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What's on your Christmas Reading List? (+Giveaway)
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Beverley Kendall was not able to provide a scene for the event today. In lieu, I'll be putting together a small post featuring some of my favorite holiday reads and Beverley will be giving away some of HER fave holiday reads! Enjoy!
It's that time of year again! Mad dashes to Bath and Body works & Old Navy for last minute Xmas gifts, lots of studying late into the winter nights for finals, working retail while EVERYONE is last minute shopping as well-- this is what my last few winters have been like. Life can get crazy/overwhelming all year long- but especially when the snow hits the ground and your room starts to resemble the wrapping room at Santa's toy shop!
One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to plan a day for myself when I have no school or work and stay in all day, cuddled under covers with comfort foods and one of my all-time favorite holiday reads close at hand. Revisiting these classics help get me in the spirit and maybe they have/or can for you too!
1.) A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas
Readers get to catch up with their favorite Wallflowers and meet a new addition who'll be swept away by an unwitting devil-may-care American. As a huge fan of this series, I got SOOO much ungodly glee out of this novel and every winter, this book gets broken out and re-fawned over!
2.) The Holiday Present by Johanna Lindsey
This book features TWO stories- The first (just like my last pick) is in an Epilogue-ish vain, giving fans of the previous books from the series the chance to catch up with some of the characters that found their HEA, while also introducing the reader to a love story that was brought up routinely through out the other books. The second story was one I had the pleasure of enjoying during my first christmas as an offcial romance junkie. My addiction to romance books was out of control and when I strolled through the aisle of my local library, 4 books already tucked under my arm, I spotted a name I was becoming quite fond of. It was an Xmas themed book at that- so I knew I had to read it and after that year the story became a permanent fixture in my holiday reading queue.
3.) And we can't forget Grace Burrowes' Windham series and the two Christmas-titled knock-outs!
Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish and Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight.
Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish and Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight.
I've had a lot of fun remembering the stories that embody Christmas to me! So how about you guys? Tell me which books scream HOLIDAY to you and you can't help but revisit this time of year!
**Make sure you stop by Ramblings From This Chick today & check out a holiday scene written by Emma Wildes
**Make sure you stop by Ramblings From This Chick today & check out a holiday scene written by Emma Wildes
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And make sure you add a few of Beverley Kendall's titles to your Christmas List! I am definitely treating myself to her first contemporary title which is dropping at the top of the new year (called When In Paris by Beverley Kendall, Available Jan 15th, 2015)
Books by Beverley Kendall:
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And don't forget to enter the Grand Prize Giveaway
On the 8th Day of Christmas My True Lord Gave To Me...with Grace Burrowes (+ Giveaway)
8 Spinsters Singing with Grace Burrowes
Grace Burrowes grew up in central Pennsylvania and is the sixth out of seven children. She discovered romance novels when in junior high (back when there was a such a thing), and has been reading them voraciously ever since. Grace has a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a Bachelor of Music in Music History, (both from The Pennsylvania State University); a Master's Degree in Conflict Transformation from Eastern Mennonite University; and a Juris Doctor from The National Law Center at The George Washington University. Her debut novel, The Heir was chosen as a Publishers Weekly Top Five Romances for 2010, and is the first in an eight-sibling historical romance series to be published by Sourcebooks Casablanca.
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Background: Their Graces, Percival and Esther Windham, Duke and Duchess of Moreland, have raised a large family, and are watching as their children find true love and happiness, one by one, in the books of the Windham Series. First the sons, Westhaven (“The Heir”), St. Just (“The Soldier”) and Lord Valentine (“The Virtuoso”), and now the daughters are winning their happily ever afters, most recently, Lady Sophie, in “Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish.” This story finds the family gathering again in anticipation of the holidays, and while the Earl of Westhaven means well, his lectures on penny pinching and self-discipline miss the point of the season entirely….
The Ducal Gift
by Grace Burrowes
“Economies have seen this family put to rights, and economies will see us safely into the next generation.” The Earl of Westhaven executed a crisp about face and paced back toward the roaring fire. “If we observe economies and practice discipline then the New Year and all the new years to come will hold only good fortune for the Moreland family.”
Westhaven ceased pacing long enough to accept a glass of very fine cognac from his father, Percival, the Duke of Windham.
“To ward off the chill,” His Grace said with a small smile.
“Percival, you cannot expect our son to drink alone—not with the holiday season upon us.” The duchess’ smile was indulgent. She sat on the end of the settee closest to the fire, an embroidery hoop in her graceful hands, the firelight chasing gleaming highlights through her golden hair.
