Thursday, September 5, 2013

Review: Geek Girls Don't Date Dukes

Geek Girls Don't Date Dukes (Geek Girls - Book 2) by Gina Lamm

Publication Date: 09/03/2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Imprint: Casablanca
Genre: Historical Romance/ Time Travel
Pages: 320
ISBN-10: 1402277628
ISBN-13: 978-1402277627

(Received for an honest review from Sourcebooks Casablanca)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound

Gina Lamm on the WEB: Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads

Books in the series:

The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl (2013), Geek Girls Don't Date Earls (2013)

Coverart: Click the image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.




Excerpt from Geek Girls Don't Date Dukes, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:


The Royal Treatment
All Leah wanted was a little gallantry. But in this day and age, chivalry was most definitely dead. If only there were a way to travel back in time and snag her very own duke...
Avery Russell was polishing some boots when a woman fell through the bedchamber mirror into his arms. All he could make out from her breathless babbling was some nonsense about "my one true love, Your Grace." Clearly the chit was mad if she couldn't tell a valet from a duke!
As much as Avery wanted to give in and give her a good tumble, he knew it wouldn't be proper. No, he'd take as long as necessary to convince Leah that sometimes a duke just won't do.

Thoughts:

Gina Lamm's Geek Girls Don't Date Dukes is a Regency romance with a time travel twist. The second book in the Geek Girls series is over top, with a fairy-tale like quality. Readers who love the Regency period will find this a fun romp that is also historically accurate. Lamm's knack for comedic writing is center stage with this novel, about a young girl who dreams of finding her one true love. Readers looking for a historical romance with a light and humorous attitude will love this one!

Gina Lamm is a writer who knows how to use her funny bone. Her writing is both entertaining and light, with a fresh quality that is hard to miss. Lamm uses a style of writing that will make the reader giggle and shed a tear. She blends lighthearted situations and circumstances with the harsh reality of living in the Regency period. Readers will find Lamm's off the cuff approach full of surprises and contrasts to the normal Regency read.

When most readers pick up a Regency era novel, they have some expectations. The ton is usually written with a lot of glamour and elegance. High fashion and ballgowns. It's very flashy and decadent, when in reality that was not necessarily how things were. Gina Lamm does not shy away from the less than desirable parts of the time period, describing the street life and hard working people behind the scenes in Regency England. I thought it was a very interesting tactic to use in a novel. It sort of sets the reader off balance a bit and allows them to realize early on that this historical romance is not your typical happy ever after.

The lead characters in this story are both very different and enchanting in their own way. Leah is a young woman who wants a little romance in her life. Things just don't seem to be working out for her in the real world and traveling back in time like her friend Jamie did in the first book in the series, seems like the perfect answer. I thought Leah had a lot of spunk and determination. When things didn't turn out just like she thought they would, she persevered and made lemonade out of lemons. She was a delightful character, full of charm and vivaciousness. She lands herself in some sticky situations and proves that finding love isn't exactly easy no matter what time period you land in.

The star of this book was really the hero, Avery. I liked the fact that Lamm once again goes against the norm for Regency romances by making the hero, not a duke or an earl, but a hard working valet, who does a little boxing on the side. Avery is a real man's man. He is resourceful and knows how to accomplish his goals. I liked everything about him. He shines in this story and possesses a strength that makes him the epitome of a good leading man. Lamm writes Avery with a touch of sexiness that leads to a very steamy romance with Leah.

This novel is high on the romance meter. Like everything else Lamm does, she writes her love scenes with gusto. Readers will find themselves drawn in quickly by the tension that exists between Leah and Avery. Every encounter becomes more and more romantic and more seductive. I loved the fact that Lamm doesn't shy away from this aspect of the book. Her writing certainly sizzles and the romance between this hero and heroine is hot and steamy to say the least. Have a fan and glass of iced-tea on hand when reading this one! (swoon)

Geek Girls Don't Date Dukes is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!




About the Author:

Gina Lamm, a bellydancing, wisecracking, marshmallow-addicted geek, loves nothing more than penning funny, emotional tales of love, lust, and entertaining mishaps. Married to a superhero, she lives with her beloved family in North Carolina, surrounded by tobacco farms, possums, and the occasional hurricane. She also writes erotic romance for Ellora's Cave under the pen name Regina Cole. Visit www.ginalamm.net for more info.


Giveaway Details:

Check out the SOS Aloha blog for an interview with Gina Lamm and your chance to win a copy of Geek Girls Don't Date Dukes. The giveaway ends on September 7th, so make haste, LOL!

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