Category Archives: Geek Girls Series

April 5, 2015 · 11:57 pm

Review: Kiss the Earl by Gina Lamm

kiss earlTitle: Kiss the Earl by Gina Lamm
Geek Girls Series Book Three
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Historical, Romance, Time Travel
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

A modern girl’s guide to seducing Mr. Darcy

When Ella Briley asked her lucky-in-love friends to set her up for an office party, she was expecting a blind date. Instead, she’s pulled through a magic mirror and into the past…straight into the arms of her very own Mr. Darcy.

Patrick Meadowfair, earl of Fairhaven, is too noble for his own good. To save a female friend from what is sure to be a loveless marriage, he’s agreed to whisk her off to wed the man she truly wants. But all goes awry when Patrick mistakes Ella for the would-be bride and kidnaps her instead.

Centuries away from everything she knows, Ella’s finally found a man who heats her blood and leaves her breathless. Too bad he’s such a perfect gentleman. Yet the reluctant rake may just find this modern girl far too tempting for even the noblest of men to resist…

Review:

Kiss the Earl is the third installment in Gina Lamm’s delightfully clever Geek Girls series. In this outing, sweet Mrs. Knightbridge is matchmaking again and this time she sends unsuspecting Ella Briley back in time where she meets and falls in love with Patrick St. John, the Earl of Meadowfair. It is another fun adventure that old and new fans are sure to love.

Ella is a comic book artist who needs a date to a swank party to celebrate her new job when Mrs. Knightbridge once again decides to do a little matchmaking. Ella stumbles smack dab in the middle a fake kidnapping scheme concocted by Patrick and his closest gal pal Amelia Brownstone. Ella and Patrick are forced to go on the run to escape Amelia’s irate father. When Ella falls ill, Patrick whisks her away to his estate where the situation between them grows even more complicated after they are discovered in a compromising position.

Ella is a self-reliant woman and she refuses to give up her independence when she travels back in time. She is witty with a sarcastic sense of humor and despite being in a different era, she does not censor her thoughts or alter her manner of speaking.

Patrick is a gentleman through and through. He is a genuinely nice man who is extremely loyal to his friends. This is one of his best qualities, but when it comes to Amelia, he is willing to sacrifice his happiness for hers.

Despite the change in their relationship, neither Ella nor Patrick can see how a future between them is possible. Ella does not want to give up her career and Patrick has responsibilities that he is unable to walk away from. However, their biggest issue is Patrick’s promise to help Amelia. He sees no way to gracefully extricate himself from their harebrained scheme until he discovers that Ella’s well-meaning interference puts her in a very precarious situation.

Kiss the Earl is a charming addition to the Geek Girls series. Gina Lamm manages to keep the series fresh with another unique and diverse storyline that is just as captivating as earlier works. But it is the very creative and surprising solution to the obstacle standing in the way of Ella and Patrick’s happily ever after that makes their romance stand out from the previous two novels.

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Filed under Geek Girls Series, Gina Lamm, Historical, Kiss the Earl, Rated B, Review, Romance, Sourcebooks Casablanca, Time Travel

September 5, 2013 · 3:58 am

Review: Geek Girls Don’t Date Dukes by Gina Lamm

Title: Geek Girls Don’t Date Dukes by Gina Lamm
Geek Girls Series Book TWo
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Imprint: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Historical, Romance, Time Travel
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

All Leah wanted was a little gallantry, a bit of chivalry. What she had was Kevin, the ex-boyfriend who’s asked her to be his new fiancee’s bridesmaid. Fat chance. Why can’t it be like the good old days? It’s as though someone hears her plea because the next thing she knows, a plump housekeeper full of mischief sends her back in time to Regency England. And now Leah is determined to snag her very own duke…

Avery Russell was polishing boots when the woman fell through the mirror into his arms, breathlessly babbling some nonsense about “my one true love, Your Grace.” If the chit couldn’t tell a valet from a duke, she was in a sorry state indeed. And as much as he wanted to give in and give her a good tumble, he knew it wouldn’t be proper. No, he’d take his time wooing this one… as long as necessary to convince her that sometimes a duke just won’t do.

The Review:

Geek Girls Don’t Date Dukes is another fast-paced and charming novel in Gina Lamm’s fun time travel series. I absolutely loved The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl so I was quite eager to read Leah’s story.

Ms. Lamm does an excellent job keeping the Geek Girls series fresh and unique and Leah Ramsey’s trip back in time has a few distinct differences. Unlike the first novel, Leah’s time travel is voluntary so she is able to bring a few items to make her stay in Regency England a bit more comfortable. She has more knowledge of the time period she is traveling to. But the biggest difference is Leah knows that she is destined to fall in love with someone in the Duke of Granville’s household. Since her friend Jamie’s true love turned out to be an Earl, Leah arrives at the Duke’s home anticipating a love match with the Duke. So she is a little confused by her attraction to the Duke’s valet, Avery Russell. And when she meets the Duke? Well, let’s just say he is definitely not what she was expecting.

