Tag: Julianne MacLean

Retro-Guest Review: When A Stranger Loves me by Julianne MacLean

Posted September 27, 2017 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 2 Comments

Retro-Guest Review: When A Stranger Loves me by Julianne MacLeanReviewer: Brie
When a Stranger Loves Me (Pembroke Palace, #3) by Julianne MacLean
Series: Pembroke Palace #3
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: January 27th 2009
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 384
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

I saved his life . . . and I had much to demand in return.

When he washed up on shore, I knew my prayers had been answered, and that I, Lady Chelsea Campion, need no longer fear poverty and heartbreak. To secure my family's estate, all I needed was a child. Handsome, clearly noble-born, and with no memory of his previous life, the mysterious man was perfect. All I had to do was visit his bedchamber and seduce him. I had expected him to be a skillful, scandalously wonderful lover, but once in his arms I was overcome by something more than mere passion. I had fallen hopelessly, desperately in love.

My plan has gone shockingly awry. But I will not give up a man who makes me feel such wicked ecstasy. No matter his true identity, no matter the secrets he struggles to remember, I will do anything in this world to make this stranger love me.

*****As part of our 10 year anniversary celebration, we’ll be re-posting old reviews and posts that make us cringe, laugh or sigh all over again.

Holly: We’ve been blessed to have some pretty amazing guest reviewers over the years. From readers to other bloggers to authors and industry professionals, we’ve seen some lovely talent here.

This review was originally published on May 7, 2009

Scandalized years prior, Lady Chelsea Campion lives a life of exile on the Jersey Isles with her family. Since her brother and sister in law have been unable to create an heir to save the Earldom, Chelsea’s overbearing mother is eager to have her married off to a distant and cousin whom Chelsea does not want, but is the only man who will have a “ruined” woman. One day while walking along the beach, Chelsea comes across an injured man lying lifeless in a cave. She goes for help and the man is brought back to the family’s estate where the stranger is nursed back to health. When the stranger comes to, he has no memory of who he is, therefore, Chelsea has no way to return him back to his family.

The stranger’s extended stay does open up an opportunity for Chelsea. Not only does he incite her passion, but he seems to be the answer to her families biggest problem. Chelsea devises a plan with her brother and his wife to become pregnant by the stranger, whom she calls Jack, and then let them pass the baby off as their own. That way, Chelsea is saved from marriage to a man she doesn’t want and the Earldom remains in the family. Jack and Chelsea embark on a passionate affair until she realizes that she’s falling for him and no longer wants to keep up the charade. But before Chelsea can reveal the truth to Jack, he finds out on his own about Chelsea’s plans and in enraged. Then his brother arrives, sharing the news that “Jack” is really Blake and he is from a family of nobility and must go back to England at once.

By this point, Blake has become attached to Chelsea and even though he is beyond angry with her devious plans, he knows that she might be carrying his child so he demands that she come along. Chelsea goes, because she is in love with Blake even though he has made it clear that he wants nothing to do with her further than the child that she might be carrying. Still, all of Blake’s posturing can’t keep him from longing for Chelsea and what they shared on the Isles. But they soon find out that neither of their feelings for the other really matter because their is something from Blake’s past that promises to keep them apart, no matter how bad they want to be together.

I can’t say that I enjoyed When a Stranger Loves Me. The plot is more than a little outlandish and because of that I had a hard time getting into the story. Chelsea’s plan that she comes up with her brother and sister in law, was just plain silly. I had to wonder what kind of brother that claims to care for his sister would agree to letting her sleep with a man just so that he can pass the baby off as his. The relationship that Chelsea had with her mother was another low point. It was clear that her mother cared more about herself than anyone else, and even the so called “resolution” that they came to in the end rang false. The first half of the book was very unengaging, and the only saving grace was the second half, after Blake’s family finds him, and that was only because Chelsea took a back seat and Blake was able to shine. For my first Julianne MacLean book, this was a disappointment, but there is always next time.

