Jennifer’s Review – Page 11

December 3, 2014December 2, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: A Cowboy’s Christmas Promise by Maggie McGinnis

In a captivating novel spiced with holiday magic—perfect for fans of Rachel Gibson, Susan Mallery, and Molly O’Keefe—a rugged Montana man mends a Northeast girl’s jaded heart.

Boston veterinarian Hayley Scampini tends the city’s pampered pets but dreams of the rural life of a country vet. She’s single and determined to stay that way, convinced that love isn’t permanent enough to trust. Then a vacation to the Whisper Creek dude ranch introduces her to Daniel McKee, a sexy single dad who runs the kind of veterinary practice she aspires to—and rattles her conviction to keep men at a distance.

Managing a thriving practice, coping with the loss of his wife, and fighting a custody battle with his in-laws over his twin daughters, Daniel couldn’t be more overwhelmed. Hayley is a godsend, accompanying him in the field and winning over his girls. It doesn’t take Daniel long to realize he’s falling for this woman, hard and fast. So before Hayley returns to Boston, he extracts a promise: that she will return to Whisper Creek for Christmas. It’s the perfect time and place to show Hayley that the promise of a beautiful life together is something she can believe in.

Amazon/B&N

Roscoe motioned them back onto the road. “You two get out of here. Whisper Creek’s a-waitin’ for ya.”
A minute later, they crested a hill with the best view west of the Mississippi, and Hayley sighed in pleasure. The rolling vistas never ended out here. It was nothing like the crowded, noisy streets of Boston, that’s for sure.
“Ahh, vacation.” Hayley slid her shoe off and stuck her bare foot out the window.
“You think this is good. Wait ’til I introduce you to the man of your dreams.”
“I don’t really need man-of-my-dreams-level assistance here. Man-of-the-week would be just fine.”
“I don’t really deal in the of-the-week variety. Sorry.” Kyla smiled innocently. “I’m all about the staying kind.”
Hayley rolled her eyes, but didn’t let Kyla see her do so. “Okay, fine. Tell me about the vet. Does he do big animals or regular-sized ones?”
“Mostly horses.”
“Lucky. His clients could eat mine for lunch.”
“So you still have nothing but mini-beasts?”
“Not by choice.”
“Wait ’til you meet Moose. You’ll wish you could take him home.”
Hayley’d heard about Kyla’s fated trip to the Humane Society last week, but hadn’t yet seen any pictures. Apparently she’d gone in to drop off a donation—and come out with a dog who weighed more than her.
“Is he ugly?”
“So ugly that he’s cute, yes.”
“Does anything about him match anything else?”
“Not a thing. He’s got one white paw and three black ones. A funny brown circle around his right eye. A tuft of hair that sticks up randomly from his head.”
“Sweet. Does he slobber?”
“All the time.”
Hayley put her hands to her chest. “I’ll adopt him.”
“Ha. You’ll have to get by Decker. Those two are already joined at the hip. Plus, he’d take up half your apartment. And eat Brutus.”
“Brutus could use a big brother to look up to. He’s got serious little-dog syndrome.”
Kyla laughed again. “I still can’t believe you adopted a cockapoopa—wait—what is he again?”
“He’s a great Dane in disguise.”
“Of course.”
“So back to the vet. Deets, please. Height? Weight? Eye color?”
Kyla winked at her. “He might just be the sweetest guy I know, next to Decker.”
“So he’s hideous looking. Thanks, Kyla. You’re a true friend.”
“He’s not hideous at all. He’s actually quite . . . attractive.”
“If you can get beyond the crooked nose and snaggletooth and beer belly?”
“Exactly. And I mentioned he’s eighty-seven, right? Because that’s the kind of friend I am?”
“Fine. Call me out on being shallow.”
“You’re not shallow. You’re just not thinking long-term potential here.”
“I’m on cowboy-vacation. I’m not supposed to be thinking about long-term potential. Have you seen your own website? It practically screams ‘fling!’”
“You’re no more a fling type than you are a nun, missy.”
“Don’t be so sure. I’m working up to it.”
“What’s your record now?”
“Longest relationship or shortest?”
“I’m not sure you’ll ever beat the forty-five minute one from 2008, so let’s go with longest.”
“Thirteen weeks.”
Kyla was quiet for a moment as they cruised into downtown Carefree. Then, “Doesn’t it ever get old?”
Hayley sighed. Of course it got old. But it sure was better than the alternative. Definitely better than tying yourself to a guy you thought would be there for eternity, only to have him take off the moment you actually started to believe that this one was the forever variety. Been there, done that, had the T-shirt.

About the Author:

Maggie McGinnis is the author of Accidental Cowgirl and Driving Without a License, which was a finalist for Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award. A former high school English teacher, an accomplished musician, and a certified black belt, she lives in New England with her family.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of A Cowboy’s Christmas Promise

Review (4 Stars): A Cowboy’s Christmas Promise was a tender-hearted romance about two people who believed that love had passed them by until fate brought them together. Hayley had always believed that love wasn’t for her because she saw what it did to her family when a relationship doesn’t always have a happy ending. Daniel had met his true love and lost her to illness and felt that love like that doesn’t happen twice. Until he met Hayley at a friend’s wedding one weekend and his whole life changed. When the wedding festivities are over and Hayley is to return home, Daniel makes Hayley promise that she will return to Montana for Christmas and see if this initial attraction can turn into something more.

Hayley had given up on love because she saw what it did to her family and how it tore it apart when a relationship ended. She had this strict philosophy that she would date them and dump them so she never got her heart involved and experience any loss. The thing was that Hayley never really gave love a chance until she met Daniel. Daniel was handsome, smart, a veterinarian like Hayley and seemed like the perfect guy. When Hayley found out that he had children, she panicked because her fears were coming true and she didn’t want to fall in love with his family and then have the relationship fall apart.

Daniel was such a great guy. Loving, sweet and such a great dad for his two little girls. I loved how he went on YouTube to watch videos so he could braid his daughters’ hair for the wedding and I don’t know many men who would do that for their daughters. He didn’t think that he would get a second chance at love but then Hayley walked into his life and he couldn’t imagine anyone more perfect for him. I loved the things he did to prove to Hayley how much he cared for her and the final gift that he gave Hayley for Christmas had me in tears.

Ms. McGinnis is a new author to me but after reading A Cowboy’s Christmas Promise, I can’t wait to read more from this talented author.

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December 2, 2014December 1, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Murder, Served Simply by Isabella Alan

Amish On Stage
By Isabella Alan

When the actors dressed in Amish costume burst into song and dance, I knew I had the setting for my next Amish Quilt Shop Mystery. I was visiting Holmes County on a research trip. I live about an hour from Holmes County, so I rarely spend the night there. However on this particular visit, I booked a hotel stay and show because I was curious about the annual Amish-themed play that the hotel had. Never in a million years did I expect it to be a musical. I think I made the assumption that it was strictly a regular play because many Amish don’t sing outside of church and they definitely do not dance. Seeing actors on stage wearing Amish dress prance about, tickled my funny bone, but as amusing as I found the performance to be, I knew many plain folk would not see the humor in it.

