Month: November 2017

Excerpt: Deception by Kris Kennedy

Posted November 30, 2017 by Holly in Promotions | 0 Comments

Kris Kennedy recently re-released a revised edition of Deception, an amazing medieval romance. I love all of her medievals. If you didn’t catch this the first time around, go forth and download!

Excerpt: Deception by Kris KennedyDeception by Kris Kennedy
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publication Date: July 31st 2012
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 356
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England, 1294USA Today bestselling author brings you a scorching hot, second-chance romance with a warrior on a mission of revenge & the woman who might just make him give up everything
even his life.

First he loved her. Then he abandoned her. Now he’s the only one who can save her.

A dashing con man on a mission of revenge
Irishman Kier once served as the ‘Piper,’ enticing wealthy, unscrupulous men into dealings with other wealthy, unscrupulous men. It was a lucrative way of life for a man without a conscience, and he was very, very good. But now he’s on a mission of revenge, and the men who once betrayed him are about to pay. He’s planned for everything, from how he’ll lure them in, to how he’ll hammer the last nail into their coffins. He’s planned for everything. Except the one woman who can bring the whole thing crashing down around him.

A woman in peril with secrets to protect
 Sophia Darnly is stunned by the reappearance of the outlaw lover who abandoned her years ago. And furious. And desperate. Fleeing with a document that contains the most damning details about the wealthiest men in England, she’d being hunted by dangerous men, and has no choice but to do the most dangerous thing of all: turn to Kier to save her.

A game that could get them both killed Time has not erased Sophia from Kier’s heart, nor tamed her fiery spirit. But Kier is on a mission of revenge, and can’t allow even the woman he once loved to stop him.

When Sophia forces herself into Kier’s schemes, he has no choice but to join forces. Posing as a wealthy shipping widow and her agent, the duo set a trap for their targets, but the coals of their rekindled passion burn hotter than either of them could have imagined. And when they discover they, too, are the targets of a deadly deception, the fate of their love, and of England itself, lies in the balance.

Romantic Times’ K.I.S.S. Award, Best Historical Romance Hero of the Year

Order the Book:

AMAZON || BARNES AND NOBLE || GOOGLE

Excerpt

KIER STOOD AT THE TOP of the stairs, watching the brigands descend into the muddy courtyard below. He stood under the slanting rain, motionless.

Then he turned and stared through the open doorway at her.

He looked like sin. His hair was dripping dark and wet over his face. His clothes were molded to his form, tunic slack and pressed to his body, breeches tight, black boots gleaming, as were the dark eyes pinned on her.

“Where were you going, Sophia?”

It was quietly said. So quiet it made a shiver run through her body, chest to belly.

“Where were you going with the ledger?”

“Kier, stop,” she said in a low, warning tone.

He kicked the door shut behind him.

Her breasts pricked with hard shivers. “Kier, stop,” she said firmly, but the resolve in her words was belied by the way she started backing up, one hand behind her, feeling for obstacles as she went. She bumped into a bench and backed around it.

“Where were you going?” His eyes never left hers as he came forward, shoving the bench out of his way. “To Cosimo? Or had you others in mind? Perhaps you meant to sell it to the highest bidder?”

“Kier, stop.”

“Surely you could have offered me rights of first refusal, could you not, now?”

His Irish was getting stronger as his emotions ratcheted up. Jagged chills raked across her chest.

“How much do you want?” he rasped. “A hundred? A thousand?”

She shook her head wildly and tripped backward another step. Her knees hit the bed and she dropped onto it.

“Kier, no, you must see—”

“See what? Perhaps you were evening the score, aye? I left you, now you leave me?”

She scooted away across the mattress, pushing with her elbows and heels. “No, ’tisn’t—”

He closed his hand around her ankle.

“Oh, JĂ©su,” she whispered as he pulled her toward him, bundling the sheets beneath her, until she was laid out beneath his towering body.

His eyes were like fury, his face like stone.

“You erred, lass,” he rasped.

She stifled a scream, kicked hard into him, and launched herself over the bed and took off running for the door. She made it two steps before his arm closed around her waist, stopping her like an iron bar. He yanked her back into his chest and the raw, barely-restrained power of him.

