Guest Post: Celestine by Azriel Hope

Please join me in welcoming Azriel Hope to Let Them Read Books! I'm pleased to have Azriel here today with a guest post about her inspiration for her new historical romance, Celestine. Read on and check out some of the images she used to bring her story world to life!

A 1900's Parisian Fairytale Romance about the Courtesan who came to Christmas Dinner. Celestine is a rags to riches love story that will take your heart on an arduous journey from heartbreak to whatever lies beyond.

Inspired by the Moulin Rouge and Bridgerton, Celestine will take you behind the curtains of the famed Palais Rose to meet its shining star, the most coveted courtesan in all of Paris.

Adrien Louis is a rich merchant successful in international trading who is in Paris for the World's Fair. With business to attend, he shuts himself away in his cold and forgotten townhouse, left empty after the death of his wife and infant son four years prior.

Ravenously curious sisters who reside across the street notice the arrival of the dashing Monsieur Louis and each plot to entrap him in marriage. Both lonely and unattended by their neglectful and business-minded father who has no interest in securing them matches, they dream of the day when Monsieur Louis will sweep one of them away.

Lost to his melancholy and ready to be rid of the world, Monsieur Louis joins a business associate at the Palais Rose to appease his client's interest. There Adrien sees the stunning Celestine and despite his dark mood, finds himself drawn to her. After paying for an hour's conversation with the bright spirited Celestine, Adrien decides to bring her as his companion to a Christmas Feast his neighbors have insisted he attend. When Adrien realizes how hungry Monsieur Baudelaire's two daughters are to make a match with him, he hires Celestine as a means to thwart them. What he hasn't bargained for is that the beautiful Celestine might just capture his cold heart if only he'd let her in...which he vows to never do.

Celestine is a lightly steamy stand-alone historical romance that will have you clutching your pearls...

Buy on Amazon  |  Add on Goodreads

I ghostwrite for a few bestselling romance authors, and for them I write contemporary alpha male, billionaire romances with enough steam to drive a locomotive. As a writer for my own pen name, I play with different levels of steam and storytelling. Well, cut to my screenwriting partner and I writing a Christmas romance movie for a very famous Christmas Romance Television Channel. (Which I can’t announce yet because it hasn’t been announced on the channel.) 

I am in a Zoom meeting for this conservative, family-oriented romance brand and my partner and I are talking about the story, and suddenly I feel like the whore who came to Christmas dinner. I almost laughed out loud in the meeting. I mean, my ghostwriting characters are often pregnant with surprise babies before they have “the kiss.” And that road to pregnancy is fraught with graphic detail. I felt so scandalous! I wanted to blurt out, “Do you have any idea what I actually write for a living?” The analogy in my mind was like putting an adult toy store next to a church…So I figured, why not write a story about the Whore Who Came to Christmas Dinner?

Blog Tour Q&A with Mimi Matthews, Author of Gentleman Jim

Please join me in welcoming bestselling author Mimi Matthews to Let Them Read Books! Mimi is touring the blogosphere with her new release, Gentleman Jim, and I recently had the chance to ask her some questions about writing this tale of romance and revenge!

She Couldn't Forget...

Wealthy squire's daughter Margaret Honeywell was always meant to marry her neighbor, Frederick Burton-Smythe, but it's bastard-born Nicholas Seaton who has her heart. Raised alongside her on her father's estate, Nick is the rumored son of notorious highwayman Gentleman Jim. When Fred frames him for theft, Nick escapes into the night, vowing to find his legendary sire. But Nick never returns. A decade later, he's long been presumed dead.

He Wouldn't Forgive...

After years spent on the continent, John Beresford, Viscount St. Clare has finally come home to England. Tall, blond, and dangerous, he's on a mission to restore his family's honor. If he can mete out a bit of revenge along the way, so much the better. But he hasn't reckoned for Maggie Honeywell. She's bold and beautiful--and entirely convinced he's someone else.