Because I’m a nosy sort, I asked some Amish and Mennonite people I knew how they felt about the musical version of Amish life. Most of them thought it was fine. They were happy with the play because it brought even more tourists to the county. Many plain people depend on tourism for their livelihood. However, others, if not outright hostile about the play, made it clear they didn’t care for how it portrayed the Amish. This diverse reaction to the play among the Amish and Mennonites just confirmed to me that a play was the perfect setting for an Amish mystery novel.

In Murder, Served Simply, the story opens in the middle of a progressive dinner. The progressive dinner was the idea of the Rolling Brook Township Trustees to increase tourism to the tiny township. The big finish for the dinner is a play, An Amish Christmas, at an inn in town. The only problem is the lead actress for the play is a former Amish girl named Eve Shetler. Most of the Amish in Rolling Brook are indifferent to the play, but they do not like it that Eve is an actress. They feel she is mocking her upbringing. So it comes as no surprise that poor Eve ends up dead before curtain call. Now, quilt shop owner, Texas transplant, and amateur sleuth Angie Braddock must find the killer even it means taking a long hard look at her dear Amish friends.

About the Author:

National Bestselling Author Isabella Alan is the pseudonym for Amanda Flower. Amanda Flower, a two time Agatha-nominated mystery author, started her writing career in elementary school when she read a story she wrote to her sixth grade class and had the class in stitches with her description of being stuck on the top of a Ferris wheel. She knew at that moment she’d found her calling of making people laugh with her words. Amanda is an academic librarian for a small college near Cleveland.

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Amish quilt shop owner Angie Braddock has a lot on her plate this Christmas. But things only get worse after someone develops a taste for murder…

Angie’s parents are visiting Rolling Brook for Christmas—but unfortunately, her ex is joining them. Luckily, Angie has no time to dwell on her romantic troubles as she prepares her store, Running Stitch, for the town’s traditional progressive dinner, featuring a sleigh ride stopping at each shop for a different course of the meal.

The meal ends with an Amish-themed Christmas play at the Swiss Valley Hotel and Barn. But the performance is cut short when an actress falls from the scaffolding to her death. After the sheriff suspects foul play, tensions between the Amish and Englisch heat up, as do rivalries among the acting troupe. Now Angie and her quilting circle must stitch together clues before they’re the ones running for cover…

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Jennifer’s Review of Murder, Served Simply

Review (4.5 Stars): This is the third book in the Amish Quilt Shop series and I love being able to take a look into the quiet life of an Amish community, especially around the holiday season. Angie Braddock is gearing up for the holiday season at her shop, Running Stitch, and has her parents visiting her for Christmas with an unexpected guest in tow. The town is also preparing for their traditional progressive dinner, which is to be followed by an Amish-themed play to end the festivities and has traditional members of the Amish community up in arms about the subject matter. Before the final curtain falls, the lead actress of the play is found dead and it is up to Angie to help find the killer before battle lines are drawn within the community. This holiday season may not be so festive with a killer on the loose and time running out for this sleepy little community.

Angie is one of those characters that you will instantly adore because she is sweet, smart and has a great love of cowboy boots. She has worked very hard over the course of the series to become a part of this diverse community and I enjoy that Ms. Alan is able to provide us a glimpse of this private community with each and every mystery. I also liked how Angie’s relationship has grown with Sheriff Mitchell in this book even though there was a bit of drama in regards to her ex-boyfriend coming to visit her along with her parents. Murder, Served Simply is a well-written mystery that will be sure to charm cozy readers and is the perfect distraction for this holiday season. Looking forward to reading more about Angie and her continuing adventures in the Amish community.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of Murder, Served Simply. This giveaway is for US Residents only. To be entered in the drawing by December 12th, answer me this question in the comments:

What is your favorite holiday tradition?

December 1, 2014November 30, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: A Cursed Bloodline by Cecy Robson

Since being cursed with unique abilities, Celia Wird and her three sisters have fought the most bloodthirsty preternaturals in the Lake Tahoe region. But Celia’s greatest threat is someone she would have never suspected: Anara, a werewolf Elder who has allowed his hatred for Celia to spiral out of control. In a play for dominance, Anara tortures Celia and gives her an ultimatum: sever her mate bond with pureblood were Aric—or Anara will kill everyone she loves.

From the instant they met, Celia and Aric have shared an attraction that cannot be tamed. So keeping Aric away is impossible, and Aric would sooner die than allow anyone to hurt the woman he loves. Misha, master vampire and Celia’s sworn protector, also finds his way into the chaos, seeking blood from those who have harmed her.

Now Celia and her sisters are caught in the middle of a war driven by lust, fueled by hatred, and destined to end in tragedy. For Anara is a force to be reckoned with, and he will not succumb without robbing Celia of those who hold her heart.

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I cleared my throat when I reached the open bedroom door and tried to speak as loudly as
possible. “I don’t want to see you, Aric. You need to leave.” And if you don’t, you’ll die.

There was so much pain and astonishment in Aric’s voice my stomach churned in painful
rumbles. “Celia . . . what—”

“I told you, I don’t want to see you!” I croaked. The tears that had stopped just moments
before returned full force. Being cruel to anyone—especially Aric—was unthinkable.

The seconds of stunned silence passed with brutal thumps to my insides until Misha broke through the horrible quiet. “Celia wants nothing to do with you. Go lick your wounds elsewhere, wolf. You are not welcome in our home.”

No one spoke. No one moved. No one breathed. For what seemed like an eternity, time
stood still.

“Come, Aric,” Gemini finally said. “Our efforts are better suited in finding Emme.”

Liam’s growls reverberated against the windows. “You’re an asshole, Misha. I know
you’re influencing her somehow.”

Koda sounded more pissed than Liam. “Tim, if you don’t wipe that goddamn smirk off
your face, I’ll tear out your throat and leave it for the crows!”

Shayna rushed past me, pausing only to shoot me a pained glance over her shoulder. Her
presence would help facilitate the wolves’ departure, despite the confusion and disappointment shadowing her pixie face.

Taran waited with me with her arms crossed. I couldn’t face her. Hell, I couldn’t even raise my head. Yet I felt her taking me in and scented the sharp aroma of her shock as it pierced through my damaged nose. When the last few snarls faded and the roar of the engines disappeared along the lengthy stretch of Misha’s driveway, Shayna returned and clasped my hands. “I know Aric doesn’t look the same, but he’s still the same wolf. He loves you, Ceel. You have to see past his injuries . . .”

Shayna’s voice faded when my sobs overtook me. She thought I was abandoning Aric because of his deformities. And I had to let her believe it was true. Despite how much it pained me, it would keep him, her, and everyone else safe for now.

Taran maneuvered her way between us and led me toward the sink. “Leave her alone, Shayna. Now’s not the time. Come on, we need to get this fucking glass out of her back.”

About the Author:

Cecy Robson is the New Adult author of Once Perfect, Once Loved, and Once Pure and the award-winning author of the Weird Girls urban fantasy romance series. A self-proclaimed professional napper, Cecy counts among her talents a jaw-dropping knowledge of useless trivia, the ability to make her hair big, and a knack for breaking into song despite her family’s vehement protests. A full-time writer, registered nurse, wife, and mother living in the Great Northwest, Cecy enjoys spending time with her family and silencing the yappy characters in her head by telling their stories.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of A Cursed Bloodline

Review (5 Stars): Every time I read a book by Cecy Robson, I automatically know that I’m in for a story that will put me through the ringer of emotions and then carefully put me back together again by the end. I felt so horrible for Celia in A Cursed Bloodline because she had two big secrets that she was keeping from everyone and she did what she had to do to protect the well-being of the people that she loved. It broke my heart seeing her go through that much pain and not being able to tell anyone the truth as to why she was doing what she did.

