Review: Unraveled by Courtney Milan

Title: Unraveled (Turner #3)
Author: Courtney Milan
Published: December 2011 (Courtney Milan)
Rating: 4/5
Summary: Smite Turner is renowned for his single-minded devotion to his duty as a magistrate. But behind his relentless focus lies not only a determination to do what is right, but the haunting secrets of his past—secrets that he is determined to hide, even if it means keeping everyone else at arm’s length. Until the day an irresistible woman shows up as a witness in his courtroom…

Miranda Darling isn’t in trouble…yet. But she’s close enough that when Turner threatens her with imprisonment if she puts one foot wrong, she knows she should run in the other direction. And yet no matter how forbidding the man seems on the outside, she can’t bring herself to leave. Instead, when he tries to push her away, she pushes right back—straight through his famous self-control, and into the heart of the passion that he has long hidden away…


This is the first ebook I ever bought, and it was absolutely worth it! This trilogy just got a little bit better with each book! I enjoyed the others, but this was my favorite out of all three. I honestly think my favorite thing about Milan is her original characters. Particularly in Unclaimed and Unraveled, none of the characters were like any others I had read before. Smite specifically appealed to me.

I do not always go for the "severely damaged" hero, but Smite was different. He used everything that had happened in his past to his benefit. He was so unique in the way he dealt with things. I loved everything about him, from the Lord Justice side of him to his "sentimentality quota." I also loved the way Milan wrote him - he was not someone to be "fixed." That's not what Miranda was for. Miranda is a woman who loves Smite for himself, which is exactly what Smite needs.

[WARNING: Quote is spoilery] ❝“I was so hoping…” – “What? That he’d fall in love and turn into an ordinary man?” Miranda choked on the words. “Anyone who loved him would never want that. It would be like loving the ocean, but wishing it would change into a glass of water.”❞

I grew so attached to Miranda and Smite. I liked Miranda a lot, and we've already covered how much I adored Smite. I loved watching him progress as a character, seeing him fight against his growing feelings for Miranda. Their relationship was such a marvelous thing to watch unfold. I was also captivated by the relationship between Smite and his brothers, Mark in particular. There were several times when I nearly teared up from their interactions. The Turner family is so unique, and seeing them learn how to be a family after everything that had happened was so touching. It made my heart happy.

Quotes:

❝Never had one little punctuation mark mattered so much.❞

❝I don’t believe I would like you half so well if you weren’t sarcastic.❞

❝It was almost enough to make a man think sentimental thoughts. Almost.❞

I normally do not specify if a historical is part of a series; everything is part of a "series" nowadays. However, I would very much suggest that you read these in order. The relationship between the brothers is complex, and the things we learn of their past are revealed gradually throughout all three. Plus, they're all fantastic! It is certainly no hardship to read them all.


Purchase this book at: Amazon || Barnes & Noble || The Book Depository

Review: Unclaimed by Courtney Milan

Title: Unclaimed (Turner #2)
Author: Courtney Milan
Published: September 2011 (HQN Books)
Rating: 4/5
Summary: Handsome, wealthy and respected, Sir Mark Turner is the most sought-after bachelor in all of London—and he's known far and wide for his irreproachable character. But behind his virtuous reputation lies a passionate nature he keeps carefully in check...until he meets the beautiful Jessica Farleigh, the woman he's waited for all his life. But Jessica is a courtesan, not the genteel lady Sir Mark believes. Desperate to be free of a life she despises, she seizes her chance when Mark's enemies make her an offer she can't refuse: seduce Mark and tarnish his good name, and a princely sum will be hers. Yet as she comes to know the man she's sworn to destroy, Jessica will be forced to choose between the future she needs…and the love she knows is impossible.


I first heard about this book when it was the pick for the Sizzling Book Club at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. I made a note that I wanted to read it because I was interested in the premise (and, of course, the lovely cover). However, I did not get around to it until a few months later. I decided to read the series in order, starting with Unveiled, which I already reviewed here. I enjoyed Unveiled, but I found to my slight dismay that the most interesting character was only a lowly brother of the hero, and, as a grown male virgin, would probably never have a book of his own. Then, lo and behold, I looked at the summary for Unclaimed again...and proceeded to do such a flail!dance as you have never seen before.

Let me reiterate this. Sir Mark Turner is a fully grown man. And a virgin. By choice. I have never read a historical romance (or of any subgenre, actually) where this was the case. I was immediately fascinated by Mark and his choices, his reasoning, and the public's reaction to him and his book. Having never read a book where a courtesan (or former courtesan) was the heroine, I was also wondering how it would be handled. Milan did a fantastic job with them both. I felt the book lost a little of its magic for the last quarter or so, but it was still thoroughly enjoyable.