As danger closes in, St. Clare is torn between love and vengeance. Will he sacrifice one to gain other? Or, with a little daring, will he find a way to have them both?

Advance Praise:

"Tartly elegant. . . A vigorous, sparkling, and entertaining love story with plenty of Austen-ite wit."— Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Matthews ups the ante with a wildly suspenseful romance..."— Library Journal, starred review

"Equally passionate and powerful...Mimi Matthews proves once again that she is a master of historical fiction in Gentleman Jim."— Readers' Favorite

"Rollicking and romantic, passionate and intriguing...Regency romance does not get any better than Gentleman Jim."— Relz Reviewz

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | INDIEBOUND | BOOKBUB | GOODREADS

Hi Mimi! Thanks so much for visiting Let Them Read Books!

What inspired you to write Gentleman Jim?

I’m a huge fan of Alexandre Dumas’s 1844 novel The Count of Monte Cristo, and of Henry Fielding’s 1749 novel The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. I love the idea of hidden identities, and of justice deferred—but not denied.

Did your characters pop into your head fully formed or did they take shape as you wrote?

Maggie and Nicholas were pretty well formed in my mind when I started the story. Of course, they developed and changed as I wrote. Their growth from passionate reckless teens into (slightly) less reckless adults was part of their journey.

What was the most challenging aspect of writing this story?

I wrote the first few chapters of Gentleman Jim several years ago. I’ve grown as a writer since then, so it was a challenge to revise those early chapters and then write the remaining 70% of the story from scratch without losing the spark of inspiration I’d had in the beginning.

Blog Tour Spotight: The Ruin of Evangeline Jones by Julia Bennett

The Ruin of Evangeline Jones

by Julia Bennet

Publication Date: April 27, 2020

Entangled Publishing/Amara

Series: Harcastle Inheritance, Book 2

Genre: Historical Romance/Victorian

Alex Stanton just inherited a dukedom but his true passion is uncovering charlatans and frauds wherever he finds them. Spiritualist and medium Evangeline “Evie” Jones is the biggest fake of all and he’s determined to expose her lies for all of London to see. Her prim manner and ladylike airs don’t fool him. He sees the hunger beneath and recognizes a worthy opponent. He can’t deny the dark undercurrents of lust between them.

Evie worked her way up from the gutter and she’s not about to abandon the life she’s built for fear of this aristocratic dilettante. She knows his type. She sees the attraction simmering beneath his animosity, and she knows how to use it to keep him off balance. They strike a bargain. He has one week to prove she’s a fake. If he fails, he has to abandon all further attempts. If he succeeds, she’ll not only retire but make a public statement explaining all her tricks.

Neither expects to find anything in common, not to mention anything to love, in the other. Both are blindsided by the affinity and blossoming tenderness between them. But even if it were possible for a lowly charlatan to live happily ever after with a duke, more is going on than either suspects. Someone else has brought them together for a sinister purpose of his own.

Available on Amazon

About the Author:

Julia writes historical romance with passion, intrigue, dark humor and the occasional animal sidekick. A tea-sodden English woman, she’s the only girl in a house of boys and yearns for all things pink and fluffy. Before she began writing, she spent many years searching for something to do with her English Literature degree. Nothing satisfied her until she decided to commit the stories in her head to paper. These days, if she isn’t writing, she’s probably reading everything she can get her hands on, spending time with her boys or procrastinating on the internet.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Blog Tour Excerpt: Duke Darcy's Castle by Syrie James

Duke Darcy’s Castle: A Dare to Defy Novel (Book 3)

by Syrie James

Genre: Historical Romance, Victorian Romance 

Publisher: Avon Impulse 

Length: 384 pages

Formats: ebook, mass market paperback 

Lance Granville, the Tenth Duke of Darcy, was none too happy to give up his career in the Royal Navy to inherit the family title, complete with an ancient castle he needs to renovate. When an architect arrives on his doorstep, Darcy is astonished to discover that she’s a woman.