Celia and Aric have this amazing connection with one another and he is her true mate, no matter what has happened to them in the past. Celia is now faced with a foe that has an immense amount of power intent on destroying her and the people that she loves. I hated this character from the very beginning and I was just hoping that Celia could find someone and tell them the truth before it destroyed everything forever. I can’t tell you how many times I cried because just when Celia found her happiness, it was ripped away from her in the very next breath.

Cecy Robson is one of my absolute favorite authors and each book that she writes becomes more gut-wrenching and brilliant than the last. A Cursed Bloodline is an amazing addition to the Weird Girls paranormal series and after finishing it, I’m dying to read the next installment.

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December 1, 2014November 30, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Geared For The Grave by Duffy Brown

Guest Post

by Duffy Brown

Pets are the best! They are our constant companions. They love us when we’re bitchy and in our sloppy PJs with no hair combed and when we have the flu. And they train us really well. Here I thought we were supposed to train them! Ha!

Pet joke: What side of the door does the cat like to be on? The other side. That’s why I jump up and down the whole blasted night while trying to watch TV to let my cat in and out of the porch. Am I a well trained owner or what!

Then there’s the food issue. Every three days I bake my cat chicken thighs. Not breasts or legs or wings…but thighs. Then cut into small pieces and served room temp. Not cold and not hot.

And then we have the water glass issue. Know that snotty white cat on TV who eats his kibble out of a crystal glass…that’s my cat’s water bowl. Good grief.

I have two cats, Spooky and Dr. Watson. Dr. Watson was supposed to be for my son, a gift from my daughter. Yeah, right. We all know how the pet for the sibling thing works…parents get the pet! And I got Spooky out of the grocery store parking lot. He was living in the cart area. I herd this pitiful meow and suddenly had a new cat in my life.

If I didn’t have cats I’d have a dog. I know they are more work but they are always happy. Something about a wagging tail will cure any depression, a gift from the pet gods. I have a dog…the other Bruce Willis…in my Consignment Shop mystery series.

In Geared for the Grave there are two cats, Bambino and Cleveland. Here’s a little about Bambino:

I dropped my duffle and snagged a cue, aimed for the far pocket and sailed the yellow-striped ball across the felt till Rudy plucked it right off the table. “Hey, why’d you do that? I nailed that shot.”
Rudy scooped his hand into the pocket, dragging out a sleepy black and white kitten. “Bambino hangs out there, left pocket’s off limits.” Rudy balanced on one crutch–he was a one-crutch kind of guy. “So, Chicago, what brings a pool shark to my doorstep this time of night?”

Tell me about your pet. Where does he hang out? How does he have you trained? I’ll give away two Geared for the Grave totes from the answers.

Have a meowing-good day.
Duffy

About the Author:

I love anything with a mystery. While other girls dreamed of dating Brad Pitt, I longed to take Sherlock Holmes to the prom. I live in Cincinnati, have two cats, Spooky and Dr. Watson, my license plate is Sherlok and I now conjure up who-done-it stories of my very own for Berkley Prime Crime. I am a national bestselling author and my Consignment Shop Mystery series is set in Savannah and the CyclePath Mysteries are set on Mackinac Island.

Website/Facebook

Mackinac Island is a peaceful summer resort town where everyone coasts through the streets on bicycles. But after someone sends a prominent local on her final ride, it’s up to one resourceful visitor to get things running again…

Hoping to shift her chances of a promotion in her favor, Evie Bloomfield heads to Mackinac Island to assist her boss’s father. Rudy Randolph has broken his leg and operating his bike shop, Rudy’s Rides, is too much to handle by himself. But Evie’s good turn only leads to more trouble…

After Evie’s arrival, wealthy resident Bunny Harrington dies in what looks like a freak bike accident. Upon closer inspection, Bunny’s brakes were tampered with, and now the prime suspect in her murder is also Bunny’s number one enemy: Rudy. So if Evie hopes to stay on her boss’s good side, she’ll need to steer Rudy clear of jail. Now she must quickly solve this mystery so she can put the brakes on the real killer’s plan…

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Geared For The Grave

Review (3.75 Stars): I love Ms. Brown’s Consignment Shop Mysteries so I was very excited to hear that she was starting a brand new series. Evie Bloomfield has had her run of bad luck and is hoping that will all change when she arrives at Mackinac Island. Hoping for a promotion, she agrees to visit her boss’s father, Rudy, who just happens to be recuperating from a broken leg and currently runs a bike shop on the island. Shortly after Evie’s arrival, Rudy becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a wealthy resident and it is up to Evie to help find the real murderer or run the risk of losing her job back home. The only problem is that Evie is having a hard time finding someone on Mackinac Island that didn’t want the victim dead and the true killer will do anything to keep the truth from coming out.

Evie was a fun character that always seemed to find herself in the middle of trouble. She was a bit of a klutz but her heart was in the right place and she was trying to prevent Rudy from being arrested for a crime that he didn’t commit. Mackinac Island was full of interesting and crazy characters that made this mystery entertaining and I’m looking forward to seeing how Evie acclimates to her new small-town surroundings after being in Chicago for so long. The only thing was that the mystery was a little on the slow side for me but I’m sure things will definitely pick up in the next installment of this mystery series.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of Geared For The Grave. This giveaway is for US Residents only. To be entered in the drawing by December 10th, answer Ms. Brown’s question from above in the comments:

November 30, 2014November 29, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Sugar’s Twice As Sweet by Marina Adair

He’s trouble she doesn’t need . . . Thanks to a cheating fiancé, Josephina Harrington’s perfect life just crashed and burned. Moving in with her overbearing parents is definitely not an option. No, she needs to prove she can make it on her own. And she will-by turning her great-aunt’s old plantation house into a destination getaway. She’s just not expecting her contractor to be so hands-on-and so totally irresistible.

. . . but everything she wants Bad-boy golf champion Brett McGraw figured his hometown of Sugar, Georgia was the perfect place to lay low and get his life back up to par. The leggy blonde with a pint-sized pup is the kind of sweet ‘n sassy trouble he never saw coming. She doesn’t know a nut from a bolt and before long, he’s renovating her house . . . as she steals his heart. Can he convince Josephina that his womanizing ways are in the past and he’s ready for forever?