“Just a tot, then.” His Grace poured himself two fingers, saluted with his glass to his wife of more than thirty years, then downed half the contents in a single swallow.
“I do believe it is starting to snow,” Her Grace observed. “Just in time for Christmas.”
Westhaven’s brows twitched down. “Snow? When I must away to Surrey in the morning? That will not do.”
He was a handsome man, tall, with dark chestnut hair, and his mother’s green eyes, but from His Grace’s perspective, the lad wanted for a bit of humor. “You are my heir, Westhaven, but that does not quite give you the ability to command the Almighty in matters relating to weather. Finish your drink before you hare off to your countess and the blandishments of a warm bed on a cold winter night.”
For just a moment, Westhaven’s expression turned sheepish. The duke saw Her Grace had note their son’s expression, and exchanged a private parental smile with her.
Westhaven tipped up his glass and finished his drink. “My thanks for excellent libation and for your company. Mother.” He bent to kiss the duchess’ cheek. “Your Grace.”
When he would have shaken hands with his father, the duke pulled his son in for a hug, not caring in the least that it likely mortified the man beyond bearing.
“I confess, Esther, I find young people today tiresomely proper,” His Grace observed, taking a seat beside the duchess when Westhaven had departed. “One wonders how they manage to give us grandchildren.”
Her Grace put aside her embroidery and appropriated the glass from the duke’s hand. “Sometimes, all that propriety masks a passionate nature, which is the case with Westhaven. He can spout off about economies all he wants, but Anna assures me he’s lavish with his affections when they are private.”
The duke took the glass back, noting that the merest sip of cognac remained. “He gets that quiet passion from you, my dear.”
She rested her head on his shoulder, a familiarity she’d only indulge in when they were alone. “He gets his determination and fire from you, Percival. When he’s in a taking, Westhaven is quite ducal—and he’s in a taking about the family finances, as usual.”
She fell silent, the only sound in the room the cozy hiss and pop of the fire. His Grace set the rest of his drink aside and wondered how—with Westhaven ringing a peel about economies over his parents’ heads—the duke’s plans for Christmas were going be received.
The duke brushed a kiss to his wife’s temple. Time enough for economies next year—and perhaps for many years to come.
***
“Your Grace, I’m afraid it’s not possible to cancel the order. The pieces have already been scheduled for manufacture, the material procured, the labor engaged.”
Mr. Hermann’s eyes held worlds of apology, but Her Grace knew with sinking certainty that her rubicund jeweler of many years was not going to accommodate her request.
“You cannot sell the pieces elsewhere?” And oh, what it cost her to ask. Discipline, indeed.
“Not with the family crest displayed as it is, Your Grace. I am sincerely, abjectly sorry, but they will be lovely when completed. They will be lovely and impressive, I do assure you.”
Not as impressive as the lecture Westhaven delivered, nor the disappointment in His Grace’s eyes when the bill arrived.
“Thank you then. You’ll send word when they’re ready?”
Oh, yes, he’d send word, and he’d deliver the goods with his most effusive compliments. He bowed and beamed at the duchess all the way back to the ducal town coach, leaving Her Grace only one option: She was going to have to raise funds to cover this expense, or the Windham Christmas would be a gloomy undertaking indeed.
***
“There they are, Your Grace. Eight matched chestnuts, every one of ‘em with four white socks and every one of them sound, sane and willing. When the Windham sons and daughters go on an outing, heads will turn.”
The little fellow who’d been overseeing His Grace’s business at Tatt’s could not have been more cheerful as they walked along a row of eight loose boxes. They passed one gleaming red horse after another, handsome, sizeable mounts all, and worthy of a duke’s family.
“And if I’ve changed my mind, Mr. Vickery? If I’ve decided that a matched herd isn’t quite the look I wanted?”
Vickery’s smile did not falter. “I can have them delivered to the property or properties of your choice. Every animal you chose can ride to hounds, carry a lady sidesaddle, or acquit itself in a mannerly fashion on the busiest streets in Town.”
Ducal pride was an inconvenient thing when a man had been lectured by his own son regarding extravagance and responsibility. His Grace reached out to stroke the nose of a gelding upon whose back the Duchess would look truly magnificent. “I meant if I’ve decided I don’t want them after all, Vickery. Eight matched horses is a bit ostentatious, don’t you think?”