One of my favorite things in this book was the emphasis on honesty, particularly in regards to Mark. It made for some tremendous interactions, particularly in the beginning of the book when Mark and Jessica were getting to know each other.

❝It’s what I like best about you – your willingness to insult me to my face.❞

Oh! And another of my favorite things. Upon inspection of the cover, you will find a large, not-particularly-aesthetically-pleasing ring on the hero's finger. I noticed this when I first picked up the book, thought it a bit odd, but did not dwell on it. But get this: the ring actually exists! In the book! Far from the famous use of the flawless cover!hero to represent the horribly scarred story!hero, the cover for this book actually matches the story. I may be unreasonably excited about this, but I really think it warrants mention.

I enjoyed Milan's writing style. She had fantastic inner narration for both Jessica and Mark, and their dialogue was sharp, honest, witty, and fraught with sexual tension. Unclaimed had some particularly great quotes, from hilarious to insightful to emotionally moving.

❝No man with a moustache like that should ever try to look innocent.❞

❝Oh, the subtlety of a randy teenager.❞

❝I can’t stop worrying just because someone assures me it’s unnecessary.❞

❝“You’ve always been your own knight,” he said, “riding to your rescue. I’m just the man who came along and saw how brightly your armor shown.”❞

*recovers from swooning*

Courtney Milan is quickly becoming one of my auto-buy (or at least auto-put-on-hold-at-the-library...I am a broke college student, after all) authors. Her writing is stellar, her characters truly original, and I like supporting her.


Purchase this book at: Amazon || Barnes & Noble || The Book Depository

Review: Unveiled by Courtney Milan

Title: Unveiled (Turner #1)
Author: Courtney Milan
Published: January 2011 (HQN Books)
Rating: 4/5
Summary: Ash Turner has waited a lifetime to seek revenge on the man who ruined his family--and now the time for justice has arrived. At Parford Manor, he intends to take his place as the rightful heir to the dukedom and settle an old score with the current duke once and for all. But instead he finds himself drawn to a tempting beauty who has the power to undo all his dreams of vengeance...

Lady Margaret knows she should despise the man who's stolen her fortune and her father's legacy--the man she's been ordered to spy on in the guise of a nurse. Yet the more she learns about the new duke, the less she can resist his smoldering appeal. Soon Margaret and Ash find themselves torn between old loyalties--and the tantalizing promise of passion...

My Review: It's been a while since I read this, and I did not take a whole lot of notes. I will do my best to remember, though. Unveiled was a great read. I like fake identity stories when they are well written, and this one was. It was my first Courtney Milan, and I am excited to read more from her. In fact, I am extraordinarily excited to read Unclaimed. That (well, along with the pretty cover and the amazing quote from Everything I Know About Love I Learned from Romance Novels) was actually why I read this one; it came before the other. I usually don't care in historical "series" where the order doesn't really matter. But I did it this time, anyway. I'm so glad I did! I was thoroughly intrigued by Mark and seriously hoping he got his own book. Then I re-read the summary for Unclaimed and just about died. If Milan pulls it off, it could be absolutely amazing. Cannot wait for it to come in at the library! But back to Unveiled.

There were several fantastic, unique aspects to this book. It was very nice to see a heroine who notices and is affected by the hero's looks, but is not overcome by them. I had not realized how refreshing it would be, actually. Margaret was attracted to Ash from the first, but she was still able to keep her wits about her. It made for much better banter, as well.

The story had a lot to do with family. Both Ash and Margaret dealt a lot with their loyalty to their respective brothers. This is actually where a lot of the conflict and tension stems from in the book.

Oh, I also noted in my notes (ha) that it was funny that I abandoned You Against Me for this, and they wound up having similar premises. However, while I was not feeling You Against Me, Unveiled caught me right away. It had real problems and great chemistry and emotions, but it never got overly sappy. It was a very good read, and I am looking forward to the next one!

I will leave you with the awesome quote that caught my attention and made me want to read it:

❝"Do you know why my peers want their brides to have pale skin?"

"Why?"

"They want a woman who is a canvas, white and empty. Standing still, existing for no other purpose than to serve as a mute object onto which they can paint their own hopes and desires. They want their brides veiled. They want a demure, blank space they can fill with whatever they desire. ...Damn their bonnets. Damn their rules."

"What do you want? Why are you doing this to me?"

"Miss Lowell, you magnificent creature, I want you to paint your own canvas. I want you to unveil yourself."❞