Kathryn Atherton has one goal: to become the first woman architect in Britain. Marriage doesn’t figure in her plans. Despite the odds, her schooling is behind her. Now she needs experience. When she’s sent to a small tidal island in Cornwall to remodel a castle, the last thing Kathryn wants is to be attracted to its roguishly handsome owner.

Kathryn is determined to keep things professional, but the sizzling attraction between her and the duke quickly blazes out of control. When Darcy learns that Kathryn is an heiress whose fortune would save St. Gabriel’s Mount, he wages the most important battle of his life: to woo and win the woman who’s captured his heart. But (in an homage to Austen), the Duke’s first proposal is so Darcyesque, he is refused. In any case, duchesses can’t be architects. And Kathryn has worked too long and too hard to give up her career for anyone ….

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | INDIEBOUND | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB

Excerpt:

     The duke waved an idle hand. “Don’t give last night another thought. Things may have gotten a little out of hand—”

     “A little out of hand?” Kathryn repeated. “I cannot think back on what . . . occurred without extreme mortification.”

     “I take full blame for last night, Miss Atherton. Don’t beat yourself up about it. These things happen.”

     “Not to me, they don’t. I have never behaved in such a manner in my entire life.”

     “Which only proves that it was my fault. My behavior was completely out of line. Forgive me.”

     There was sincere apology in his eyes. It was gratifying to know that he was willing to admit his own culpability in the affair. But even so. “Thank you for your apology. I do forgive you. But I cannot forgive myself.” She took a breath. Finding it hard to look at him, she continued, “The truth is, to be honest . . . I don’t actually remember everything that . . . happened.”

     “Don’t you?”

     “No.” Her cheeks flamed. “Things get foggy after the part where I was . . . um . . . I think . . . lying on the billiards table? I was wondering . . . that is to say . . . Did we . . . ?”

     “No,” he interjected, his tone and expression clearly meant to be reassuring. “We most emphatically did not.”

     “Oh thank goodness.” A relieved breath escaped Kathryn’s chest.

     “Nothing much happened after the point which you described. I promise you.”

     “So, did I . . .?”

     “You fell asleep.”

     “Oh.” Her face grew even hotter. “That must have been . . . awkward.”

     “I found it rather adorable actually.”

     “Adorable?” Kathryn wished she could bury her head in a very deep, dark hole and remain there for several weeks.

     “You looked quite angelic, fast asleep.” His lips twitched, but his eyes were kind.

     “How did I . . . get to my room?”

     “I carried you there. And put you to bed.”

     “Oh,” she said again. The idea that he had brought her upstairs in his arms while she was passed out cold, and then put her to bed and covered her up, sent a little shiver down her spine. It was such an intimate act she was almost sorry she had missed it.

     There you go again. Instantly, Kathryn reprimanded herself for having such a thought. What was wrong with her? She hardly recognized herself.

     “I was discreet,” the duke was saying. “No one else saw. So, nothing to worry about there.”

     “Again, thank you. I appreciate your candid account, and that you took pains to keep this quiet. Nonetheless, I still feel that I must leave.”

     He paused, then let out a disgruntled breath. “Only yesterday, you worked so hard to convince me to embark on renovations to St. Gabriel’s Mount. Despite every obstacle I threw at you, you refused to back down. I can only surmise that this project is important to you, Miss Atherton, and possibly to your career. Am I right?”

Spotlight: Anna's Refuge by Kerryn Reid

Anna's Refuge: Wrackwater Bridge, Book One

by Kerryn Reid

Hartwood Publishing

December 3, 2019

ebook; 434 pages

Historical Romance

Lewis Aubrey has grown up in the malignant shadow of his brother Gideon. In London for the first time, with no thought of love, he is beguiled by Miss Anna Spain. Gideon steals her away and then tosses her aside like a wilted rose. Months later, horrified to learn that Anna carries Gideon’s child, Lewis tracks her down amid the grit of industrial Leeds. He’s desperate to protect her—but can he survive marriage, believing she still yearns for his brother?

