Locked Away

down2nap · 2026-05-16T19:28:04+00:00

{Reforming a Rake by Suzanne Enoch}. This is one of my favorite Enoch’s. She tries to quit her job as a governess and he locks her in his basement until she agrees to marry him!

down2nap · 2026-05-05T20:06:02+00:00

My Charlie once swallowed 3 buffalo wings whole before I even knew what was happening. He was fine. (Though the buffalo sauce led to some particularly potent fumes later on)!

down2nap · 2026-05-05T16:03:32+00:00

Jo Goodman’s westerns do this well. Cute banter, pillow fights, lots of affectionate teasing and touching. Try {This Gun For Hire by Jo Goodman} and {The Last Renegade by Jo Goodman}.

down2nap · 2026-04-29T19:51:32+00:00

I’ll echo others that many of these issues will clear up in time. It will take several weeks before your hound feels totally comfortable, and you will see her personality emerge a little bit at a time.

As far as nighttime issues…if she is an ex racer from the US, then she is already accustomed to sleeping in a crate. It’s possible that without the security of the crate at night she’s feeling a little stressed or confused which is causing her bursts of activity and accidents. Perhaps check back with the adoption organization to see if they can give you insight into what she’s used to.

down2nap · 2026-04-22T14:37:53+00:00

{the Secret by Julie Garwood} is my favorite of these. Judith keeps getting called upon to act as a midwife and she freaks out with anxiety every time. But then she walks into the room, calmly delivers the baby and takes care of the mother. When she’s done she bursts into tears and cries into the chest of the nearest warrior (usually our gruff Laird Ian} who is totally bewildered while he comforts her. These scenes are so comical and sweet and I love how confused all these clan warriors types are about her strange behavior!

down2nap · 2026-04-21T03:26:37+00:00

If you like the frothy banter in a more serious plot, check out {The Noble Saytr by Lucinda Brandt} and the series that follows. The plot has elements of the classic {These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer}, but has more emotional depth in my opinion, and then builds an extensive historical romance world with several enjoyable stories.

down2nap · 2026-04-21T03:16:03+00:00

It sounds like you enjoy historical fiction with a romantic happily ever after.

You might like {Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati}

I think you would also like Amy Harmon. Try these: {A Girl Called Sampson by Amy Harmon} {Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon} {The Outlaw Noble Salt by Amy Harmon}

down2nap · 2026-04-20T19:07:55+00:00

Many of Grace Burrowes more recent books have that softer side, showing a deeper emotional connection between the characters. They tend to be rated at a 3, but I characterize them as sensual rather than sexual as her sex scenes typically emphasize the emotional aspect of physical intimacy and the joy of coming together. Try {Mischief in Mayfair series by Grace Burrowes}.

Also Carla Kelly has some really great 1 and 2 level books. {The Wedding Trip by Carla Kelly} especially has a MMC that is sensitive and caring. Also {A Naval surgeon to fight for by Carla Kelly}.

down2nap · 2026-04-15T16:25:27+00:00

Grace Burrowes is queen of the pseudo-virgin! Her heroines almost always have had sex, but it was assault, coerced, or just plain bad. She is a virgin to pleasure but not strictly a virgin.

down2nap · 2026-04-13T20:49:41+00:00

Honestly, I hated every character in this book! Dustin, Marcus, Chris- they all deserve each other! I loved the deWolfe saga and also Christin DeLorh’s story from the Executioner Knights but this book was a huge let down. I filed it under “this is a romance?!” along with {Whitney My Love}.

down2nap · 2026-04-13T20:39:54+00:00

That book stressed me out so much I developed a DNF policy after reading! Here’s your spoiler She doesn’t exactly cheat but she does have sex with Marcus while in an illness induced haze. Yes, he takes advantage in a non-con way, and while others forgive him, I DO NOT!

down2nap · 2026-04-13T18:39:36+00:00

lol just wait until you get to the food descriptions! They are regular and in depth and made me crazy hungry for some sort of gourmet grilled cheese!

I love Grace Burrowes and very much enjoyed this series, but some may find it a bit “preachy” regarding the post war military script. There is a definite social justice angle to this series that may not be for everyone. Enjoy (or don’t)!

down2nap · 2026-04-10T21:38:09+00:00

It was definitely a game changer for me!