Part of Leah’s desire to travel back in time stems from her beloved grandfather’s desire to see her happily married. So she gamely accepts a position as maid in the Duke’s home. The work is much harder (and more disgusting) than Leah thought it would be, but Avery is there to lend a helping hand. With the other servants openly hostile towards her, Leah is grateful for Avery’s assistance and his steady friendship.

Avery is a wonderful hero and there was not anything about him that I did not like. He cannot quite escape his past career as a boxer and although he is an honorable man, he is forced to make unsavory decisions to protect those he loves. Avery is quite protective of Leah and he does an admirable job looking out for her. But his past collides with his present and puts Leah in danger. His feelings of inadequacy override his love for her and their future together looks bleak when someone from Leah’s life arrives bearing bad news.

As with the first novel in the series, Ms. Lamm does not downplay the less than ideal living conditions in Regency England. Leah’s repugnance over cleaning chamber pots and the unsanitary street life dispels a little bit of the romance of the era and provides historical accuracy to the overall story. It is also a refreshing change of pace that the main characters are not nobility. Leah does experience a more glamorous life when a well-meaning member of the peer offers to introduce her to the Duke but she is soon disillusioned by the daily lifestyle of her patroness.

A wonderful addition to Geek Girls series, Geek Girls Don’t Date Dukes is a highly entertaining novel. Full of appealing characters, plenty of snarky humor and a wonderfully unpredictable storyline, it is a must read for fans of time travel and historical romances. I have my fingers crossed that Gina Lamm has more stories planned for this delightful series.

Please click HERE to read my review of the first book in the series.

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Filed under Geek Girls Don't Date Dukes, Geek Girls Series, Gina Lamm, Historical, Rated B, Review, Romance, Sourcebooks, Sourcebooks Casablanca, Time Travel

March 5, 2013 · 3:57 am

Review: The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl by Gina Lamm

Title: The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl by Gina Lamm
Geek Girls Series Book One
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Imprint: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Time Travel, Historical, Romance
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

The Stakes Have Never Been Higher…

An avid gamer, Jamie Marten loves to escape into online adventure. But when she falls through an antique mirror into a lavish bedchamber—200 years in the past!—she realizes she may have escaped a little too far.

Micah Axelby, Earl of Dunnington, has just kicked one mistress out of his bed and isn’t looking to fill it with another—least of all this sassy, nearly naked woman who claims to be from the future. Yet something about her is undeniably enticing…

Jamie and Micah are worlds apart. He’s a peer of the realm. She can barely make rent. He’s horse-drawn. She’s Wi-Fi. But in the game of love, these two will risk everything to win.

The Review:

I am a HUGE fan of time travel novels that go back in time, so as soon as I saw The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl by debut author Gina Lamm, I knew I just had to review it. And boy, oh, boy, am I ever glad I did! The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl is fast-paced romance that is absolutely hilarious and deliciously steamy. I stayed up way past my bedtime because I just had to know how this divine love story was going to end.

The first thing I have to mention is I love how Ms. Lamm had our geeky heroine Jamie Marten travel back in time. Exactly how and why Jamie goes back in time is pretty unique. Major props to Ms. Lamm for a fresh spin on this fun genre.

Jamie Marten is the epitome of a 21st century woman. Hardcore gamer and addicted to modern technology, she knows surprisingly little about life in 1813 London. So life with Micah Axelby holds a few unpleasant surprises for her, but luckily she has the sweet and helpful Mrs. Knightsbridge to teach her how to dress and act like a lady. Mrs. Knightsbridge is also a very determined matchmaker for our intrepid main characters.

Lord Micah Axelby has just emerged from a rather unpleasant scandal when Jamie magically appears in his bedroom. A gentleman through and through, he won’t throw her out, but he is also not advertising her presence either. About to propose to a young, pliable and socially acceptable young woman, the last thing Micah needs is an intense attraction to the very unsuitable and headstrong Jamie Marten.

The relationship between Micah and Jamie is absolutely delightful. Their banter is wonderfully snarky and laugh out loud funny. Jamie manages to shock Micah on a fairly regular basis with her lack of modesty and use of unladylike language. Micah’s strong sense of duty is a source of aggravation for Jamie. Add in their smoldering desire for one another and you have the perfect recipe for a some rather spirited interactions that are as humorous as they are frustrating.

The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl is an entertaining novel with engaging characters and a wonderful storyline. I loved watching Jamie try to conform to old fashioned standards while maintaining her individuality. But what really kept me glued to the story was trying to figure out how their relationship was going to work out. Would Jamie stay back in time? Or would Micah travel to the future? The answer might just surprise you!

An all around fun read that fans of historical romances are sure to enjoy. I am very much looking forward to the next installment in Gina Lamm’s Geek Girls series.

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Filed under Geek Girls Series, Gina Lamm, Historical, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Sourcebooks, Sourcebooks Casablanca, The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl, Time Travel