If Vickery understood the word, he wasn’t going to let it affect his mercantile interests. “Your Grace, your man spoke for the beasts so they’re as good as yours. If you reject the lot of them now….” Vickery turned basset hound eyes on the gelding. “It won’t go well for them on the block, Your Grace. Rejected by Moreland, former cavalry man and a demon riding to hounds. Everyone will assume they’re a bad lot, and that won’t look good at all for Vickery and Sons.”
Oh, and all of Melton would be looking askance next.
So, another solution had to be found if economies were to be observed. “I understand. Keep them well groomed. Christmas is close at hand, and it won’t do to be delivering Christmas gifts sporting mud and cockleburs.”
Vickery’s smile re-appeared. “Of course not, Your Grace. Happy Christmas to you and Her Grace, and to your entire family.”
A happy Christmas, indeed, with His Grace’s exchequer cast again into the cockleburs and mud or worse.
***
“It’s very, very handsome, Mr. Henderson.” Her Grace ran her bare hand down the saddle’s smooth twist. “His Grace will love it.”
“Known for his skill in the hunt field is Moreland, and this saddle will become his favorite, I can assure you.”
It wasn’t an emerald ring, it wasn’t fancy, it wasn’t even all that expensive—not compared to eight Moreland signet rings of gold, diamonds, and emeralds, but Her Grace had observed that the duke’s favorite hunting saddle was growing worn. She’d gone on a hunt of her own, for the man who’d made that saddle, and found him, bent and wizened, in a saddlery in Chelsea.
He’d been all too happy to take on a modest commission, claiming it would see his family comfortably into the New Year.
“You’ll deliver it tomorrow, then?”
“To the mews, as Your Grace requested. And if it don’t suit, you can put a lump of coal in my stocking.” He winked at her, and Esther Windham knew a sense of warmth. Whatever else befell the family this Christmas—shouting matches, lectures, awkwardness—this present was from the heart, and would be appreciated as such.
***
“If I might be so bold as to observe, Your Grace, they are the exact color of your duchess’s lovely eyes.”
His Grace’s jeweler, one Harold Whiffenstadt, rocked back on his heels, hands behind his back, his smile almost as brilliant as the simple bracelet gleaming on the green velvet lining the box.
“She has many other pieces that are more impressive,” the duke remarked. Her Grace had entire parures, though those were mostly family jewels, not the duchess’ personal property.
Whiffenstadt regarded the little bracelet. “Your Grace, jewelry that outshines the wearer defeats the purpose of ornamentation. Your duchess is the true gem, unless I mistake the matter greatly. She will love this token.”
She would, and more to the point, His Grace would love to see the modest gold and emerald ornament on her wrist. “I love her hands.”
He hadn’t meant to speak that aloud, but it was the truth.
“One always knows a lady by her hands,” Whiffenstadt said.
His Grace gave orders for the bracelet’s delivery and took himself out into a day sporting flurries and a brisk wind. He reflected that he most assuredly loved his wife’s graceful, competent hands, but it was more accurate to say he loved her touch. When he was overwrought with frustration or fatigue, she could soothe him with a hand to his cheek. In public, she had merely to grip his fingers in her own, briefly, discreetly, and even that made all the ills of the world a little more bearable.
His Grace had the satisfaction of knowing that when the Windham family Christmas gifting was over, regardless of Westhaven’s fuming and fretting, His Grace would still be holding the pretty, loving hand that meant the most to him the entire world.
***
Gayle Windham, the Earl of Westhaven, held up a hand for silence. “May I suggest—”
His sister, Sophie, Baroness Sindal, yanked on his morning coat. “No, you may not. Sit down. I want to see what Mama has given us for Christmas, and your books of sermons can just wait.”
Westhaven’s lips twitched. “You never even read Fordyce’s Sermons, and I saved all my allowance to ensure each of my sisters’ had a copy.” He’d been fifteen years old, about to go off to university and quite full of adolescent self-importance—a pompous twit of the first water, so to speak.
Sophie grinned at him and bounced the infant on her knee. “The Sermons make a nice paperweight.”
“At least let me hold the lad if you’re going to be such a scold, Sophie.” Westhaven appropriated his chubby, smiling nephew. “Mother, I suppose you’d best go first.”
A negotiation ensued among eight siblings and their spouses about the order of go for opening presents, during which Westhaven kept hold of the baby—babies were such jolly additions to the holidays, and His Grace was going to steal this one at any moment. When the verbal melee was over, it was decided to open Their Grace’s gifts last and Sophie’s first born was making a merry round of knees and laps.