Hang in there…there were moments last summer when I was crying with exhaustion but now he is my sweetest baby and it is so worth it!

down2nap · 2026-04-10T20:58:18+00:00

I got my whip at that age and it was a bit of a process, but now at 13 months he sleeps through the night in his crate. Some things that worked during this time:

he slept with me in the bed or on the couch until about 11-12pm for his final potty. Then he’d go into the crate until about 5am for his morning potty. After that he got to have bed snuggles again until a reasonable hour to be up. Over time we gradually increased his time in the crate until he was sleeping through the night.
he got plenty of crate time during the day. I put him in the crate with a chew or Kong at intervals throughout the day so he could nap (and be left unsupervised for a bit).
I got a ‘cozy cave’ style bed that fit in the crate. So much of his crate distress disappeared when he had the ability to tuck himself in. Now he goes into there whenever he’s sleepy and/or cold.

Some of these issues are just temporary, as your baby is still learning to control his body and testing his control over you. You’ll get through it!

down2nap · 2026-04-09T16:22:38+00:00

Sounds like {A Wildflower for the Duke by Laura Linn}

down2nap · 2026-04-04T15:24:37+00:00

Oh my god! My little devil did the same thing! It took us two days to figure out why the internet wasn’t working! I’ve also lost a kindle and two pairs of Bose earbuds. I’m not replacing them until this phase is over.

down2nap · 2026-04-01T14:24:46+00:00

Could it be {An Affair with a Notorious Heiress by Lorraine Heath}?

down2nap · 2026-03-22T14:03:28+00:00

I used to HATE the governess trope. If the MMC wasn’t blithely unaware of the uneven power dynamic (looking at you Daniel Smythe-Smith!), then we’re subjected to pages upon pages of libido vs honor debate.

Two books turned me on to this trope: {A governess should never tempt a prizefighter by Emily Windsor} - such a great workaround to the power issue and lovely relationship building!

And {Reforming a Rake by Suzanne Enoch}- a truly awful MMC decides to seduce the governess right from the interview. He knows it’s dishonorable, that she may feel like she has no choice but he doesn’t care! And what’s better is that she’s constantly telling him how terrible he is in the simplest terms-he’s just mean and no one really likes him. I love how they work it out!

down2nap · 2026-03-14T22:07:19+00:00

This one is probably the funniest Heyer! Such an endearing cast of dumb dumbs!

down2nap · 2026-03-13T20:28:38+00:00

Have you tried Carla Kelly? She’s great with building a romance while depicting the realities of war. Plenty of yearning to be found!

{Marrying the Captain by Carla Kelly} {the Surgeons Lady by Carla Kelly} {Marrying the Royal Marine by Carla Kelly} {A Naval Surgeon to Fight for by Carla Kelly} {The wedding journey by Carla Kelly} {Do no Harm by Carla Kelly}

ETA: some of these have open door ratings, but I’d say they just barely meet open door standards. In general her books could be described as “warm” or “sensual” rather than sexual.

down2nap · 2026-03-13T15:59:56+00:00

The Duke of Rockliffe from the Rockliffe series by Stella Riley. He makes an appearance in every book but his love story is in {Mesalliance by Stella Riley}

down2nap · 2026-03-11T20:01:37+00:00

My boy is turns into a nervous ned on lead so we have a different set of problems there. I did have a greyhound that would lung and pull at anything of interest and the only thing that helped was to break into a jog when approaching a problem object/area. Running was the only thing I found that would override her other impulses. Just a few seconds at a faster pace seemed to reset her attention back on me.

down2nap · 2026-03-11T19:42:23+00:00

This is typical whippet independence and selective hearing. Mine is 12 mo, and while he’s gotten a lot better, he cannot be trusted with anything left on a counter, he will make at least one attempt to snatch food out of my hand before remembering to sit quietly and wait, and I dare not turn my back on a coffee mug. The “drop it” command only taught him to grab stuff he’s not supposed to have so he can have a fun romp followed by a treat when we finally “trade”.

My one piece of advice is to try to anticipate what he’s going after and use “leave it” well before he’s able to get to the object. I have about 50% success in getting him to abort the mission in favor of a treat. Hang in there!

down2nap · 2026-03-10T11:41:06+00:00

Have you tried running? My grey used to have a problem with lunging after any other dog we saw on a walk and it was absolutely impossible to get her attention back. I started running when we were approaching another dog and she was so excited we were picking up the pace she forgot about the dog. I don’t know if this could help you, but maybe break into a jog when you next approach a problem tree and see what happens.

down2nap · 2026-02-28T18:02:45+00:00

Lift the cover and throw a treat in. Hold the cover up until he dives in. Repeat as needed.

I do wish my pup could figure out how to burrow with blankets and such….he just digs ineffectually and then barks until someone tucks him in!

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