Book Review/Tour: Once Upon a Lady by Addie Jo Ryleigh

All it takes is Fate to entice him with the very thing he never wanted.

ONCE UPON A LADY

The Soul Mate Tree

Addie Jo Ryleigh

Releasing Aug 16, 2017

Soul Mate Publishing

Respectable Lady Katherine Baxton, striving to meet the requirements of her station, has become the ultimate dutiful daughter. And now, the Duke of Blackthorn’s betrothed. Far from a love match, Kate is nevertheless determined to do as expected and marry. That all changes the night she panics at her impending future and runs, stumbling upon a private grove, a mysterious tree. . . and a half-naked man.

The youngest son of a viscount widely thought to have purchased his title, Jackson Cooper demonstrates his disdain for the aristocracy by affording himself every luxury available—drinking, wenching, and gambling—while eschewing anything representing the ton. Jackson has little care for his reputation and no desire to marry. His escape from London is all but complete.

Until fate—in the form of a beautiful, mysterious lady—interrupts his plans, enticing him with the very thing he never wanted.

review24

out of 5 stars

A delightful historical novel about chasing after what you want rather than bending to convention. When I requested this book, I was just a expecting a mindless rainy day read to pass the time. Instead, I found myself highly invested in the characters and their stories.

Kate may being willing to marry Blackburn because it is expected of her but she was filled with so much fire. I loved her low key sass. And who better to go up against her than Jackson? Never one to follow the rules, Jackson was a the perfect match for Kate. Their was not only an entertaining love story but a humorous one as well.

I have not read the rest in the series and I am not sure how they tie into each other beyond the tree. That being said, if historical romance filled with fiery heroines and devil may care heroes, this is not a book to pass up.

Addie Jo Ryleigh writes historical regency romances that feature rakish heroes and strong feisty heroines.

Addie Jo has lived in the same cold-winter-hot-summer area of Minnesota her entire life. Sharing in the raising of her three extremely rambunctious boys is her very understanding husband who endured being dubbed “The Duke” by his co-workers. Keeping Addie Jo company while she writes (besides her wonderfully loud children) is her yorkipoo, Bella, who is never far from her side. and recently the newest addition to their family, a black lab named Max.

Addie Jo has always had a love and passion for romance books and became engrossed in
historical romance (particularly Regency) soon after graduating from Lurlene McDaniel’s young adult books. Currently, she reads any genre that has a great emotional story that keeps her reading into the early hours of the morning.

Addie Jo has a bachelor degree in accounting and is a financial coordinator when not playing chauffeur for her hockey-playing boys, cuddled up with a good book, or writing her next story.