Trusting and naïve, dreaming of a love that’s glorious and timeless, Anna falls for Gideon Aubrey and his lies. When he casts her aside in the middle of a ball, Lewis shields her from gossip. He becomes her rock in a world of anguish, and she grows to love him very much indeed. But what kind of woman would condemn a man to a marriage he cannot possibly want, raising a child not his own? Somehow, these two tattered souls must escape Gideon’s shadow and find their way to happiness, for the child’s sake…and for their own.

From London’s glittering ballrooms, to the grit of industrial Leeds, to a bitter winter in the Yorkshire Dales, Anna and Lewis struggle as individuals to find an honorable way through a world of heartache. Any sort of romance between them seems doomed from the start. But gradually, we feel the promise of love as they work together to forge a future. With all the hope of a new year, from the ashes of two broken families, they build a new family in Wrackwater Bridge. 

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Apple  |  Kobo  |  Google

About the Author:

Kerryn Reid grew up the daughter of a professor in a New England college town. But her mother was a devotee of ‘Olde’ England, and Kerryn followed suit. After high school, she traveled around the British Isles with her best friend. Predictably, they fell in love with a couple of Irish lads – oh, those gorgeous accents! Roaming the Rock of Cashel in the dark with your first love? Totally illicit, totally romantic!

The relationship didn’t last. But a piece of Kerryn’s heart still lives "across the pond" where those adventures took place – as well as the Regency romances she loves. So when the itch to write needs scratching, that’s where her imagination takes her. Her first novel, Learning to Waltz, won the Chatelaine award for Best Regency from Chanticleer Books.

Connect with Kerryn:

https://kerrynreid.com
https://www.facebook.com/kerrynreid.fiction/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7374237.Kerryn_Reid
https://twitter.com/Kerryn_Reid
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kerryn-reid
https://www.pinterest.com/kerrynareid/

Blog Tour Review: This Earl of Mine by Kate Bateman

From the Back Cover:

Introducing the Bow Street Bachelors—men who work undercover for London’s first official police force—and the women they serve to protect. . .and wed?

Shipping heiress Georgiana Caversteed is done with men who covet her purse more than her person. Even worse than the ton’s lecherous fortune hunters, however, is the cruel cousin determined to force Georgie into marriage. If only she could find a way to be . . . widowed? Georgie hatches a madcap scheme to wed a condemned criminal before he’s set to be executed. All she has to do is find an eligible bachelor in prison to marry her, and she’ll be free. What could possibly go wrong?

Benedict William Henry Wylde, scapegrace second son of the late Earl of Morcott and well-known rake, is in Newgate prison undercover, working for Bow Street. Georgie doesn’t realize who he is when she marries him—and she most certainly never expects to bump into her very-much-alive, and very handsome, husband of convenience at a society gathering weeks later. Soon Wylde finds himself courting his own wife, hoping to win her heart since he already has her hand. But how can this seductive rogue convince brazen, beautiful Georgie that he wants to be together…until actual death do they part?

My Thoughts:

This was my first time reading Kate Bateman, but it won't be my last. The inciting incident is rather far-fetched, as are a few other elements of the plot, particularly at the climax, but the characters are so fun, so well-developed, the chemistry and romance between them so well-depicted, that I didn't care. I was happy to go along for the sake of a good story. And I love a good opposites-attract romance. Georgie is a sheltered, wealthy society girl, jaded because no suitor has ever seen past her money to the woman beneath, and Benedict is a street-wise second son who's had to fight for everything he has, and he doesn't care a fig for Georgie's money. It was a joy to watch these two slowly come to realize they were perfect for each other.

It was very refreshing to read about an independent businesswoman during this age, and one that actually knows about business. This is not just an aspect of the story that is glossed over. As heiress to her father's shipping company, Georgie has spent her life learning the ropes, and she knows her stuff. She's earned respect from the men in her field, and her knowledge comes in handy in Benedict's investigation. They make a good team. I was also pleased that Benedict's time as a soldier in the war was not glossed over or depicted as something resolved by the presence of a good woman. Though he does not let it take over his life, the reader gets the sense that his experience will always be with him, and I think that's very realistic.