“You wanted to negotiate? Let’s negotiate,” he said, his breath hot in her ear.

About the Author

Kris Kennedy

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

I used to work in an office, write a lot of reports, have a lot of clients. I also used to cut out early whenever I could, to write down the stories that kept coming to me. I’d been known to turn the car around mid-commute, to rush home and write down ideas rushing through my mind, before they disappeared into the mists again.

Now I write big, sweeping, super sexy romantic adventures full time. Well, part time. Whenever I’m not mom-ing. Which is an adventure all its own


I write stories set in the wild and windswept middle ages. Hard heroes. Smart heroines. Big adventures. Mayhem. Villains. Grand love stories. Loads of sexytimes.

Did I mention the sexytimes?

The stories have won many awards, from RWA’s Golden Heart(R) Award, to the National Readers’ Choice Award, to Romantic Times’ Magazine K.I.S.S Award for Best Historical Hero of the Year. They’ve received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and been featured on many ‘Best Of The Year’ lists.


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Review: A Duke in Shining Armor by Loretta Chase

Posted November 30, 2017 by Rowena in Reviews | 5 Comments

Review: A Duke in Shining Armor by Loretta ChaseReviewer: Rowena
A Duke in Shining Armor by Loretta Chase
Series: Difficult Dukes #1
Also in this series: A Duke in Shining Armor, Ten Things I Hate About the Duke, Ten Things I Hate About the Duke
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: November 28th 2017
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 400
Add It: Goodreads
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Not all dukes are created equal. Most are upstanding members of Society. And then there’s the trio known as Their Dis-Graces.

Hugh Philemon Ancaster, seventh Duke of Ripley, will never win prizes for virtue. But even he draws the line at running off with his best friend’s bride. All he’s trying to do is recapture the slightly inebriated Lady Olympia Hightower and return her to her intended bridegroom.

For reasons that elude her, bookish, bespectacled Olympia is supposed to marry a gorgeous rake of a duke. The ton is flabbergasted. Her family’s ecstatic. And Olympia? She’s climbing out of a window, bent on a getaway. But tall, dark, and exasperating Ripley is hot on her trail, determined to bring her back to his friend. For once, the world-famous hellion is trying to do the honorable thing.

So why does Olympia have to make it so deliciously difficult for him . . . ?

A Duke in Shining Armor is the first book in Loretta Chase’s new Difficult Dukes series. It follows runaway bride, Lady Ophelia Hightower as she runs from one wedding and finds herself heading toward a new one with her ex-fiance’s best friend.

The day of her wedding to the Duke of Ashmont, she panics and flees the scene only to be chased down by the best man, Hugh Philemon, the Duke of Ripley. Ripley has always known that Ophelia is not for him. She was everything that was good in the world while he was a Dis-Grace. Now she’s engaged to his best friend and he’s trying his best to keep her in sight so that he can return her to his friend, only she doesn’t want to be returned. No matter how hard he tries, shit keeps happening and his hold on her and his sanity is rapidly disappearing and feelings are creeping up and keeping his distance from her is proving difficult as is staying un-injured.

What an adventure this story was! Loretta Chase pens another wonderfully charming romance between two people who begin a journey to one place and end up in a totally different place…in love with each other.

Ophelia was a riot. I completely adored her personality and how she was so adamant that she was a boring person who was sensible and didn’t do outrageous things and yet every single turn her journey took, she was in one pickle after another. I loved how fiercely she loved her family even though they worked her nerves and the responsibility she felt toward them was understandable. I loved seeing her life spin out of control and watching her fumble her way around until she made sense of her feelings, her future, and her heart. She was a great character and a strong heroine and I seriously loved the romance between her and Ripley.

Ripley, oh Ripley. I loved him. I thought he was so much fun and when he finally jumps all in with Ophelia and is like, “Fuck it. Let’s do this. I’ll handle Ashmont.” I about swooned with delight because gah…they were perfect for each other. Ripley and Ophelia’s bickering kept me mighty entertained and I just could not imagine either of them with other people. There were times when I wanted to wring both of their necks but for the most part, I just flat out liked them.

