Amazon tomorrow (will post link when it is live). Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

About the Author: 

Ruth J. Hartman spends her days herding cats, and her nights spinning sweet romantic tales that make you smile, giggle or laugh out loud. She, her husband, and their three cats, love to spend time curled up in their recliners watching old Cary Grant movies. Well, the cats, Maxwell, Roxy and Remmie, sit in the people's recliners. Not that the cats couldn't get their own furniture. They just choose to shed on someone else's. You know how selfish those little furry creatures can be.

Ruth, a left-handed, cat-herding, Jeep driving, farmhouse-dwelling romance writer uses her goofy sense of humor as she writes tales of lovable, klutzy women and the men who adore them. Ruth's husband and best friend, Garry, reads her manuscripts, rolls his eyes at her weird story ideas, and loves her in spite of her penchant for insisting all of her books have at least one cat in them. Or twelve. But hey, who's counting? 

Connect with Ruth on her Blog * Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter

Review: 

I am a cat fan (only have 4 of our own) so I found this novella to be super cute. It is a sweet romance or more of a beginning to what will be a very sweet romance between the two main characters, Jessie and Baldwin. The characters are all very likeable along with each of the cats. Funny how a small little animal can bring people together. I started this book and couldn't put it down. I read it in one sitting! If you are looking for a cute novella with no drama other than the cats this is a great book, maybe a bedtime story. Ruth keeps the story hoping from beginning to end with no shortage of the wonderful cats. I love Baldwin's eccentric Aunt who will get her way, one way or another.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars!


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*~

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Author Spotlight Saturday ~ Meet Ruth J. Hartman & Giveaway!

Today we have one of my very close author friends on Author Spotlight Saturday her name is Ruth J Hartman. 

Please welcome Ruth to Genuine Jenn!

Ruth has numerous books under her belt and I have been very fortunate to have read a good handful or more of them so far. I started out reading Better than Catnip in a book club and then Ruth asked if I would be interested in reading a Regency book that she had just published. I will be completely honest I wasn't really sure about it as I don't usually read history, olden day type books. I read it with an open mind and found that I just loved this book. I have now read a few more of Ruth's Regency books and can tell you they are more of a happy love story than historical.

Let's get to know Ruth better and at the end of the Interview please check out the list of titles Ruth has available to read. 

Tell us a little bit about your book(s) and yourself. 

I live in rural Indiana with my husband and our cats. We lived in our 100-year-old farmhouse for so long, I barely remember living anyplace else. Last year, I retired from dental hygiene and began writing full time. It was the right decision for me. J I’ve written several Regency Romances, Contemporary Romances, a children’s book and a memoir. 

When was your first book published?  

“My Life in Mental Chains”, a memoir, was published in 2008. I was 45. 

Are you currently working on anything? 

My current work in progress is a Regency Romance. It’s book three in my Love Birds series. And I’ve recently signed contracts for three new romances with EsKape Press. 

Why did you decide to become an Author?

I actually didn’t decide to. I wanted to write my memoir and wasn’t sure there’d be any more books after that. But thankfully, there have been many and I hope there will be many more to come. 

Who and what inspired you to write? 

My severe OCD was the reason I decided to write my memoir. I had to pretty much re-live the terrible four years over again to put it down on paper, but once it was done, I was glad I’d written it. Many, many people have thanked me and said that it helped them with their own mental disorders, or those of someone they love. 

When you are writing do you like to listen to music? What is on your playlist? 

I actually can’t listen to music while I write because it’s too distracting. I find myself singing along and chair-dancing and then I don’t get any writing done. Right now, though, I am listening to some soft music online that has bird songs along with it. It’s very relaxing. 

Who is your favorite character in your books? 

Oh, I’m not sure I could pick one. I identify with all of them. I guess one of my favorite traits about my heroines, though, would be that they all love cats. 

Do you ever take characteristics or nuances from close friends or family when working on character development and if so has that friend or family member noticed and what was their response to it? 

Many of my heroes are based on my husband.  I often use his build, coloring and sense of humor when I create the characters. The first time he read one of my romances, he looked up and said, “Hey, it’s me.” 

What is your favorite book of all time?  

I have so many favorites that it’s hard to answer. I will say, though, that when I read “A Wrinkle in Time” as a kid it opened up my imagination more than anything ever had before. 

