Title: Quinn, by Design
Author: Jennifer Raines
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Book Blurb:
She’s antiques royalty, he’s relentlessly modern
Master carpenter NIALL QUINN’s passion is creating bespoke furniture. Everything else comes second until his ex-fiancé ditches him when he gifts another creation to a friend, and he discovers his brother has been carrying his dead father’s debts. Niall’s self-respect demands he pay his share. He’s landed a prestigious exhibition of his work with a top gallery, possible in part because of the support of an antiques dealer who’s been mentor, patron, and generous landlord. Niall’s hoping the exhibition will establish his reputation and boost his bank balance.
LUCY McTAVISH’s grandfather, antiques supremo Cameron (Cam) McTavish raised her. His death leaves her totally alone. Lucy drained their personal accounts to provide twenty-four-seven in-home palliative care for Cam. The thought of poverty paralyses her, a crippling reminder of life before Cam found her. Laden with debt, she plans to sell Cam’s workshop to ensure his antiques emporium survives.
When the will is read, Niall Quinn holds the keys to Cam’s workshop. Lucy’s convinced he conned her grandpa in his last days and demands he restore antiques for her. Niall is blindsided by the bequest, but worries about yet another debt and agrees to the work.
Lucy and Niall circle each other. In sharing stories and drawing closer, Lucy figures out debt is her childhood bogeyman resurrected by Cam’s death. Niall has real debts and, unaware of his exhibition, she looks for clients who’ll pay him for the work she’d been demanding for free.
With the exhibition drawing closer, it’s crunch time. Will Niall choose his exhibition or Lucy? Does Lucy want a man who won’t share his dreams with her?
My Review:
Quinn by Design is a contemporary romance that is pleasurable to read. The hero is a master artist when it comes to bespoke furniture. The heroine is reeling from the loss of her grandfather, Cam, and thinks our kind hero is a con man. If I had to define this romance, it is rivals to lovers with a twist. The narration is immersive and had my fingers speeding through the pages as I read. I stayed up late reading Quinn by Design and it is an addictive read.
The characters are delightful. I fell in love with Quinn ever since I read Masquerade (book one). He’s a hero readers will swoon over. I mean, he works with his hands creating beautiful furniture. His complex personality unfolds slowly but that just made me read faster. He’s a bit confused by Lucy, but he knows he’s in for an interesting adventure with her. All aspects of his life come to a head, and he must choose between his show and the love he feels for Lucy.
Quinn is wonderfully written by Jennifer Raines. He is well-written with his own backstory and personality. Jennifer Raines uses her ability to layer emotion and tension into Quinn that creates one of the finest romantic heroes ever written.
The romance is beautifully written with heartfelt emotional tension. I truly enjoyed this romantic journey.
The descriptive narration is flawless and allows the reader a deep dive into the story. After reading the first chapter, I was instantly invested in both Quinn and Lucy. A lot of that is a result of the descriptive narration. Every scene is poignantly detailed with plenty of emotion.
If you’re looking for an emotionally charged romance with characters that’ll leap off the page and into your heart, pick up Quinn by Design.
My Rating: 5+ stars
Buy it Now:
Special Giveaway:
A copy of Masquerade international (e-book) Australia (paperback or e-book- winner’s choice) for readers who subscribe to my author’s blog at
Author Biography:
Australian Jennifer Raines writes contemporary romances set mainly, but not exclusively, in Australia – think Malta, Finland, New Zealand or ? A dreamer and an optimist, her stories are a delicious cocktail of passion, mutual respect and loyalty because she still believes in happily-ever-afters.
Jennifer fell in love with romance as a teenager. Starting with historical romance. Everything in the school library and then a treasured collection of Georgette Heyer, hard copies, paperbacks and ebooks. Comfort food, she calls them, like Vegemite toast, for those times when she feels low. Her library of comfort food has grown over the years but Georgette Heyer was an early star, under the blankets after lights out using a torch.
Jennifer is a member of Romance Writers of Australia. Three times a finalist in the Emerald competition, including in 2017 (Common Cause, renamed Lela’s Choice), 2018 (Taylor’s Law) and 2022 (Quinn, by Design – Choosing Family Book 2). She’s a member of Romance Writers of New Zealand, winning the Pacific Hearts competition twice, including in 2019 with Grace Under Fire, the sequel to Taylor’s Law. She’s also a member of Romance Writers of America and has been a finalist in chapter competitions in 2019, 2020 and 2021 (Taylor’s Law). Jennifer won the contemporary romance section in the 2020 Orange Rose Contest for Planting Hope and was second overall. Jennifer values competitions for the constructive, honest, not always comfortable feedback they provide.
In 2023 Taylor’s Law placed second in the Romance Writers of New Zealand Koru Best First Book Award.
Jennifer loves those days when words flow and the joy of writing makes the hard slog worthwhile. She’s always made-up stories about strangers in the street, in a café or strolling through an airport terminal; finding inspiration in snippets of conversations, news items and the sheer puzzle of human interactions.
Jennifer lives in inner-city Sydney, Australia, with the requisite number of partners (1) and animals (2). Her desk overlooks a park which nourishes her soul when she raises her head from her keyboard. She gets some of her best ideas walking—including around the block. While Jennifer adores historical romance, she chose to write contemporary because she thought (wrongly) it needed less research while she was holding down a full-time job.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://jenniferrainesauthor.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/romanceauthorjen/
Reviewed by: Nancy