3.5 out of 5

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here.

three-half-stars


Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

What I Read Last Week

Posted February 14, 2012 by Tracy in Features | 5 Comments

Welcome to another week! Are you ready? I think I ask myself that every week and frankly the answer isn’t always a resounding YES. lol. I’ve been waking up at 5am for the past week with absolutely no idea why. It’s not like I plan it and I certainly try to go back to sleep but alas my brain starts up and won’t let me rest. Hopefully my bodies alarm clock will reset itself to normal soon and I can get a good nights sleep.
Life was pretty low-key this past week which was a welcome change from the previous week. Nothing much happened which in my book falls under the chapter entitled “WooFreakingHoo”. lol
How was your week? Anything exciting happen?
I got a lot of reading done which was nice. I got some books read that I’ve been meaning to get to and I love it when that happens. I think I get so caught up in what’s coming out that I don’t sit back and look at all the wonderful books I have sitting on my shelves or in my ereader. I need to make more of an effort to read those books I’ve had for a while.
On to what I read this week – and sorry – no author links today as I’m rushing! lol
First up was a novella by Amelia Fayer called Lust in the Library. This was 2 related erotic short stories set in one novella. The first is about a girl that has got a thing for a man that comes into the library where she works but she’s too shy to take the bull by the horns and talk to him above and beyond the call of duty. The second story was about a girl who has what she thinks is a cheating boyfriend and the story covers part of their relationship and the patch work it needs to get back together. Both stories were cute. I’ll post my review later this week. 3 out of 5
Next was Wrangled and Tangled by Lorelei James that I read for The Book Binge. This is book 3 in the Blacktop Cowboys series and it was a good one. This was 2 romances in one book. While I liked both stories I thought the story of Abe and Janie wasn’t quite as in depth as it needed to be. The story of Renner and Tierney I liked better. Both were pretty scorchin. 🙂 4 out of 5
After that I read Love Means…Family by Andrew Grey. This was the story about Arie who goes to visit his best friend Robbie to try to escape the grief over his sisters’ death. There he meets officer hunky aka Duane and the pair fall for each other. You can read more here in my review. 3.25 out of 5
The Last Night by Nico Rosso is a fantasy/post apocalyptic story that was really good. I’ll be posting my review of it later this week so keep your eyes open.
Shane’s Last Stand by Suzanne Brockmann is a prequel to the upcoming Born to Darkness novel that releases March 20th. This is the story of Shane and his last mission as a Navy SEAL but the story is set in the not too distant future. I’m not sure what year but they do mention some document from 2024 so it’s at least that far. Not too much seems different when it comes to military stuff though and Shane is leading a team on a search and destroy mission. But one of Shane’s team realizes that the woman that their technology tells them is the killer is actually someone else who is in hiding. Shane makes a decision that will change his life forever but a decision that keeps his conscience clear. It was a good story but there just wasn’t much to it. I think it will be a good set up for the novel but beyond that no real conclusion. 3.5 out of 5
Next was one of my Tracy’s TBR challenge reads and that was Carnal Intentions by Stephanie Hecht. This was the story of Mitchell and his mate Dean. They had met and fell in love and had been having a long distance affair via Skype for a long while. Now they are working together again to try and find Mitchell’s lost brother Joel and Mitchell doesn’t want to let Dean go again. Things aren’t always easy though and there’s a lot to work through. I really liked this fourth story in the Lost Shifters series. Books 2 and 3 had been so similar to book 1 that I was afraid that they had all fallen into a pattern but this one proved me wrong. It was a great story and good continuation of the story arc. 4 out of 5
Next was A Wicked Caress by Stephani Hecht. Continuing the series…we have Joel who now goes by Noah coming into the family fold and being treated with kid gloves. He is somewhat fragile but Seth who knows that Noah is his mate doesn’t want him to not be able to defend himself if the Ravens come for him. Especially since there’s one in particular that wants Noah for his own. This was a good story as well. I was a bit disappointed that some of the conversations and falling in love portions were off page but I was more than satisfied with the story I was given. 4 out of 5
I kept up with the Lost Shifter series by then reading Ruthless Pursuit. This was about Vapor who is sent to get Mitchell’s last missing brother, Andy, or Andrew as he now goes by. Andrew has been brainwashed by the man who raised him and always believed that his brother Mitchell had sold him to his guardian. While running from Vapor and giving him a good chase the pair fall for each other in their own rough way. It wasn’t romantic but it was hot and I liked how each character stayed true to his personality and didn’t get too sappy when dealing with the other once they realized their feelings. It was a good story and I’m looking forward to reading more in this series. 4 out of 5
Taken by the Cowboy by Julianne MacLean was a free book from ARe not that long ago and since it was a time travel novel I snapped it up. Jessica somehow time travels to the old west and lands in 1881. The first night she’s in Dodge she is accused of killing a man. He was a wanted criminal though so she’s actually offered a reward – even though she didn’t do it. She’s anxious to get home but then starts falling for the local sheriff who in turn is falling for her. She has to decide – does she want to stay in the wild west or try to get home and lose her love forever. This was a darned good story and I really like almost all of it. There were some slow parts in the middle but they didn’t detract from the overall story. The ending had me thinking as I’m just not sure how I feel about it. I can’t tell you details because it would spoil everything completely but it definitely wasn’t your usual HEA. Despite the end I would definitely recommend this one if you’re a time travel romance lover like me. 4 out of 5
My Book Binge reviews that posted last week
*crickets chirping*
Happy Reading!


Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Another Giveaway Winners Round Up!

Posted March 10, 2011 by Rowena in Giveaway Winners | 2 Comments

We’ve got some winners to announce so without further adieu, here they are:


The winner for Kismet by Monica Burns is:

Johanna R Jochum

The winner for To Marry the Duke by Julianne MacLean is:

catslady

The winner for the Kiss Kit from Harlequin is:

Jordan

The winner for Once was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming is:

Enamored Soul
goddessani

The winners for last month’s Monthly Reads giveaway are:

Spav

Scorpio M.

Ina

Thanks to everyone who participated in our giveaways. These giveaways are for our readers to show our appreciation for all of you. Winners, please shoot us an email at contests at the book binge . com (no spaces) with where you want us to send your winnings and we’ll get those prizes sent out just as soon as we can. Please put the title of the book you won in the subject line.

If you’ve won a prize that you haven’t received yet, please don’t hesitate to contact us and ask about them. We’ll gladly research them for you. We host a lot of giveaways and we’d hate to lose track of one prize so let us know and we’ll look into it for you.

Thanks,
Rowena, Casee & Holly


Tagged: , , ,

Excerpt: Captured by the Highlander by Julianne MacLean

Posted February 22, 2011 by Holly in Promotions | 5 Comments

Check out an excerpt from Captured by the Highlander by Julianne Maclean, available March 1st from St. Martin’s Press.

_________________

From Chapter Three…

Amelia sat on the floor of the cave, fighting against an overwhelming sense of defeat.  No matter how hard she tugged and wrenched at the thin ropes binding her wrists, she could not free herself.  She was trapped like a helpless fawn in a wolf’s den, and soon her captor would return and do what he’d wanted to do to her all along, since the moment he’d crept into her fiancé’s bedchamber.

Then suddenly he was there before her, kneeling down, pulling a knife from his boot.  Terror exploded within her.

“Please,” she said, tugging harder and more desperately at the bonds.  “If you possess the smallest shred of humanity, you will let me go.  You must.”

He raised the knife in the dim light, and just when she thought he was going to cut her throat, he sliced through her bonds instead.  They dropped lightly to the ground.

“You’re a fighter, aren’t you?” He took both her hands in his and held them up to inspect the undersides of her wrists.  “I admire your tenacity, but look what you’ve done to yourself.”