Tell us in one sentence why we should read your books. 

If you like light-hearted stories about true love with happy endings, then you’re sure to enjoy mine. 

Thanks for taking your time to answer some questions for my readers at Genuine Jenn.  

Check out these great titles (Amazon) by Ruth J Hartman:

Mind of a Stranger, Romancing the Dustman's Daughter, Love Birds of Regent's Park, Romance at the Royal Menagerie, Rescued by a Duke, Time for a Duke, Cats and Cowboys, Life in Mental Chains, Better Than Catnip, Murphy in the Paw-Paw Patch, Grin and Barrett, Purrfect Voyage, Flossophy of Grace

You can find Ruth on Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Website

Enter to win your choice of one of the above e-books! This giveaway is open internationally. 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you an author that would like to be featured on Author Spotlight Saturday or have your book(s) reviewed on Genuine Jenn. Please fill out this form. Thank You! 

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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12 Days of Christmas Books ~ Mary's Christmas Knight by Moriah Densley

Book Summary:

Could a rogue be her knight in shining armor?

Mary Cavendish’s corset is already too tight. All the lovely Christmas food is tempting her, and that’s bad news for her dream of attracting a “knight on a white charger” — not that volunteering at the parish hospital is how she expects to meet him. Enter a mysterious Christmas Eve patient, who is none other than the famous Shakespearean actor Sir Wesley Samuel Darcy. Mary finds him arrogant, too forward… and maddeningly handsome.

When Mary learns Sir Wesley has been invited to spend Christmas with her family at Rougemont, she vows to resist the charming London rogue. Wesley thinks finding the perfect present for Miss Cavendish will tempt her — she’s not as prim as she pretends to be. Mary turned down six proposals last Season, and she’s not about to give in to a rake. But if Mary can’t resist the sugarplums, how can she resist the dashing Sir Wesley?

Purchase an e-copy for .99! 

About the Author: 

Moriah Densley sees nothing odd at all about keeping both a violin case and a range bag stuffed with pistols in the back seat of her car. They hold up the stack of books in the middle, of course. She enjoys writing about Victorians, assassins, and geeks. Her muses are summoned by the smell of chocolate, usually at odd hours of the night. By day her alter ego is your friendly neighborhood music teacher. She lives in Las Vegas with her husband, four children, and two possibly brain-damaged cats. Published in historical and paranormal romance, Moriah has a Master's degree in music, is a 2012 RWA Golden Heart finalist, 2012 National Reader's Choice Award winner in historical romance and '12 NRCA "Best First Book" finalist.

Connect: Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

My Review:

This is a Christmas Novella, so it was a very quick read. I love how the author gets right into the story from the beginning, we learn about Mary on Christmas eve and how she is a nurse and crushing on the doctor. Mary is a very likable character and you feel sad about the doctor is totally oblivious to Mary liking him. Sir Wesley on the other hand took some getting used to especially as this is a regency novella I wasn't expecting Sir Wesley to be so forward towards Mary, he really was a bit of an a#@. By the end of the novella I was finding it hard to resist Sir Wesley and hoping that Mary would give him a chance and see where things could go with him. I found myself wishing the book was a bit longer and we could see more of a romantic relationship develop between Mary and Sir Wesley. One thing I wasn't a fan of was the beginning of each chapter there was a quote, excerpt from history. I am not really a history buff or poetry. Other than that I give this book a 3.75 out of 5 stars. 

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. I received the above book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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12 Days of Christmas Books ~ The Duke of Christmas Past by Kim Bowman ~ Review

Book Summary: 

Living in the present is impossible when your heart is stuck in the past.

The only thing Donovan Ellis, Seventh Duke of Gatewood, wants for Christmas is for it to be over. Too much sadness surrounds the holiday. Horrors he'd just as soon forget. Oh, there's one present he yearns for with all his heart, but he can't have her. His foolishness pushed her into the arms of another. So if he can't have the one thing he truly desires, then he just wants to be left alone to drown in his own misery.

But when a ghostly apparition visits him, claiming things can be set right, can Donovan believe? Can he trust the duke of Christmas past? Or will meddling in the past bring more heartache than he already has to bear?

Purchase a copy on Amazon Kindle for less than $1! Don't forget to add this title to your Goodreads shelf.