To comfort her husband, Sophie had taken up a perch on his lap, while on the piano bench, Lord Valentine and his wife were squashed much closer together than propriety allowed. St. Just was lounging in a doorway, his hand casually resting on his countess’s bare neck, and various other siblings were arranged on the floor amid presents, children, and one brave tabby cat.
“Well, Papa?” Sophie aimed a smile at the duke. “You’re next. Is it to be sugarplums, toy soldiers, or wooden pistols?”
His Grace could be relied upon on Christmases long past to supply the best treats, and to appoint himself Regent of Misrule, capable of usurping the proper sovereign’s powers. At Sophie’s prompting, the duke reached behind his seat and produced a velvet bag.
“My gifts are out in the mews, though I propose an outing in the park for the assemblage later today to put them to the best use.” He rose and began handing around documents, each one neatly rolled up with gold ribbon. “As your papa, it was among my greatest pleasures—and most important duties—to find each of you the perfect pony for your first mount.” The duke’s chin came up and he speared Westhaven with a look that was more defiant than ducal. “I’ve taken the liberty of exercising that prerogative one last time. Westhaven, you shall not castigate me. A horse is a practical gift, and I assure you, the funds were on hand to manage it.”
An instant’s awkward silence ensued before Louisa spoke up. “I have been wondering how much longer dear Andromeda was expected to carry me about. Her muzzle is turning gray, and I think she’s eying the pensioner paddock with longing. Thank you, Papa. A new mount is a very thoughtful gift.”
She glowered at Westhaven, clearly daring him to prose on about budgets and economies—as if he’d do such a thing on Christmas Day. A chorus of thank yous followed, though it seemed to Westhaven the duke was avoiding his gaze. That his father—a generous man by nature—would be self-conscious about gift-giving was more alarming than that the family finances might be strained by ducal largesse.
And what could it mean, that the funds had been on hand to procure a veritable herd of horses?
“We’ve one gift left,” Westhaven pointed out, rather than dwell on such thoughts. “Mother, before we form a mounted mob in Hyde Park, I suspect you’ve something to add to the general bounty?”
Her Grace smiled, but to Westhaven’s practiced eye—he was married, after all—the duchess looked a trifle hesitant.
“My gift is small,” Her Grace said. She passed out little boxes, one to each sibling. “But it comes from my heart. I want each of you to recall my love when you use these gifts, and hopefully,” –she glanced meaningfully at St. Just, Lord Valentine, and Westheven— “you will use them frequently when writing to your parents.”
Westhaven opened his box to find an exquisite sealing ring, the Moreland crest engraved in a gold setting, emeralds and diamonds gracing the whole. A small fortune lay in his hand. “This is gorgeous, Mother.”
Also extravagant, particularly when multiplied by eight. And yet… a man should write to his mother. She was correct in that.
“And Westhaven, no lectures if you please,” Her Grace said. “The funds did not come from my pin money, and you’re not to worry. This is my gift to my children, and quite possibly their children as well.”
“Because,” Westhaven said, regarding his parents, “we will write to our children as well, and think of our parents’ love when we do.”
“Just so,” said His Grace, a bit too heartily. “Now if you lot will repair to the mews, I need a word with Her Grace under the mistletoe.”
While the duchess blushed like a girl, His Grace escorted her from the room, leaving Westhaven to meet questioning looks from his siblings.
“Don’t you start, Westhaven.” Sophie’s tones were low and fierce. “They gave us wonderful gifts.”
Six other pairs of green eyes challenged him to remark the extravagance of those gifts. “Am I really so bad as all that?” he asked the room at large.
Eve, youngest and in some ways the most stubborn, offered him a hesitant smile. “You can be as bad as all that, thundering on about solvency and self-restraint, Westhaven, but we know you’re mostly rehearsing for some parliamentary speech ages hence. We’re all proud of you for not having an apoplexy at Mama and Papa’s little excesses—provided you let us keep the horses and the rings?”
This was a fine moment to exhort them all not to follow the wrong-headed examples of their parents, spending heedlessly on things neither necessary nor practical. Phrases about the obligation of the nobility to set standards started dancing in his head, but at that moment, Sophie’s first born tugged on Westhaven’s breeches, and began ascending to a wobbly stand at his uncle’s knee.
“Up!” The child held up his arms, only to fall ignominiously to his nappied bottom.
As Westhaven hoisted his nephew into his arms, he reasoned that nobody learned to economize all at once, and what was more important? A fat balance in the ledger books, or the gift of a happy loving memory of this day?