Despite a few outrageous moments and the subplot involving Georgie's rather ridiculous younger sister, I loved the main characters and their witty banter and steamy sexual tension set against the backdrop of a high-stakes investigation. I'm looking forward to reading from Kate Bateman's backlist while waiting for the next book in this series.

My Rating:  4 Stars out of 5

Amazon  ~  Apple  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Macmillan  ~  Goodreads

This Earl of Mine is on a blog tour!

Visit Kate Bateman's website  ~  Visit the publisher's website

Blog Tour Review: The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller

From the Back Cover:

It’s 1875, and Alva Webster has perfected her stiff upper lip after three years of being pilloried in the presses of two continents over fleeing her abusive husband. Now his sudden death allows her to return to New York to make a fresh start, restoring Liefdehuis, a dilapidated Hyde Park mansion, and hopefully her reputation at the same time.

However, fresh starts aren’t as easy as they seem, as Alva discovers when stories of a haunting at Liefdehuis begin to reach her. But Alva doesn’t believe in ghosts. So when the eccentric and brilliant professor Samuel Moore appears and informs her that he can get to the bottom of the mystery that surrounds Liefdehuis, she turns him down flat. She doesn’t need any more complications in her life—especially not a handsome, convention-flouting, scandal-raising one like Sam. Unfortunately, though Alva is loath to admit it, Sam, a pioneer in electric lighting and a member of the nationally-adored Moore family of scientists, is the only one who can help. Together, the two delve into the tragic secrets wreathing Alva’s new home while Sam attempts to unlock Alva’s history—and her heart.

Set during the Gilded Age in New York City, The Widow of Rose House is a gorgeous debut by Diana Biller, with a darkly Victorian Gothic flair and an intrepid and resilient American heroine guaranteed to delight readers.

My Thoughts:

The Widow of Rose House was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint! I'm not going to go much into plot so as not to spoil anything. I'm just going to tell you how I feel about it.

First, it's hard to believe this is a debut novel. The characters are fantastically drawn. While I may not have made the same decisions Alva did, I found her to be admirable. The poor thing tried so hard not to show vulnerability and not to rely on anyone else. To watch her seize control of her life and learn to trust again was very rewarding. You can't help but root for her happily ever after. And if you don't fall in love with Professor Sam Moore, well, there's no help for you! I certainly hope his siblings (including Henry) will be getting books of their own? Please? Pretty please? The banter among the boisterous Moore family is delightful, and I love their dynamic. They need their own books. Just sayin'. But seriously, Sam's a genius from a family of geniuses, and he's also a big old sweet potato. I love the way he thinks and the way he observes everything, including Alva, and how he can't help but want to find solutions to problems, often to humorous effect. But the story does have several very serious and tragic aspects, and it's all balanced together really well, hitting all the right notes in all the right places.

I'm very tempted to give this five stars just for the feels alone. My only real complaints are that it's a little wordy (and I found myself skimming a page here and there), and I do feel the ghost story could have been a bit more developed and played a larger role in the story. While it is the mechanism that brings Alva and Sam together, it's far into the book before they really start making any progress. The spook factor is rather tame, though surprisingly unpredictable. But when the meaning of the house's name and its purpose were revealed at the end, I shed a tear. I'm bumping it up a notch just because of my reading experience, alternating from having a goofy grin on my face to crying to needing a cold shower.

Blog Tour Review: How to Love a Duke in Ten Days by Kerrigan Byrne

From the Back Cover:

Famed and brilliant, Lady Alexandra Lane has always known how to look out for to herself. But nobody would ever expect that she has darkness in her past—one that she pays a blackmailer to keep buried. Now, with her family nearing bankruptcy, Alexandra strikes upon a solution: Get married to one of the empire’s most wealthy eligible bachelors. Even if he does have the reputation of a devil.