I’m mighty curious about who is next. I’m not thinking Ashmont since he has a lot of growing up to do and I confess that I’m much more intrigued with Alice and Blackwood. What is their deal? Where the heck is Alice?

Overall, this was a delightful romance with characters that won me the hell over and the book left me wanting more from this world. I can’t wait for the next one. Ripley and Ophelia were an awesome couple that kept the laughs coming and really, you won’t want to miss this one. It’s good.

Grade: 4.25 out of 5

four-stars


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Guest Review: Someone to Wed by Mary Balogh

Posted November 29, 2017 by Tracy in Reviews | 6 Comments

Guest Review: Someone to Wed by Mary BaloghReviewer: Tracy
Someone to Wed by Mary Balogh
Series: Westcott series #3
Also in this series: Someone to Love, Someone to Hold, Someone to Care, Someone to Honor, Someone to Trust
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: November 7th 2017
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 400
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

When Alexander Westcott becomes the new Earl of Riverdale, he inherits a title he never wanted and a failing country estate he can't afford. But he fully intends to do everything in his power to undo years of neglect and give the people who depend on him a better life . . .

A recluse for more than twenty years, Wren Heyden wants one thing out of life: marriage. With her vast fortune, she sets her sights on buying a husband. But when she makes the desperate-and oh-so-dashing-earl a startlingly unexpected proposal, Alex will only agree to a proper courtship, hoping for at least friendship and respect to develop between them. He is totally unprepared for the desire that overwhelms him when Wren finally lifts the veils that hide the secrets of her past . . .

Alexander Wescott arrives at Withington House for tea expecting that he would be meeting some of his new neighbors.  He’s surprised when it’s only the lady of the house, Miss Wren Heyden, and her maid.  He’s a bit put off by the situation and by Miss Heyden, and just wants to leave.  He is shocked when she proposes marriage to him out of the blue.  She had been sitting in shadow and when she reveals herself he sees a large purple mark on one side of her face that she had had since birth.  Alexander agrees to get to know Wren and they start a bit of a courtship that ends with Wren retracting her proposal.

Almost a month later Wren arrives in London.  When Alexander sees her again he knows that marrying her is the right thing to do.  He proposes, and she accepts.  Unfortunately Wren thought that once they were married that she would continue to live in obscurity – she couldn’t have been more wrong.  The reclusive Wren soon finds herself surrounded by Alexander’s accepting family and eventually going out in public without her veil.  The ghosts of her past, however, soon start to tear her apart from the inside and she’s not sure that marrying Alexander was the wisest thing to do as she considers herself a broken woman.

This was such a sweet book.  I have enjoyed the Wescott series so far and this is another good one.  I expected, after book 1, that the books would be strictly about the Wescott children who had found themselves illegitimate after thinking for most of their lives that they were legitimate.  I was wrong and I’m happy about that. 🙂  I didn’t realize that I wanted Alexander’s story until I started reading.  It was so very good and I was happy that Balogh went the direction she did.

Alexander was such a great character and a good man.  He was conscientious and thoughtful and genuinely cared about people.  When he inherited the Earldom he was shocked and overwhelmed.  He had inherited a home that had been completely neglected despite the former earl’s wealth.  Unfortunately that wealth hadn’t come with the title so Alexander was trying to do the best he could.  He knew he needed a rich wife but it was distasteful to him to marry for money – I can’t say I blame him.  Wren presented a perfect solution but he knew that she had many issues and the wall she put up between herself and people would cause problems.  He told himself when she broke things off that he was relieved, but he couldn’t decide if he was being honest with himself.  I was so happy that he made the decisions he did later in the book. He proved that he was the honorable man I thought him to be.  He took such good care with Wren and her sensitivities to people and I loved him for that.

Wren started off not being my favorite.  She was standoffish and caustic and it bothered me as I knew Alexander didn’t deserve it.  She tried to come out of her shell but after being a recluse for twenty years it was difficult, to say the least.  When she finally made it to London she seemed to become a different person and one I greatly admired. She could have so easily stayed in her rooms and continued to be the recluse but she made an effort to show herself despite her self-consciousness and I loved it.  Balogh did a wonderful job writing this heroine!  She had been through so much in her life that she could have folded up into herself and crumbled but she didn’t and loved her for it.