“We keep the horses, the rings, and the abundant love with which they were given. Happy Christmas, and the last one to the mews has to wash Napoleon’s linen.”
Amid cheers and more hooted schoolroom taunts, Westhaven took Eve’s ring from her hand and slipped it on her finger, then kissed her sister’s cheek. “And no malingering under the mistletoe!”
***
“I do believe our spinster daughters have better aim than their brothers.” His Grace peered down into the back garden, where his offspring were comporting themselves like unruly children, pelting one other with snowballs, shrieking madly and dashing from hedge to bush to bench.
“I love that sound—our children at play.” The duchess slipped an arm around his waist. “The grandchildren will soon be joining them.”
They shared a quiet, lovely moment, full of memories, and full of hopes for those grandchildren.
His Grace turned and took his wife in his arms, right there by the window. “I have a gift for you, my love. It’s much smaller than a horse.”
“Your love is gift enough for me, and it’s as big as all of creation, Percival Windham, though the horses were a wonderful gesture.” She rested her cheek against his chest, and His Grace wanted nothing so much as to remain there with her, the rest of the family larking around down in the garden, snow falling and all right with their world.
“For you.” He drew a little box from his pocket, and passed it to her. When she stepped back, he let her go reluctantly. “It’s merely a token.”
“I have a gift for you, too, husband. One you don’t really need, though I want you to have it.”
“Open mine first.” He had to tell her how he’d afforded the horses—there was no hiding a transaction like that—but first, he wanted to see her eyes sparkling like the emeralds she wore so well.
Her Grace opened the box, and held the little bracelet up to the light. “Percival, it’s lovely. It’s marvelous. You must put it on me this instant.” She held out her wrist, her smile soft and luminous.
“You like it then? The only emeralds in your collection are your grandmother’s parure, and that has no bracelet. This can be for everyday, of course, or whenever—” He fell silent, fastening the clasp, then bringing her knuckles to his lips.
“Oh, Percival…”
He glanced up. That was not an Oh, Percival, of gratitude. If he didn’t mistake the matter, it was an Oh, Percival redolent with despair.
“My love, is something amiss?” He kept hold of her hand, lest she decide she had to join the affray in the back garden.
“No, nothing. Your gift is in the armoire.” She gestured with her free hand, and yet it seemed to His Grace, that the duchess might be blinking back tears. He led her to the armoire and opened the doors to find a hunting saddle sporting a bow of gold silk on the pommel.
“A saddle? For me? A new saddle?” The horseman in him couldn’t help but run his hand over the supple leather. “By God, it’s beautiful, Esther. And look, that’s the stitching pattern on my old saddle, and the fittings, and the… Where did you have this made?”
Her smile was full of mischief and glee, and yet, she was dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. “Old Mr. Dickens. He makes only a handful each year, his sons having taken over the trade, but for you… he recalled the day you purchased the last one and was quite proud to have your custom. I hope you like this one just as much.”
She was shy and pleased and so lovely, so loving, His Grace just had to kiss her.
“It’s perfect, Esther. I shall ride in no other, but my dear, we need to talk before we join the children on this outing.”
She kissed him too, a quick wifely buss that brought a whiff of flowers to the duke’s nose. “We do need to talk. You must promise me you will not be wroth, Percival. I have more fancy parures than is decent.”
She led him by the hand to a settee and tugged him down beside her. The gold bracelet winked from her wrist while outside, the ladies had started up a bouncy chorus of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.
“I will not be wroth, Esther, and you must make me the same promise.” They had exchanged that promise any number of times in their marriage, and it had stood them in good stead. “You speak first, my dear, while I admire your bracelet.”
Her Grace inhaled, studying their joined hands. “I sold my grandmother’s parure to pay for the rings. The emeralds on my wrist are now the only emeralds I own, but I will treasure them always, Percival, more than the whole set I inherited from my grandmother.”
His Grace wanted to laugh, he wanted to hug his wife and kiss her senseless. He contented himself with sharing the truth with her.
“I sold the hunting box in Melton to pay for the horses, Esther. The only hunting saddle I’ll ever need is the one you just gave me. I’m too old to be spending weeks galloping around in the mud after a pack of hounds and some wily fox. I’ll attend the local meets, and have more time to spend with my duchess, our children and our grandchildren.”
The look she gave him was so… dear. Her Grace snuggled closer. “Happy Christmas, Percival Windham. I do love you.”
“Happy Christmas, Esther Windham. Your love is all the gift I will ever need, and of course, I love you too. Very much.”