Amazon/B&N

*EXCERPT*

For three weeks, she’d stared at the door, thinking this had to be some kind of mistake and that at any minute Wilson would walk in and everything would go back to the way it was supposed to be. Then, last night, while watching Under the Tuscan Sun and inhaling a red velvet cake, she realized that she didn’t want to go back to the way things were.
Even scarier, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment she’d lost balance in her life and in turn lost herself. Which was why she was moving out. It was clear that Wilson wasn’t coming back. And every moment she stayed there, in the place she thought she’d grow old and raise babies, the regret ratcheted tighter around her chest, until breathing hurt.
No, she needed to leave—and pronto. Problem was, the only place she had to go was her parents’ house, where the couture décor and upstate judgment would be equally suffocating, just in a different way. Even thinking about it gave her hives.
“Your mother pays me.” Rosalie narrowed her eyes. “She says to come here and help you. You say you need to move. So I fill boxes. What about this?” Rosalie held up an old shoebox covered in stickers and glitter and enough memories to make her heart jerk painfully. Then jerk again until it somehow landed in her throat, creating a whole new set of problems. Because there, in Rosalie’s pudgy hand, was a part of Josephina’s past that she hadn’t thought about in years.
“Where did you find that?” Josephina gently took the box and walked over to the couch.
She’d cried so much over the past few weeks, she assumed more tears would be impossible. Yet as she slipped open the lid and saw the photo resting atop a pile of letters and keepsakes, her eyes went blurry. This pain was different, as though it originated from someplace old and forgotten, and it packed the kind of power that made breathing almost impossible.
Josephina didn’t know how her life had spiraled so far from center, but she did know that she hadn’t felt as free as the girl smiling back at her in years. She picked up the photo and traced a finger over the rolled edge. It had been taken the summer she’d turned ten and her parents had gone on one of their trips to Europe, leaving her, once again, with her aunt.
It was one of the best summers of her life, spent making mud pies and learning from Letty how to
make real ones. Which was why she was standing on a wooden chair in pigtails, pearls, and a too-big apron, with flour down her front, a whisk in her hand, and a smile of sheer pleasure on her face.
If she closed her eyes she could almost smell the bite of lemons and hear Aunt Letty’s voice: “Careful, child. If you have to beat it that hard then you’re missing an ingredient. Might look perfect today but come morning that meringue will be a big pile of trouble, stinking up the fridge for days to come.”
Josephina placed the photo on the coffee table and carefully thumbed through the box. She dug past drawings and sketches—mostly in crayon and big swirly letters with hearts over the i’s—through magazine clippings and all of the ideas and dreams she and her aunt had cooked up for the old boardinghouse that Letty had called home, stopping when she found what she was looking for. At the bottom, postmarked six weeks before Letty had passed, sat a yellow envelope.
With a shaky breath Josephina opened the flap and pulled out the letter. The paper smelled like lilac and mothballs, and Josephina wanted to press it to her face and breathe in. A faded photo of Letty, standing on the front steps of Fairchild House in mud boots and a rain slicker, holding a jug of her finest moonshine, fell to the couch.
She remembered that last summer, sitting curled up in Letty’s arms while looking out the windows of the salon as a summer storm blew past and listening to Letty recount the story about how her great-great-aunt, Pearl Fairchild, came to call the magical boardinghouse home.
According to legend, Letty had said, the two-story Plantation-style house was built in the mid-1800s by the first mayor of Sugar, Jeremiah Sugar. It was a masterpiece designed to win the heart of the beautiful socialite Pearl Fairchild, who, moved by his romantic overture and promises of a life filled with adventure, left her family and New York behind to become Mrs. Jeremiah Sugar.
Even the name sounded perfect. But after two months of travel, first in a train and later in a horse-drawn wagon, finally walking the remaining eight miles to the house, Pearl realized there was nothing sugary about her husband-to-be.
The man whom she had defied her parents for, had given her heart to, stood in the foyer. His slacks hung around his ankles, his face blotched red, while his pale backside engaged in rapid undulation under the housekeeper’s smock, so engaged that he failed to notice her enter the residence or even pick up his beloved mayoral gavel.
Pearl never took his last name, the mayor’s body was never found, and the housekeeper—prone to gossip—never had to work another day in her life, instead spending the rest of her days as Pearl’s handsomely paid companion.
Thus, the Fairchild House, boarding for the adventurous, was born.
Josephina turned the photo over and on the back, Letty had simply written: Come home, Fairy Bug. Your adventure is waiting for you.
Fairy, she remembered, clutching the photo to her heart to keep it from breaking, was because Letty swore Josephina was born to fly. The bug part was to remind her that sometimes she had to get dirty to really live.
And more than anything Josephina wanted to live again—really live. She tucked the photo into her pocket and looked at Rosalie. “I need a car.”

About the Author:

Marina Adair is a lifelong fan of romance novels. Along with the Sugar series, she is also the author of the St. Helena Vineyard series. She currently lives in a hundred-year-old log cabin, nestled in the majestic redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains, with her husband and daughter. As a writer, Marina is devoted to giving her readers contemporary romance where the towns are small, the personalities large, and the romance explosive. She also loves to interact with readers and you can catch her on Twitter at @MarinaEAdair or visit her at www.MarinaAdair.com.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of Sugar’s Twice As Sweet

Review (4.25 Stars): Josephina was such a sweet character and just wanted to go somewhere where she felt safe and was full of endless possibilities such as her great-aunt’s old home in Sugar, Georgia. Her fiance just broke up with her and everyone treated her as though she was a failure when I saw her as a free spirit who just needed a place where she could feel loved and accepted. Meeting the handsome and smooth-talking Brett McGraw wasn’t what she wanted but absolutely what she needed because he accepted her for who she was, not what he wanted her to be.

For Brett, he found Josephina aggravating and lovely all at the same time. She was the one person who made him think about leaving his womanizing ways and try for a real relationship. And once the McGraw men fall in love, it is for the end of time and their love stories are legend in the little town of Sugar. I wanted so desperately for Josephina to get her happy ending because after everything she went through she deserved a love worthy of the greatest of “fairy” tales.

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November 29, 2014November 28, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Never Judge A Lady by Her Cover by Sarah MacLean

By day, she is Lady Georgiana, sister to a duke, ruined before her first season in the worst kind of scandal. But the truth is far more shocking-in London’s darkest corners, she is Chase, the mysterious, unknown founder of the city’s most legendary gaming hell. For years, her double identity has gone undiscovered…until now.

Brilliant, driven, handsome-as-sin Duncan West is intrigued by the beautiful, ruined woman who is somehow connected to a world of darkness and sin. He knows she is more than she seems and he vows to uncover all of Georgiana’s secrets, laying bare her past, threatening her present, and risking all she holds dear…including her heart.

Amazon/B&N

He chuckled. “If wishing made it so.” He spun her across the floor, the candles lit around the room leaving trails of light across her field of vision.

“Langley has arrived.”

The viscount had entered not five minutes earlier. She’d noticed immediately. “I saw.”

“You don’t expect a real marriage from him,” Temple said.

“I don’t.”

“Then why not do what you do best?”

Her gaze flickered to the handsome man on the other side of the room. Her choice for husband. “You think blackmail is the best way to go about securing a husband?”

He smiled. “I was blackmailed in advance of finding a wife.”

“Yes, well, I am told that most men are not such masochists, Temple. You’ve been saying I should marry for more than a year. You and Bourne and Cross,” she added, ticking off her partners in The Fallen Angel. “Not to mention my brother.”

“Ah, yes, I’ve heard that the Duke of Leighton has placed a heavy dowry on your head. It’s remarkable you are able to stand upright. But what of love?”

“Love?” It was difficult to voice the word without the disdain.

“You’ve heard of it, no doubt. Sonnets and poems and happy-ever-after?”

“I’ve heard of it,” she said. “As we are discussing marriage at best for convenience and at worst for debt relief, I hardly think a lack of love is of issue,” she said. “And besides, it is a fool’s errand.”