About the Author:

Kim Bowman lives in Indiana, where she was born and raised. For the past twelve years, she has been married to her best friend, Tony. She has four wonderful, awesome children. Three she was lucky enough to inherit from her husband and one she was given by the grace of God. They live on a small farm with two of their four kids, five horses, Possum the wonder cat, and Lex the lovable pit bull.

Although she has notebooks full of songs, poems, and short stories she has composed, it wasn't until she started doing technical writing for her job that she really got the bug and decided to take her English professor's advice and write novels for a living.

She is proudest of the tribute song she wrote for her parents' twenty-fifth wedding anniversary and, of course, of this true tall tale about her parents' wedding. And also of the eulogy she, her cousin Julie, and Aunt Sue penned for the funeral of her grandmother, Jewel Lawson, the bravest person she ever knew.

Connect: Website | Goodreads | Twitter |

My Thoughts:

The Duke of Christmas Past is quick moving novella about a Duke Donovan that has made some mistakes 8 years ago. I found the story picks up right from the beginning. We are shown a glimpse of Donovan's past and then head into current time with Donovan sitting miserable thinking about Christmas past and his horrible life. 

Donovan has been given a second chance at fixing the past. I found each character to be very likeable and even though Donovan was miserable and had a huge chip on his shoulder at the beginning I was hoping for a good ending for him. This is a sweet regency love story with a thick Christmas present, think Christmas Carol but only with ghost of Christmas past that was also Donovan. He was visited by himself of the past. It was a really fun Christmas idea and a great book to curl up on the couch with. 

I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. I received a copy of the above book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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12 Days of Christmas Books ~ Romancing the Dustman's Daughter by Ruth J Hartman

Add to Goodreads shelf

Book Summary:

Augustus Sinclair has a broken heart. His betrothed has dropped him for his best friend. Former best friend. When he meets Anne Balfour, though, he questions whether he'd ever really been in love with his fiancé. Some of Anne’s reactions to what he considers everyday activities are puzzling, but that doesn't stop him from falling head over heels for the first time in his life.

Anne Balfour is amazed to be a guest at the Shrewsbury’s, one of Mayfair’s most well-to-do families - even if the circumstances are less than ideal. Still, she can't help but get caught up in the excitement of society life. Especially when in the company of Augustus Sinclair. He makes her believe in love and romance, even if she is just the dustman’s daughter.
 
Purchase a e-copy for .99!

About the Author:

Ruth J. Hartman spends her days herding cats, and her nights spinning sweet romantic tales that make you smile, giggle or laugh out loud. She, her husband, and their three cats, love to spend time curled up in their recliners watching old Cary Grant movies. Well, the cats, Maxwell, Roxy and Remmie, sit in the people's recliners. Not that the cats couldn't get their own furniture. They just choose to shed on someone else's. You know how selfish those little furry creatures can be.

Ruth, a left-handed, cat-herding, Jeep driving, farmhouse-dwelling romance writer uses her goofy sense of humor as she writes tales of lovable, klutzy women and the men who adore them. Ruth's husband and best friend, Garry, reads her manuscripts, rolls his eyes at her weird story ideas, and loves her in spite of her penchant for insisting all of her books have at least one cat in them. Or twelve. But hey, who's counting?

Connect with Ruth on her Blog * Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter

My Thoughts:

This is a wonderful fairytale romance just in time for the holiday season. A budding romance comes together all because of a father's love for wanting to get rich. Anne's father came home one day with this elaborate scheme of blackmailing a client to take in his daughter and wed her to a rich man.

Anne didn't want to go along with her father but didn't want to let him down either. Anne meets Augustus and builds a budding relationship with and his friend Fritz.

I fell in love with both Anne and Augustus, they are very well rounded individuals that have a caring personality. I also loved the maid's character and how Anne had her to confide in when she really needed someone to be there for her through everything.

I had a hard time putting this book down when I had to pick the kids up from school. I was hooked from the beginning and loved the story line. I felt really connected with Anne, she is such a strong lady and took everything with her head up high. She didn't let people bring her down even when she didn't fit in with the wealthy individuals. This is a clean romance book that contains no swearing or sex but it doesn't mean there wasn't some thinking of sweet physical romance.

I give this a 5 star and can't wait to read the next book by Ruth J Hartman.


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. I received a copy of this book for review purpose. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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