A snowball smacked against the window, and while the Windham rabble charged into a rousing rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus, Westhaven bellowed for his parents to leave the mistletoe and come down to join the fun.
After one more lingering, loving kiss, the duke and his duchess did exactly that.
###
Want some more of Grace Burrowes' work?
All Sophie Windham wants is peace, quiet and the novelty of a little solitude in the Duke of Moreland's London mansion before she joins her family for Christmas at the family seat in Kent. In the middle of a very inconvenient London snowstorm, Sophie finds herself stuck with an abandoned baby, and only the assistance of handsome stranger Vim Charpentier standing between her and complete disaster...
Vim Charpentier's worst memories are of Christmases spent with family in Kent, so when he has an excuse to tarry for a few days in London, he willingly lends a hand helping Sophie and her new little charge become acquainted. The growing attraction he shares with Sophie warms both their spirits, but when Sophie's three brothers arrive (from the East) to whisk her away, Vim has to decide between facing his memories, or letting the Christmas gift of a lifetime slip through his fingers.
Pick It Up Today!:
Amazon (paperback) | Barnes&Noble (paperback)
**Giveaway**
Grace will be giving away 8 copies of her holiday historical romance LADY SOPHIE'S CHRISTMAS WISH to eight commenters!!! Tell her about the best Christmas present you gave to or received from a family member. Make sure to leave a comment with your answer and fill out the raffle copter form below to be entered!
Don't Forget to head over to Ramblings From This Chick and read Monica Burns' special holiday scene (plus ener her giveaway)
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**Grand Prize Giveaway**
On behalf of myself, Dani and a whole host of generous and awesome authors, we will be having one BIG Grand Prize given away to 1 lucky winner. The grand prize consists of a mix of books, swag, and lots of other secret goodies. Believe me, you want to enter to win this prize. Just make sure to leave a comment every day on each post on both blogs and fill out that day's grand prize giveaway form on each blog. You can follow THIS link to today's form for this post or fill it out below after you comment.That's it. Super easy!
Good Luck everyone and Happy Holidays!
Coming Soon: Anticipated Releases for June 2011
June is THE month. Not only is it my birthday month, but it's also going to be chock-full of amazing releases! I am so excited to see Johanna Lindsey gracing the shelves once again with a release that I KNOW will be as magical and romantic as all her earlier releases. We've got some debuting authors, old school vets showing them how it's done, and lovely new-to me's I can't wait to devour. Carina Press continues to put out QUALITY ebooks- one authored by Karen Erickson (who will also stop by the blog for guest post on 6/20) I am jumping up and down for! And Lorraine Heath's upcoming release looks like it'll be dark, original, and fresh. I am in BOOK HEAVEN!Here are the Anticipated Releases for June 2011!!!
'The Soldier' by Grace Burrowes
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| Read an excerpt: here |
Even in the quiet countryside he can find no peace...
His idyllic estate is falling down from neglect and nightmares of war give him no rest. Then Devlin St. Just meets his new neighbor...
His idyllic estate is falling down from neglect and nightmares of war give him no rest. Then Devlin St. Just meets his new neighbor...
Until his beautiful neighbor ignites his imagination...
With her confident manner hiding a devastating secret, his lovely neighbor commands all of his attention, and protecting Emmaline becomes Deviln's most urgent mission.Source
June 14th- My Godmama of Romance is back! Johanna Lindsey will be hitting the shelves this month with a book straight from a fairy tale! I keep saying how the blurb gives me the impression that this book will have sort of a Les Miserables / Anastasia plot line- and I am smitten already! It's releasing this month in Hardcover first- and the $16-$25 price tag my throw some of you off; but for those of us who have fallen under Ms Lindsey's spell, we'd pay close to anything! A MUST-GET!!!
'When Passion Rules' by Johanna Lindsey
Forced to flee Napoleon’s rampaging army on the continent, orphaned Alana Farmer and her eccentric guardian make a new home for themselves in London. There, Alana enjoys every privilege a daughter of the nobility could hope for, plus an education fit for a queen.
Now, on the eve of her debut into London Society, she learns the shocking secret of her birthright. Can it be true? Is she really the lost princess of the European kingdom of Lubinia? Persuaded by her guardian to return to their homeland to quell a bloody revolt, Alana finds herself in an isolated, mountainous country whose customs strike her as medieval!
Now, on the eve of her debut into London Society, she learns the shocking secret of her birthright. Can it be true? Is she really the lost princess of the European kingdom of Lubinia? Persuaded by her guardian to return to their homeland to quell a bloody revolt, Alana finds herself in an isolated, mountainous country whose customs strike her as medieval!