Balogh has become one of my go-to authors when it comes to historical romance.  She always provides a lovely story and wonderful romance and this was another great one.  The Wescotts are a lively family and I can’t wait to read more about them in the future.

Rating: 4 out of 5

four-stars


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Retro-Review: Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts.

Posted November 28, 2017 by Rowena in Reviews | 7 Comments

Retro-Review: Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts.Reviewer: Rowena
Savor the Moment (Bride Quartet, #3) by Nora Roberts
Series: Bride Quartet #3
Also in this series: Vision in White (Bride Quartet, #1), Happy Ever After (Bride Quartet, #4)
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: April 27th 2010
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 325
Add It: Goodreads
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts cordially invites you to meet childhood friends Parker, Emma, Laurel, and Mac — the founders of Vows, one of Connecticut’s premier wedding planning companies.

Laurel McBane has always relied on her friends for support, especially when her dream of attending culinary school was almost ruined by her parents’ financial problems. Now Laurel is repaying the kindness of her friends by creating extravagantly luscious tiers of cakes and other confectionary delights that add the perfect touch to their clients’ weddings. As for romance, Laurel believes in it — in theory. But she’s too low-key to appreciate all the luxuries that other women seem to long for. What she does appreciate is a strong, intelligent man, a man just like Parker’s older brother, Delaney Brown, on whom Laurel has had a mega crush since childhood.

But some infatuations last longer than others, and Laurel is convinced that the Ivy League lawyer is still out of her reach. Plus, Del is too protective of Laurel to ever cross the line with her, or so she thinks. When Laurel’s quick- silver moods get the better of her — leading to an angry, hot, altogether mind-blowing kiss with Del — she’ll have to quiet the doubts in her mind to turn a moment of passion into forever


*****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.*****

This review was originally posted on April 27, 2010.

This is another series that I am absolutely in love with. I love that it’s a straight up contemporary series with just two human beings falling in love without be bitten by vampires or taken hostage by terrorists or anything else like that. They’re just two everyday, average, normal people falling in love over the course of time.

This book was good. It was but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Jack and Emma’s story. There were things about this book that I loved, like learning about Laurel’s side of the business, I’ve always been fascinated with baking and Laurel does it well so it was good to see that. I also enjoyed getting to know Del. I’ve always been interested in learning more about Del in the first two books and it was good to finally see Del getting some serious page time.

Laurel and Del’s attraction to each other started in the last book when they’re all at Emma’s family’s house for a bbq and you could tell that this was where that day was going to lead Del and Laurel. Their attraction seemed to simmer on low heat for a few weeks before it boiled right out of the pot. Del is trying to keep seeing Laurel as the little sister he’s always known her to be and Laurel is trying to get over her silly crush on the boy that will always look at her like a little sister. So in a last ditch effort to get Del out of her system, she shows him that she’s NOT his sister and that sets the tone for the rest of the book.

They’re playing this keep away game of Laurel’s shoes and Del is using the shoes to get to know Laurel better. He’s going for this and he’s going to see where it leads them. Watching these two grow closer and closer was cute. Seeing them bicker their way to love made me smile.

Del was a great hero, one who caring, thoughtful and adorable. I really liked him but I didn’t love Del the way that I loved Jack. Del was a good, solid hero but he didn’t make my heart sing the way that his best friend did.

Laurel was one of those feisty heroines who at times made me roll my eyes around the room. Her reasons for being mad at Del about the whole money didn’t make sense to me. She’s known Del most of her life, she’s friends with him. She should have known him enough to understand where he was coming from with the whole paying thing. I mean, she blew something so small into something so big and I just didn’t get it. So Del’s rich, so what? I just didn’t understand where all of her anger from him trying to give her money was coming from. It’s not like he thought she was this two bit loser who he felt sorry for and was trying to give her a break. I could see him doing the exact same thing to Emma and to Mac but Laurel blew that shit up like he was trying to strangle her or something.

Overall, this book was good but it’s not my favorite of the bunch. My favorite part of this book was getting to know Laurel while she was at work. I loved reading about all of her baking bits. Seeing her in action in the kitchen had me wanting to throw my apron on and see what kind of concoctions I could throw together in the kitchen. I love baking in any romance novel and it never fails to amaze me how Nora Roberts can take any occupation out there and make me curious about it. She’s a phenomenal writer and I’m such a fan!