He watched her for a long moment. “And you are surrounded by fools.”

She cut him a look. “Every one of you. Besotted beyond reason. And look at what has happened because of it.”

He raised his dark brows. “What? Marriage? Children? Happiness?”

She sighed. They’d had the conversation a hundred times. A thousand. Her partners were so idyllically matched that they could not help but foist it on everyone around them. What they did not know was that idyll was not for Georgiana. She pushed the thought away. “I am happy,” she lied.

“No. You are rich. And you are powerful. But you are not happy.”

“Happiness is too highly prized,” she said with a shrug, as he turned her across the room. “It’s worth nothing.”

“It’s worth everything.” They danced in silence for a long moment. “Which you see, as you wouldn’t be doing this if not for happiness.”

“Not mine. Caroline’s.”

About the Author:

Sarah MacLean grew up in Rhode Island, obsessed with historical romance and bemoaning the fact that she was born far too late for her own season. Her love of all things historical helped to earn her degrees from Smith College and Harvard University before she finally set pen to paper and wrote her first book.

Sarah now lives in New York City with her husband, baby daughter, their dog, and a ridiculously large collection of romance novels. She loves to hear from readers. Please visit her at www.macleanspace.com

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of Never Judge A Lady by Her Cover

Review (5 Stars): This is the final book in the Rules of Scoundrels and is the perfect ending to a deliciously romantic series. Lady Georgiana has spent the last ten years as a ruined woman, unwed mother and an outcast of London society. To protect her daughter from the same fate, Georgiana is on the hunt to marry a man with a title to give her daughter a fighting chance at a happy life. Duncan West, newspaper owner, has always been attracted to Lady Georgiana and sympathetic to what has happened in the past to this beautiful young woman. What Duncan soon learns is that Georgiana has been harboring dark secrets for years and these secrets may destroy everything that she has been planning for her new life. Duncan is now on a mission to bring these secrets to light but finds that by doing so may break what is left of her precious heart.

Lady Georgiana was an amazing character since she protected her secret identity for so long and no one had any clue what she was capable of doing to London society. She used the secrets that she discovered while working at The Fallen Angel club to help her one day gain access back into society to help her daughter achieve what she could not. She was smart, brave and fiercely protective of her young daughter, making her one of my favorite female characters to date. She once believed in love but those dreams were shattered when a man took her reputation and her heart in one brief moment that she could never take back. I was hoping that she would give love one final chance to make things right and I’m glad that she gave her heart to the one man who wouldn’t break it.

Never Judge A Lady by Her Cover was a story that had me captivated from the very first page and I was hoping that Lady Georgiana would finally receive her happy ending after so much heart break. Ms. MacLean has written such amazing books over the years and Never Judge A Lady by Her Cover is a perfect addition to her long list of historical romances. Can’t wait to read what she publishes next and I’m looking forward to revisiting this series again in the future.

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November 28, 2014November 27, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Share The Moon by Sharon Struth

Sometimes trust is the toughest lesson to learn.

Sophie Shaw is days away from signing a contract that will fulfill her dream of owning a vineyard. For her, it’s a chance to restart her life and put past tragedies to rest. But Duncan Jamieson’s counter offer blows hers out to sea.

Duncan still finds Sophie as appealing as he had during boyhood vacations to the lake. Older and wiser now, he has his own reasons for wanting the land. His offer, however, hinges on a zoning change approval.

Bribery rumors threaten the deal and make Sophie wary of Duncan, yet she cannot deny his appeal. When her journalistic research uncovers a Jamieson family secret, trust becomes the hardest lesson for them both.

Amazon/B&N

Thud!

Air whooshed from Sophie’s lungs. Pain coursed through her shoulder blades, neck, and spine. The ground’s chilly dampness seeped into her cotton khaki pants, raising goose bumps on her skin. Seconds passed without breath before she managed to swallow a gulp.

Lying flat on her back, she stared at the cornflower blue sky and spotted a chalky slice of the moon. The night Henry died, a similar crescent had hung from the heavens, barely visible nestled among the glittering stars. She prepared for the scrape that threatened to tear the gouge of her scarred heart. Seven years. Seven painful years. She closed her eyes and after a few seconds, the weight of sadness lifted off her chest.

Tears gathered along her lower lashes. She pushed a strand of unruly long hair from her face. Footsteps crunched on the ice pellets and headed her way.

“Matthew Shaw…” Fury pooled in her jaw as she resisted the urge to yell at her son. “You’d better have a good excuse for taking so long.”

A man with cinnamon hair, short on the sides with gentle waves on top, knelt at her side. She studied the strong outline of his cheeks and the slight bump on the bridge of his angular nose that gave him a rugged touch, but he wasn’t familiar.

“Are you okay?” He searched her face.

The stranger hovered above. Tall treetops, clinging to the last of their earth-toned foliage, served as a backdrop to her view. A vertical crease separated his sandy brows.

She couldn’t pry herself from his vivid blue eyes, in part stunned from the fall, but also by her first responder.

About the Author:

Sharon Struth is an award-winning author who believes it’s never too late for a second chance in love or life. When she’s not writing, she and her husband happily sip their way through the scenic towns of the Connecticut Wine Trail. Sharon writes from the small town of Bethel, Connecticut, the friendliest place she’s ever lived. For more information, including where to find her other novels and published essays, please visit her website.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of Share The Moon

Review (3.75 Stars): Sophie Shaw has discovered that a big developer has come in and taken away the opportunity for her family to build a vineyard by purchasing the prospective property days before they were going to sign the contract. For Sophie, this is a devastating blow because the property has a deeper significance than just being a vineyard and she will do whatever it takes to try to get it back. Duncan Jamieson has decided to make a fresh start after spending most of his life dedicated to the corporate rat race and can’t imagine a better place than buying the lake property where he spent his summers as a youth. He never expected to run into his teenage crush, Sophie, and find out that his own company has beaten out her family for the lake property. To make amends, Duncan and Sophie start spending time with another and find that their sexual chemistry is hard to deny. Sophie soon learns that his family has secrets to hide and these secrets may help win back the property but ultimately destroy any chance that they have to build a future together.

This was a darker romance for me because there was a lot of heartbreak and sadness for Sophie and Duncan. Sophie had experienced a devastating loss in her family and she was still struggling to recover emotionally from it. Duncan had suffered a loss as well and he understood what Sophie was going through even though she never wanted to admit it. I liked them together as a couple because they had that instant attraction and chemistry from the moment that they met, even though they had a rough patch after learning the reason why Duncan was there. I was glad to see that with the right person Sophie was able to make peace with what happened in the past and bring light and love back into her life. Share The Moon is a promising debut in the Blue Moon Lake series and I’m looking forward to seeing these characters again in the second installment.

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November 26, 2014November 22, 2014

Winter Romance Wednesday! Jennifer reviews Christmas At Twilight by Lori Wilde

TITLE: Christmas at Twilight
SERIES #: Twilight, Texas #10
CHARACTERS: Brian Hutchinson, Meredith Sommers
AUTHOR: Lori Wilde
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/28/14
ORDER LINKS:Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS: It’s Christmas in Twilight, Texas. The Cookie Club is baking, the town is decorated, and Delta Force Operator “Hutch” Hutchinson has finally, reluctantly, returned home . . .