With controversy and intrigue brewing around the beautiful newcomer, Christoph Becker, the captain of the palace guards, arrests Alana on suspicion that she is either a wily imposter or a seductive spy working for the shadowy figures determined to depose the king. No stranger himself to seduction, Christoph uses every means at his disposal to draw the truth from his alluring prisoner, even if he must lay his own life on the line to protect her from harm.
Now, as a fiery passion flares between Alana and the man who has wrongly imprisoned her, the fate of a nation rests in their hands and on their hearts. Source
June 20th- Karen Erickson comes to Carina Press with her first Historical Romance! It'll be a doozy alright! AND she's stopping by the blog on the 20th for a special guest post!
'Lessons in Indiscretion' by Karen Erickson
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| Read an excerpt: here |
Widowed Lady Julia Renwick is still young enough to crave a man’s touch; but she’s too old to think that the Earl of Bedingfield could see her as anything more than a family friend. Garrett Walker is handsome, charming and only 26 years old—the perfect catch for any one of this year’s debutantes.
Garrett has no interest in the maidens vying for his attentions. He wants only Julia. With just two weeks left in the season, he makes a bold move by asking her to dance. When she counters with a shocking request of her own, Garrett eagerly agrees.
Garrett has no interest in the maidens vying for his attentions. He wants only Julia. With just two weeks left in the season, he makes a bold move by asking her to dance. When she counters with a shocking request of her own, Garrett eagerly agrees.
Soon, they are stealing away for passionate encounters at every society event they attend. Garrett introduces Julia to excitements she never knew existed, and her newfound confidence quickly attracts other eligible men. It’s not long before Garrett realizes he must find a way to keep the lady all to himself…Source
June 21st- Something tells me a romp of a read is in store for all of us smart enough to pick up Charlotte Featherstone's upcoming release! I can just smell the seduction and deception on this one! Some emotional and passion surely awaits! (And in my B&N cart it goes....LOL)
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| Read an excerpt: here |
His love could save her…
In more ways than one.
With the scandalous nature of her birth to live down, Isabella Fairmont dreams of a proper marriage – even if a passionless one. She saves her deepest desires for the novel she dares to pen, wherein a handsome lord with dark powers seduces her. But then her courtship with an appropriate suitor is threatened by the sudden attention of the Earl of Black …whose pale blue eyes and brooding sensuality are exactly as she described in her book.
Isabella tries to resist the mysterious Earl of Black. Yet as he pursues her with inexplicable knowledge of her past and kisses that consume her, Isabella fears she will succumb.
If only the earl could tell Isabella the truth. With very real and treacherous thieves endangering her life, Black will need to protect Isabella from the very people she trusts the most…Source
JUNE 28th- Fat Tuesday (for books) --(and my Birthday!!) will be filled to bursting with supercalifragilisticexpialidocious reads! A debut from Christina Brooke will surely spice up the shelf, and coming off a strong debut herself- Stefanie Sloane will absolutely WOW with her sophomore release! The ever legendary Loretta Chase is also set to release something fresh and amazing--and what a coincidence; All THREE authors will be on the blog either this month or early next month! Aside from those lovely authors, we can expect something original and enchanting from Lorraine Heath this month, as well as a follow-up stunner by Vicky Dreiling! And what month would be complete with out something sizzling from Meredith Duran?