A thin trail of blood was dripping down her arm.  He reached for a cloth, dipped it into the pot of water that hung on a hook over the unlit fire, and touched it to her wrists.  Gently, he washed the blood away.

“Are you going to kill me?” she asked, glancing uneasily at the sword he carried.  “Because if I am to be put to death, I wish to know.”

He remained focused on what he was doing.  “I’m not going to kill you.”

She was grateful for the information, certainly, but was still a far cry from feeling calm and reassured.

“What about the other Highlander?” she asked.  “He doesn’t seem to like me very much.”  She glanced toward the mouth of the cave.

“You’re right.  He detests the very ground you walk on.”  The Butcher folded the cloth and continued to wipe her forearm with the cleaner side of it.

“Why?  Because I am English?  Or is it because I am engaged to Colonel Bennett?”

He paused.  “I reckon both those things make him want to murder you where you stand.”

The cloth touched a tender spot, and Amelia snapped her hand back.

He looked at her intently, and somehow without a single word, he persuaded her with his eyes to endure the discomfort without complaint.  She found herself responding, as if she were being lured into a comfortable obedience…


_________________

Julianne is guest blogging with us today. Check out her guest post to see how you can win a copy of  To Marry the Duke!

This book is available from St. Martin’s Press. You can pre-order it here or here in e-format.


Tagged: ,

Guest Author: Julianne MacLean – Highlanders vs Dukes

Posted February 22, 2011 by Holly in Giveaways, Promotions | 71 Comments

Today historical romance author Julianne MacLean is here to share 10 ways Higlanders and dukes are different. The first book in her new Highlander trilogy, Captured by a Highlander, is set to come out  next week. I love Highlanders, and I can’t wait to read it.

_______________

Top Ten Reasons Why Highlanders are Different from Dukes  

Greetings everyone!  Thanks so much for having me as your guest today.  I’m thrilled to be here to celebrate my new Highlander trilogy, which will hit bookstores in just six  days.  

I can’t begin to tell you how much fun it was to write about rugged Highland warriors, after writing about dukes and earls for the past nine books.  Rather than trying to explain, I thought we could have some fun, so I’ve come up with my own Top Ten List to explore the reasons why we love Scottish Highlanders so much. 

#10 – A Highlander carries an axe instead of a walking stick, which can come in handy if you need kindling to build a fire.
#9 – A Highlander won’t complain if you have to sleep in a cave.
#8 – A Highlander doesn’t need to worry about fumbling with trouser fastenings.
#7 – A Highlander DOES need to worry about a cool, stiff breeze.
#6 – Sheep don’t have to fret so much around dukes.
#5 – A Highlander can buy you a drink because he carries a man purse.
#4 – A duke may have royal blood.  A Highlander likes to spill royal blood.
#3 – A duke requires a certain income.  A Highlander can make do with a dirk and a plaid blanket.
#2 – A Highlander is more likely to grunt and groan, which gives him that attractive “savage” air.
#1 – A Highlander has a bigger sword, and size matters.

Hope you enjoyed my Top Ten List, and just for the record, my husband came up with #6.
So tell me which you prefer – a duke or a Highlander.  There are no wrong answers, so let’s have some fun!  

To Marry the DukeAnd I’ll be giving away a signed copy of my first British-set historical romance – TO MARRY THE DUKE to one lucky commenter.  Thanks again for having me!

 
_____________ 

That list was awesome! My favorites are #’s 1 and 5. Man purse. heh.

Don’t forget to leave a comment telling us whether you prefer dukes or Highlanders for a chance to win To Marry The Duke! Please Note: You must include a valid email address with your comment to be eligible to win. Contest ends Monday, February 28 @ 11:59pm.

Be sure to check out Julianne’s upcoming Highlander trilogy! The first book, Captured by the Highlander, will be available March 1st from St. Martin’s Press.

Captured by the HighlanderClaimed by the Highlander Seduced by the Highlander


Tagged: , , ,