. . . only to get pepper sprayed by the delicious- looking stranger who’s taken over his house. She says her name is Jane, and she immediately sets down ground rules. Top priority: no touching. For Hutch that isn’t easy—he was wounded in action, but one part is still working very well.

Then Hutch learns the truth. Jane harbors a frightening secret—she’s really Meredith Sommers, on the run from a dangerous ex-husband and desperately in need of the safety Hutch can provide. In that moment, he vows he’d do anything in his power to protect her. And as Christmas approaches, they discover that their love can conquer the past and overcome any obstacle—but what price will they pay?

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts I love Christmas romances and Lori Wilde definitely delivers with her new book, Christmas at Twilight. Brian “Hutch” Hutchinson has just returned to Twilight after a traumatic experience where he is physically and emotionally scarred and has temporarily lost the ability to speak. He is shocked to find that a young woman and her son are living in his home with his sister but before he has a chance to find answers, Meredith sprays him with pepper spray. Meredith is on the run from an abusive ex-husband and she mistakenly believes that Hutch is him when they first met. Once Meredith learns the truth, she and Hutch make an arraignment where she will continue living in the house and help with the care of Hutch’s niece until her mother returns from her spur of the moment getaway. Together they learn that love can help heal all wounds but Meredith’s past is coming back to haunt her and now they are all in jeopardy.

Hutch and Meredith’s story is one of my favorites in the Twilight series. They were two kindred spirits that both had a traumatic past, but still held on to hope. For Hutch, he went through unspeakable horrors during his time in the military and his experience over there almost brought him to the breaking point. By meeting Meredith, who was the one person who knew what it was like to battle demons of her own, it finally gave him a chance for a real future. Together, they could build the loving relationship that they needed and be the support system for one another during their dark times. I was impressed with Meredith considering everything that she had been through and she still was a wonderful, caring, human being. She stayed strong and resilient through it all and I loved her character just as much as I did Hutch’s.

Hutch and Meredith also just had this connection where after a while, they didn’t need words to communicate with another. You see this with couples that have been together a long time but Hutch and Meredith just seemed as though they always belonged with one another. To me, all their roads let them to each other and brought them into each other’s lives when they needed them the most.

Christmas at Twilight was a wonderful holiday romance that will pull at your heart strings and having you believing that love truly can conquer all. Lori Wilde is an amazingly talented writer and Christmas at Twilight is the perfect romance for this holiday season.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

November 26, 2014November 25, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Flirting With Love by Melissa Foster

Elisabeth Nash has spent years dreaming of returning to the small town of Trusty, Colorado, where she spent summers with her favorite aunt. When she inherits her aunt’s farmette, she closes her Los Angeles pet bakery and pampering business, sure that life in Trusty will be as peaceful and as welcoming as she remembers. But being an outsider in the close-knit town proves to be very different from the happy summers she remembers from her childhood—and falling for Trusty’s hot, wealthy, and sinfully irresistible veterinarian, Ross Braden, sends the rumor mill into a frenzy.

Ross Braden learned long ago that gossip spreads faster than weeds in his small hometown, and Ross loves nothing more than his privacy. For that reason, he doesn’t date women who live in Trusty. But that was before blond, beautiful, and refreshingly honest Elisabeth Nash flew into his vet clinic seeking help for her panicked piglet and turned his comfortable life—and his heart—inside out.

Despite rumors about Elisabeth’s motives toward her aunt’s property, passion brews between Elisabeth and Ross. Every steamy kiss and every sensual touch brings the pair closer together, and when Ross helps Elisabeth try to fit into the town he adores, it makes their bond even stronger. But even Elisabeth’s efforts toward reaching the community, and the love she and Ross so desperately believe in, might not be enough for the protective small town to offer them a future.

Amazon/B&N

About the Author:

Melissa Foster is an award-winning, International bestselling author. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women, the World Literary Café. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa is also a community builder for the Alliance for Independent Authors. She has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of Flirting With Love

Review (4.5 Stars): I loved Ross and Elisabeth together and they just seemed perfect for one another. Elisabeth moved to Trusty after she inherited her beloved aunt’s property and pie business and wanted to get away from the crazy life that she was living in Los Angeles. She had always loved the time that she spent with her aunt growing up and couldn’t imagine a better place to start a new life than her aunt’s farm. Ross was looking for that special someone but couldn’t imagine finding that person in Trusty, where everyone knew everyone else and there was no such thing as privacy. Having Elisabeth walk into his clinic wasn’t what he expected but exactly what he needed.

Elisabeth was such a sweet character because she was so caring and gentle when you would think that she would be a stuck up California girl since she had spent most of her life in Los Angeles. She wanted the simple things in life and loved being around animals, just like Ross. He knew the town would have trouble accepting a stranger but he couldn’t fight the feelings that he developed for Elisabeth and you could just tell that they belonged together. This was such a great sexy small-town romance and I think that this is my favorite one of the series so far.

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November 26, 2014November 25, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Tempting Mr. Weatherstone by Vivienne Lorret

Penelope Rutledge longs for passion, but only with the man of her dreams: the brilliant, dashing Ethan Weatherstone. If only her longtime neighbor would open his eyes and realize how much she loves him. If only they weren’t best friends with so much at stake. Penelope knows her future – and their friendship – is in her hands, but is she willing to take the biggest risk of all on the man she loves?

If it were up to Ethan, life and love would be as predictable as the figures in his ledgers – certainly nothing like the adventures Penelope longs for. Yet his childhood friend has grown into a beautiful, feisty woman blissfully unaware of the danger she causes when near. Ethan knows he must save Penelope-and her reputation…but can he save himself from the temptation of her lips?

Amazon/B&N

Ethan Weatherstone was due for a piece of her mind. It was about time he understood that he had no right to interfere with her life.

Mind made up, she took one last look at the mail coach and shook her head. She reached down for her satchel and stormed over to Ethan’s carriage.

Penelope threw open the door and climbed inside, seething as she sat across from him. He didn’t even have the courtesy to look at her. Instead, he sat back against the squabs, his head turned to the window. The only reason she knew he was aware of her presence was from the way he clenched his jaw, a muscle twitching just beneath the surface of his skin.

“Were you waiting to humiliate me? Waiting until I was already seated before you dragged me away from the mail coach? Or perhaps you planned to follow me all the way to Portsmouth?”

He refused to respond or even so much as look at her. If she hadn’t been angry before she entered the carriage, then she certainly was fuming now.

“Truly, Ethan, for someone who cannot live outside the lines of your carefully crafted order, your sameness that covers you like a shroud, this is quite surprising behavior,” she hissed, baiting him. “I only wish your concern for my happiness were as great as your concern for my reputation.”

At that, he glared at her sharply. Ah, so she’d struck a chord.

Good. Yet still, he did not say anything.

There he sat, perfectly groomed, his cravat perfectly pleated, his temper perfectly managed. She wished just once he’d lose some of that control. Because here she sat, with her eyes, most likely puffy and red from having cried most of the night instead of sleeping. She was certainly not perfectly groomed, since she could feel a soggy tendril of hair plastered to her cheek. Her cloak was damp from rain. Her nose was cold and likely red as well.

