The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy by Sara Angelini

I saw the blurb for this book and knew I had to have it. I love Jane Austen spinoffs. I'm sure there are Austen purists googling my address now with pitchforks and torches in hand, but I can't help it - I'm a sucker for a spinoff! I guess it's just that I love her works so much I don't want them to be done...or something like that. This book did not disappoint. It's hard to review because there was a lot going on - this storyline just keeps moving (in a good way!).

Elizabeth Bennett is an attorney who is working in San Francisco. Darcy is a judge presiding over some of her cases. Elizabeth is young and fun. Her sister Jane is a surgical resident, working in the hospital where Charles Bingley is a surgeon. Elizabeth's friend Charlotte is also an attorney, and her best friend Lou is gay. (Lou had some great scenes in this book.)

When the book opens, Darcy notices the new attorney but thinks she's there to pay a ticket or something, he's surprised to see her in court. Darcy has a reputation as a curmodgeonly judge - the attorneys know they'd better have their stuff in order if they're going before him. Although he's not old, he acts older than he is to maintain the respect of the attorneys that appear before him - he's actually the youngest judge in San Francisco. After work at a local lawyer hangout, Elizabeth, Charlotte, and Lou overhear Darcy talking about Elizabeth, saying "She's alright but not pretty enough to tempt me." Elizabeth is annoyed but says she doesn't care because it's Darcy.

Jane and Bingley start dating, and it becomes serious quickly. Elizabeth has a few terse run-ins with Darcy, and they both annoy each other. She hasn't forgotten his insult at the bar. Then Jane and Bingley become engaged, and they travel to England for a vacation, and convince Elizabeth to come; they'll be staying at a friend's place and Elizabeth can attend a legal conference while she's there. Both she and Darcy are surprised when she arrives on his doorstep! She didn't know he was the "friend" who owned the house, and Darcy didn't get the message that Jane and Bingley were bringing a guest. They agree to get along for the two weeks they'll all be together, and even agree to attend the conference together.

They spend a bit of time in each other's company and end up together. They agree that since they're not in the US, they don't fall under the proprietary rules, and become involved intimately; possibly falling in love. The scenes over the two weeks they were in England were wonderful, watching them get to know each other and explore their feelings.

Then it's time to come back to the US and things are immediately put back into a formal relationship. Both parties are miserable, but can't see how they could make it work without jeapordizing one or both of their careers.

I really enjoyed this book. At first, I thought a couple of times, "Elizabeth wouldn't do that", but then I realized, Elizabeth probably wouldn't do that in the 18th century, but she might in THIS century! The characters were fun - her mother was spot-on, and I loved Lou, he was a great best friend. I loved the strip tease near the end of the book - very, very creative!

This story was sweet and funny and I'm putting it on my keeper shelf for when I need a "pick up my spirits" read.

Disclaimer: I won this book from Pop Culture Nerd.

When Strangers Marry by Lisa Kleypas

Lysette Kersaint is bethrothed to Etienne Sagesse. He is an awful, crude man whom she does not want to marry. Her stepfather has bethrothed her to Etienne for a substantial sum of money. When she tells her stepfather she does not want to marry Etienne, he beats her severely.

She runs away, but is caught stealing a pirogue in the river by twins, Justin and Philippe Vallerand. They bring her home to their father, Max, a very powerful man in the New Orleans territory. He also happens to be the enemy of Etienne Sagesse, who had an affair with Max's wife. Max's wife was murdered, and her murderer was never found. It has been whispered (loudly) that Max himself murdered her in a jealous rage. Max quickly sees Lysette's arriving on his doorstep as the perfect way to get revenge. He plans to keep her long enough to "ruin" her so that Sagesse will not want to marry her, necessating a duel, at which point he will kill Sagesse.

Lysette's stepfather and Sagesse find out where she is staying and demand her return. She begs Max not to send her back. He claims she is sick and unable to leave his home. She gives Max a letter to mail to her cousin, asking for help, but Max does not send the letter. While she is waiting for a response from her cousin, she starts to fall in love with Max. Max is attracted to Lysette but is so bitter from the betrayal of his first wife that he fights his attraction.

Lysette gets sick and he nurses her back to health. Her family comes again to get her and she refuses to go and she is ruined now due to her continued association with Max. He duels Etienne over Lysette and wins but forfeits killing him. Then he comes home and tells Lysette he wants to marry her. They are wed shortly after, but memories of his first wife continue to haunt the household.

Meanwhile, there are all kinds of political maneuverings going on between the Governor and Successionists, and Max is courted by both sides. He disappears for hours at night, and Lysette doesn't know if it's to see his mistress, or conducting illegal business.

When Etienne is murdered, Max has no alibi and people think he did it. Lysette must prove Max didn't murder Etienne, and when they find out who the real murder is it's a down-to-the wire effort to save Max!

This story had two of my favorite things: a New Orleans setting (although we didn't see much of it) and a marriage of convenience. It had murder, politics, romance and a sweet storyline between Max and his children. I enjoyed watching Lysette grow confident in herself and the relationship that bloomed between her and Max was good.

A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole

Okay, I hate the title and cover. This is one of those books I wish they made "fake covers" for. You know, so it would look like you're studying mathematical theorems or poetry or something more worldly.

That being said, I liked it. It's the story of Emma, a half vampire/half Valkyre who is in Paris on a search for information about her father, whom she never knew. Lachlain is a werewolf who's been imprisoned and tortured by vampires for the past 150 years, until he senses Emma and knows she's his mate. He escapes and finds her and attempts to bring her to his ancestral home. She, of course, is terrified of this big brute, and he is repulsed that his mate turns out to be a vampire.

The story moves along quite nicely and I enjoy the interaction between them. Her aunts are an intersting lot of ladies and the ending is good. Oh, and Emma and her aunts live in New Orleans, which I see as an added bonus (love stories set in New Orleans, as long as everyone is not continually stumbling across a parade).