It was good to see the gang all together again and I can’t wait for Parker and Mal’s story. I can’t wait to see how Mal wins her over. It’s going to be interesting because Mal is a fox and Parker is one tough cookie. I can already imagine the sparks that are going to fly. Woot!

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

The Bride Quartet

This book is available from Berkley Trade. You can buy it here.

four-stars


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Review: Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai

Posted November 28, 2017 by Rowena in Reviews | 3 Comments

Review: Wrong to Need You by Alisha RaiReviewer: Rowena
Wrong to Need You (Forbidden Hearts, #2) by Alisha Rai
Series: Forbidden Hearts #2
Also in this series: Hurts to Love You (Forbidden Hearts, #3)
Publisher: Harper Collins, Avon
Publication Date: November 28th 2017
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 368
Add It: Goodreads
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He wasn’t supposed to fall in love with his brother’s widow


Accused of a crime he didn’t commit, Jackson Kane fled his home, his name, and his family. Ten years later, he’s come back to town: older, wiser, richer, tougher—and still helpless to turn away the one woman he could never stop loving, even after she married his brother.

Sadia Ahmed can’t deal with the feelings her mysterious former brother-in-law stirs, but she also can’t turn down his offer of help with the cafe she’s inherited. While he heats up her kitchen, she slowly discovers that the boy she adored has grown into a man she’s simply unable to resist.

An affair is unthinkable, but their desire is undeniable. As secrets and lies are stripped away, Sadia and Jackson must decide if they’re strong enough to face the past...and step into a future together.

Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai is the second book in her Forbidden Hearts series and it follows the best friend and brother of the heroine from Hate to Want You, Livvy. The heroine of this book also happens to be the heroine from the last book’s sister in law, so yes, that makes her the hero in this book’s sister in law too.

Jackson Kane and Sadia Ahmed have been best friends since they were kids and Jackson used to protect Sadia from the playground bullies. That friendship blossomed into a love that Jackson can’t shake, not even when Sadia grew up and married his brother. Fast forward years and a whole lot of space later, Sadia lost her husband and Jackson lost his brother and he’s back in his hometown to check on his long lost sister and to help Sadia keep the family cafe afloat. He’s grown up a lot in the time that he’s been away. He grew up to be a world-famous chef with pop up restaurant success in different cities all over the globe so when he comes home to cook in his family cafe, Sadia is conflicted because on one hand, she’s pissed that he disappeared from her life without ever acknowledging any of the emails she sent his way over the years but on the other hand, the cafe is his family cafe so he has just as much right to work there as she does.

Jackson left town for a whole lot of years because it was hard for him to live in a town where everyone whispered behind their hands about him. He was arrested for a crime he didn’t commit and even though the charges were later dropped, people had long memories back home and he didn’t want to be around any of that so he took off. He also had a lot of mad going on where his own family was concerned so even though it wasn’t easy, he stayed away. When his brother Paul died, Jackson hurt but there wasn’t anything he could so even though it pissed Sadia off, Jackson stayed away. He missed a lot of things while he was away, too. He missed seeing his mother growing older, he missed getting to know his young nephew and he missed Sadia.

This was a sticky romance, in the sense that Sadia and Jackson are extremely close. Sadia considered Jackson family and muddying those waters wasn’t easy for her. She was married to his brother and that was something that she didn’t take lightly. I thought Rai did a great job of making the reader understand their relationship and root them on toward that happy ending.

I loved Jackson. I loved Sadia and I really loved them together. Seeing them deal with the drama between the two of them, then Jackson’s personal drama and his family drama, plus Sadia’s own insecurities and family drama while trying to find common ground between the two of them, made for an interesting and passionate romance. Kareem was a fantastic addition too. He was so adorable.

All in all, this was another winner for me and I’m really looking forward to Eve and Gabriel’s book next. I’m so thirsty for it. This gets a definite recommendation from me. If you’re in the mood for some drama and a steamy romance, this is a good choice.

Grade: 4.25 out of 5

Forbidden Hearts Series


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