“How can you be so . . . so unaffected all the time?” Her voice rose with her accusation. “Haven’t you ever dreamed for something outside the realm of possibility? Or are you content with each day so long as your cravat is perfectly pleated?”

She glared at the offending garment, struck by a ridiculous notion to crumple it. No sooner had the idea formed that she gave in to the impulse and moved forward on her seat, her arm reaching forward.

Ethan stopped her, taking hold of her wrist. His eyes flared. Before she could react, he yanked, propelling her forward to land clumsily on his lap.

“How dare—”

His mouth covered hers, silencing her outrage. Her head spun, reeling from the sudden scorching heat of his kiss.

This was a kiss, wasn’t it? Yet, it was nothing like her dreams, where his rehearsed request was followed by carefully controlled actions. No, this was no gentle dream. This was hard and demanding. His tongue didn’t request entrance but swept in and plundered.

His arms were not gentle either. In fact, he held her so tightly she couldn’t move, and grasped her wrist so she couldn’t touch him or push him away.

But she’d never push him away.

Instead, she wanted to cling to him. Her anger evaporated in a rush of steam. Her mind cried out for more of this glorious punishment. She wanted his kiss to burn her, through and through. This was the first time she’d been warm in months.

About the Author:

I fell in love with fairy tales and the romance behind happily ever after at a very young age. Like a lot of you, I tweaked the fables bit by bit in my imagination until they suited me perfectly. By the time I was eleven, a teacher encouraged me to start writing. Throughout the years that followed, my teachers remained my most fervent supporters, giving me the tools I needed to continue my journey as a writer.

My husband and I have two teenage boys, who are heroes in their own right. For now, we live in a small Midwestern town near Lake Michigan…until a time in the future when a new adventure calls us to other shores. I am currently working on my next novel, but I always enjoy hearing from my readers. Feel free to email me at vivienne@vivlorret.net.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of Tempting Mr. Weatherstone

Review (3.75 Stars): Penelope has always loved Ethan Weatherstone but he has always acted as though she was a kid sister to him. Tired of living this way and wanting something more, Penelope decides that she is ready to set off on an exciting new adventure. Ethan has slowly noticed that his best friend, Penelope, has turned into a beautiful young woman and is caught off guard with announcement of Pen’s plan. He has organized his life by routines, numbers and books and isn’t sure what to make of Penelope’s new plan for her life. Ethan must make a choice to change with Penelope or possibly lose his best friend forever by standing by and doing nothing.

Penelope was a great character for me because she spent most of her life being best friend to Ethan when she always wanted something more but was afraid to act on it. Ethan and Penelope had this great friendship that slowly developed into something more before either of them knew what was happening. I was glad that Penelope finally acted on her feelings and she got the happy ending that she was hoping for. This novella is very short but the story moves quickly and has a sweet ending.

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November 24, 2014November 23, 2014

Book Spotlight & Interview: Unwrapped by Maisey Yates

I have Maisey Yates here today to talk about her new novella, Unwrapped, which is a sweet romance for this holiday season. Take it away, Maisey. 🙂

1. Tell me a little about yourself.

*waves* I’m Maisey! I write sexy, brooding sheikhs for Harlequin Presents and hot contemporary cowboys. I also have a BAD BAD biker coming up next year! I live in Oregon with my husband and three kids and I get to work at home in my pajamas! Life is pretty sweet.

2. What inspired you to be a writer? Have you always wanted to write romances?

I used to have fantasies of being a writer that involved staring out the window at a misty gray sea, but they didn’t involve…actual writing. I started a lot of things but didn’t finish them. And as for wanting to write romance? It was the discovery of romance that took writing from a vague aspiration to a DRIVE. I read my first Harlequin Presents and loved them SO MUCH I wanted to create my own. 🙂

3. Tell me about your new release.

Unwrapped is the story of Silver Creek’s resident Kindergarten teacher and good girl, Sarah Larsen, deciding it’s time to try and misbehave. She makes a plan to pick up a guy at a bar to lose her virginity, and she ends up meeting a super hot stranger. She figures she’ll never see Walker again…but unfortunately it turns out he’s the father of the new girl in her class!

4. Where did you come up with the idea for the series?

So many different places. I find very often my ideas come from sad things I see in the news, or that are happening in the lives of people I know. Because I want to fix it. So I’ll put a character in the book with a similar element in their backstory to give them a HEA. I think I’m a frustrated fixer in a world I can’t control!

5. What have been the challenges of writing a romance series?

Keeping the details straight! Silver Creek was my first series, and I spent a lot of time looking for details in previous MSs when writing another book. I learned from that!! When I started my second series, Copper Ridge, I decided to keep a bible full of character/story and place details. It’s been much easier!

6. What was the first book that you’ve ever written and was it published?

Uh yes…the first book I wrote was His Virgin Acquisition and it was published. But during that wait I wrote several more MSs that would have been aimed at Presents that I never submitted. I learned so much writing those books, and revising that first book on sub, that I was just sort of working out craft issues. Practice books!

7. What are you working on now?

Right now I’m finishing up Bad News Cowboy, which is actually the third book in my next cowboy series, Copper Ridge, which comes out in March 2015 and runs through the summer! It has one of my favorite themes…bad boy older brother’s best friend and good girl younger heroine. Though, the heroine is a feisty, foul mouthed barrel racer. I’ve had so much fun writing her!

8. Favorite TV show? Movie? Favorite Drink?

Oh…I watch too much TV. I love Sleepy Hollow, Parks and Rec, How to Get Away With Murder, Arrow…and of all time? Friends. Movie? Lord of the Rings and Bend it Like Beckham. Drink? Pumpkin Spice Latte.

About the Author:

USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit.

In 2009, at the age of twenty-three Maisey sold her first book. Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard. She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Kindergarten teacher Sarah Larsen has spent her whole life being the good girl. But now, she’s ready to do something bad. So wearing the shortest, tightest black dress she owns, she marches over to the nearest bar to fulfill her Christmas fantasy: a wild night with a total stranger.

Walker Callahan moved to Silver Creek to start fresh. He doesn’t want to bring his baggage into a relationship, so an evening of fun with the sexiest welcoming committee ever is just what he needs.

They were both in it for one night with no strings attached.. But when Sarah discovers that Walker is the father of her new student, things turn deliciously complicated. Can the cold winter nights thaw two frozen hearts?

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Unwrapped

Review (4 Stars): Sarah has spent most of her life being the good girl and was taught that good girls don’t like sex and that sex can lead to bad things. Sarah had decided that she is now ready to shed her good girl image and spend one night of passion with a random stranger who will show her what it is like to walk on the wild side. That random stranger just happens to be Walker Callahan, a sexy cowboy who has moved to Silver Creek to start a new life and raise his young daughter on his own. He never expected to meet Sarah but her shy innocent seduction awakens something in Walker that he thought was long gone. For Sarah and Walker, one night of passion turns into something that neither of them expected with emotions that can’t be denied.