'Heiress in Love' by Christina Brooke
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| Read an excerpt: here |
A CONVENIENT MARRIAGE
Jane, Lady Roxdale, has endured one marriage of convenience decreed by the Ministry of Marriage. While she deeply regrets her late husband’s death, she is relieved to be free at last. But when a dissolute rake threatens everything Jane holds dear, she must contemplate marrying a second time…
AN INCONVENIENT PASSION
Disgraced libertine Constantine Black inherits his cousin Roxdale’s land and title–while Roxdale’s prim widow is left all the wealth. Constantine is not a marrying man, but wedding Jane is the only way to save the estate from ruin. Jane resists the smoldering heat between them, desperate not to fall in love with an unrepentant rake. But for the first time ever, Constantine wants more than seduction. He wants all of her–body, heart, and soul…Source
AN INCONVENIENT PASSION
Disgraced libertine Constantine Black inherits his cousin Roxdale’s land and title–while Roxdale’s prim widow is left all the wealth. Constantine is not a marrying man, but wedding Jane is the only way to save the estate from ruin. Jane resists the smoldering heat between them, desperate not to fall in love with an unrepentant rake. But for the first time ever, Constantine wants more than seduction. He wants all of her–body, heart, and soul…Source
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'The Angel In My Arms' by Stefanie Sloane
When it comes to suitors, Sarah’s lush curves and perfectly kissable lips aren’t enough to compensate for her outspoken and willful nature. Sarah’s tasted disappointment before, and she long ago decided that she’s better off without an overbearing husband. Still, flirting with the sinfully handsome Marcus is a pastime worth savoring—even when it leads to wicked pleasures. But when Sarah’s life is in jeopardy, Marcus discovers that the fire between them can no longer be denied—and that he’ll do anything to keep her in his arms. Source
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Brilliant and ambitious dressmaker Marcelline Noirot is London's rising star. And who better to benefit from her talent than the worst-dressed lady in London; the Duke of Clevedon's intended bride? Winning the future duchess's patronage means prestige and fortune for Marcelline and her family. To get to the lady, though, Marcelline must win over Clevedon, whose standards are as high as his morals are...not.
The prize seems well worth the risk. This time, though, Marcelline's met her match. Clevedon can design a seduction as irresistible as her dresses; and what begins as a flicker of desire between two of the most passionately stubborn charmers in London soon ignites into a delicious inferno . . .and a blazing scandal.
And now both their futures hang by a thread of silk…Source
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'Waking Up with the Duke' by Lorraine Heath
They are masters of seduction, London's greatest lovers.
Renowned for his bedchamber prowess, Ransom Seymour, the Duke of Ainsley, owes a debt to a friend. But the payment expected is most shocking, even to an unrepentant rake—for he's being asked to provide his friend's exquisite wife with what she most dearly covets: a child.
Living for pleasure, they will give their hearts to no one.
Lady Jayne Seymour, Marchioness of Walfort, is furious that such a scandalous agreement would be made. If she acquiesces, there must be rules: no kissing . . . and, certainly, no pleasure.
Until love takes them by surprise.
But unexpected things occur with the surprisingly tender duke—especially once Lady Jayne discovers the rogue can make her dream again . . . and Ransom realizes he's found the one woman he truly cannot live without. Source
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'How To Seduce a Scoundrel' by Vicky Dreiling |
| Read an excerpt: here |
Lady Julianne Gatewick is in a pickle. It started when her brother’s best friend—for whom she’s long nursed a secret tendre—agreed to act as her guardian for the Season, only to seduce her with a risqué waltz.
But when the music stopped and the expectant ton waited for the Earl of Hawkfield to claim her as his own, he made his disinterest clear. Rather than succumb to humiliation, Julianne does what any recently discarded, wickedly witty young miss would do. She secretly pens a lady’s guide to enticing unrepentant rakes . . . and it becomes the hottest scandal in London.
But when the music stopped and the expectant ton waited for the Earl of Hawkfield to claim her as his own, he made his disinterest clear. Rather than succumb to humiliation, Julianne does what any recently discarded, wickedly witty young miss would do. She secretly pens a lady’s guide to enticing unrepentant rakes . . . and it becomes the hottest scandal in London.
Every honorable rake knows that friends’ sisters are forbidden. But suddenly Julianne has a spark of mischief in her eyes that Hawk can’t resist. Try as he might to push her away, he spends his days listening for her laughter and his nights dreaming of her kisses. He’s always avoided innocents and their marriage-minded mothers, but has the man least likely to wed finally met his match? Source
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'A Lady's Lesson in Scandal' by Meredith Duran
When Nell Whitby breaks into an earl’s house on a midnight quest for revenge, she finds her pistol pointed at the wrong man. Pity the handsome devil is a lunatic. He thinks her a missing heiress, but more to the point, he’ll help her escape the slums and get a bit of justice, too. Not a bad bargain. All she has to do is marry him.
A rake of the first order, Simon St. Maur spent his youth burning every bridge he walked across. When he inherits an earldom without a single penny attached to it, he sees the chance to start over -- provided he can find an heiress to fund his efforts. But his wicked reputation means courtship will be difficult -- until fate sends him the most notorious missing heiress in history. All he needs now is to turn her into a lady and keep himself from making the only mistake that could ruin everything: falling in love...Source
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So, enjoy these releases! I know I will! Let me know which books you can not wait to get your hands on! Have I missed any important ones coming out this month? How excited are you for that Johanna Lindsey novel?
Happy Readings
Copyright © C-buk2016