Sarah was such a lovely character in this story because she went through her life without knowing what it was like to be truly loved yet was capable of loving someone else without hesitation. She never meant to fall in love with Walker, she just wanted to shed her good girl image and find out what she liked as a woman without being told by someone how she should feel. She tried to keep her feelings in check when she spent the night with Walker but the more they were around each other, the more she fell for him. Walker was the one man who made her feel wanted and desired, yet he was afraid of going down the path to love. He had been married before and things didn’t turn out well and for the sake of his daughter, he was afraid to do it again. I was glad that he realized that Sarah wasn’t like his ex-wife and she had no intention of ever leaving this sexy man’s side. Maisey Yates is one of my favorite writers and if you haven’t read her Silver Creek series, you are missing out. I heard that she has a sexy badass biker story coming up and if he is anything like Charlie Hunnam, I’m all in.

November 21, 2014November 20, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: The Viscount Who Lived Down The Lane by Elizabeth Boyle

In New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Boyle’s fourth novel in the Rhymes With Love series, a resolute young woman goes toe-to-toe with the Beast of Mayfair…

She has no desire for love…

As she arrives in Mayfair, Louisa Tempest is horrified when her incorrigible cat bolts from the carriage and dashes into a neighbor’s house, where she comes face-to-face with the reclusive Viscount Wakefield. But even more dismaying than his foul temper is the disarray in which she finds his home. Convinced his demeanor would improve if his household were in order, Louisa resolves to put everything to rights.

…until she meets the viscount who lives down the lane.
Much to his chagrin, Wakefield finds it impossible to keep the meddling Louisa out of his home, invading his daily life with her “improvements,” and his nights with the tempting desires she sparks inside him. Wounded in the war, he’s scorned society ever since his return . . . until Louisa opens the door to his heart and convinces him to give love a second chance.

Amazon/B&N

London, Hanover Square

November 1810

“What is it, Haley?” Lord Charleton asked, sparing a glance at the door of the breakfast room where his secretary stood, hovering about like a nervous sparrow. “Is it Rowland? Tell me he hasn’t landed in the suds yet again.”

“No, my lord.”

The man’s brow furrowed a bit. “Couldn’t be Wakefield.”

“Certainly not, my lord.”

The baron glanced up. “Wouldn’t mind if it was. Demmed waste having him mope about, locked up in that house of his.”

“Indeed,” the secretary replied, and if Charleton wasn’t mistaken, there was a note of irony to the man’s declaration—one he chose to ignore, instead pinning a glance on the impudent fellow.

Under the scrutiny, Haley’s jaw worked back and forth as if the words were stuck there in his craw.

“Well?” Lord Charleton prodded. “Out with it. Before my kippers grow cold.” As it was, the baron shoved his plate forward and set down the paper he’d been reading.

Mr. Haley cleared his throat and held out a letter. “I’ve come across a small debt your wife owed—”

There it was. That cold stillness that came every time someone had the nerve to mention Isobel’s name. How Lord Charleton wished he could forget her passing so this wrenching pain would fade from his heart. Yet, still, even a year after her loss, it was a sharp ache he woke up with, one that haunted him even after he closed his eyes at night.

Now here was his secretary bringing her up when he’d quite forbidden the matter.

“Pay it,” he ordered in a tone that said he wanted nothing further to do with any reminders of her.

“But, my lord—” Haley shuffled about.

Lord Charleton removed his glasses and slowly cleaned them. Then once they were perched back up on his nose he stared coldly at the fellow. He was a good man, Haley. An excellent secretary, but why the man continued to bring up Lady Charleton, the baron could not understand. Speaking slowly and deliberately, so there was no mistaking the matter, he said, “You know what to do. Take care of the matter and leave me be.”

“If you insist, my lord . . .” Haley’s voice trailed off tentatively. It wasn’t so much a reply as one last prod.

Truly? He was going to ask yet again? If he wasn’t the most thorough and honest fellow the baron had ever hired—well, actually Lady Charleton had found him and insisted he be hired, but that wasn’t the point. Haley had become rather cheeky of late and Charleton wanted nothing more than to fire him on the spot.

But Isobel wouldn’t have approved, and so Charlton inclined his head, reined back his ire and said with a final note, “Just see to it as Her Lady- ship would have wanted.” Then he went back to his paper and ignored Haley, who stood for a few more moments in the doorway.

And if the baron had looked up, he might have seen the wry, wily smile that had led Lady Charleton to hire Mr. Haley in the first place.

CHAPTER 1

London
Six months later

Areowwwwww! The unholy complaint filled the carriage.

“You should have left that foul creature back in Kempton, Miss Tempest,” Mrs. Bagley-Butterton complained for about the hundredth time.
Which equaled the number of times Hannibal had let out that ear-piercing yowl from the basket in which he was trapped.

“He doesn’t like being penned up so,” Miss Louisa Tempest said in defense of her cat. “And I couldn’t leave him behind.”

There was a sigh of resignation from beside Louisa. Miss Lavinia Tempest, Louisa’s twin, made a very deliberate show of looking out the window. She wasn’t about to rise to Hannibal’s defense.

Never would.

Louisa suspected her sister shared Mrs. Bagley- Butterton’s exasperation and wished poor Hannibal back in Kempton as well.

“I only hope your godmother is an understanding sort,” the matron continued, shifting in her seat in the carriage and eyeing the large basket on Louisa’s lap with an air of disdain and suspicion. She had protested vehemently against the cat being brought along, but she could hardly prevent the matter when the carriage conveying them to London belonged to the girls’ father, Sir Ambrose Tempest. “I know I wouldn’t have that cat in my house.” She sniffed loudly.

About the Author:

Elizabeth Boyle was an antipiracy paralegal for Microsoft before settling down to write full-time. Her first novel, Brazen Angel, which won Dell’s Diamond Debut Award in 1996, also won the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award for Best First Book, and was a finalist for Best Long Historical Romance. She lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington. She is also the author of Brazen Heiress.

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Jennifer’s Review of The Viscount Who Lived Down The Lane

Review (4.5 Stars): What a lovely story! Louisa Tempest and her twin sister, Lavinia, have come to London to stay with their godmother and to help Lavinia find herself a husband. Louisa wants no part of any matchmaking herself and tries to find other ways to occupy her time while her sister prepares for the Season. When her disagreeable cat, Hannibal, runs into the house next door uninvited, Louisa comes face to face with Viscount Wakefield, who doesn’t take kindly to visitors in his home. Wakefield has been secluded in his home after being injured in the war and wants nothing more than to wallow in his own self-pity and hide from the rest of the world. Louisa takes it upon herself to help her neighbor by doing little things to make his life better and in turn, shows Wakefield that life is worth living and love is waiting for him, if he just gives it a chance.

Louisa was such a sweet character, who just wanted to help the people in her life achieve their hopes and dreams. She had no desire to get married because of “the curse” but wanted to make sure her sister had a chance at finding love. When she met Viscount Wakefield, he was mean, rude and just hated the world around him. He didn’t want help from anyone, especially not the beautiful woman that lived next door, who seemed to be meddling in his affairs. She was the light in his world of darkness and by doing the things she did, she brought hope back into his life. She also brought a chance of love and happiness for him, he just had to accept it and show Louisa how he felt about her. They were a great couple even though they were exact opposites but sometimes those make the best couples.

This is the fourth book in the Rhymes with Love series and each story in the series is wonderful. I love Ms. Boyle’s writing style and each story can stand on its own without having to read the rest of the books in the series. I loved Louisa and Wakefield’s story and I hope that there are many more books to come in the Rhymes with Love series.

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