LOVE TAKES NO PRISONERS

Piers Gedrick Atherton, the Duke of Redmayne, is seeking revenge and the first step is securing a bride. Winning a lady’s hand is not so easy, however, for a man known as the Terror of Torcliff. Then, Alexandra enters his life like a bolt of lightning. When she proposes marriage, Piers knows that, like him, trouble haunts her footsteps. But her gentleness, sharp wit, independent nature, and incredible beauty awakens every fierce desire within him. He will do whatever it takes to keep her safe in his arms.

My Thoughts:

This story starts with an awful scene depicting what happened to our heroine, Alexandra, when she was eighteen. It's tough to get through, but it's necessary to understand what she deals with in the years that follow and why she behaves the way she does. We also find out she's being blackmailed over what happened all those years ago, and she's about to run out of the money she so desperately needs to keep her secret safe. So when she meets the scarred and brooding Piers Atherton, the Terror of Torcliff, who is in need of a wife to beget an heir so his nasty cousin doesn't inherit the dukedom, she makes a rash proposal of convenience. Piers readily accepts, but for him this marriage will be very real. He's already half in love with the beguiling, bookish beauty who attempts to hide herself from society's prying eyes.

Alexandra is frightened by her attraction to Piers. Understandably afraid of sexual intimacy, she presents him with a list of rules for their time together in the bedroom. Piers is puzzled by her reactions, but he's determined to prove his skittish wife can trust him, though as time goes on he grows frustrated that she won't open up to him. But they soon have bigger problems as a series of mysterious "accidents" that nearly get one or both of them killed on their honeymoon leads Piers to believe that someone is determined to stop him from siring an heir, while Alexandra thinks her blackmailer has grown bolder and is prepared to resort to murder. As the chasm of mistrust between them deepens, the danger around them intensifies. When Alexandra's secret is revealed, can Piers finally prove to her that she can trust him? Or will the villain determined to destroy them put an end to their happily ever after before it even starts?

BookTrib's Romance Awareness Month Giveaway!

Many will swoon over this week’s BookTrib giveaway!

To kick off Romance Awareness Month,

they’ll be featuring 24 different romance novels and love stories that’ll go to one lucky winner.

Enter from now until August 8 for a chance to win all of these titles in their romance box! 

Click the pic to enter! Good luck!

Blog Tour Q&A: The Portrait by Cassandra Austen

Please join me in welcoming Cassandra Austen to Let Them Read Books! Cassandra is touring the blogosphere with her new historical romance, The Portrait, and I recently had the chance to ask her a few questions about her inspiration and the challenges and rewards of writing. Read on and enter to win a copy of The Portrait!

Lady Catherine, banished to the countryside as a useless girl with a lame leg, got her revenge by playing a dangerous game. And now it will ruin her.

When the old earl dies, his only child feels no sorrow. The earldom will now revert to the crown and Lady Catherine will continue to live life exactly as she pleases. But when she learns that she is the heir to a secret family title, everything changes. Marriage had once seemed unnecessary and out of the question; now it is the only thing she wants. The two men in her life both need her influence and wealth. Whom shall she choose? The kind but secretive Captain Avebury? Or the notorious Sir Lyle, the handsome smuggler? Both men deal very differently with honor. And when Catherine’s secret self-destructs, which man can be trusted to save her?

The Portrait is about a strong woman, foolish decisions, trust, and the definition of honor. Fans of Jane Austen’s independent women will recognize in Catherine a voice which will not be silenced.

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE

Hi Cassandra! Thank you so much for visiting Let Them Read Books! What inspired you to write historical romance?

I’ve loved history and historical fiction ever since I was a kid. The first story I ever wrote was set in the French Revolution! I must have been seven years old, writing on a yellow pad with a pencil. My favorite television shows were historicals. I ended up studying medieval Japanese history in graduate school. So when I finally got back to writing fiction, I knew I wanted to eventually write a historical novel. The Regency period is one of my favorite eras, not only because of Jane Austen, but because it’s a fascinating period full of political and social tension. I didn’t dwell on politics in The Portrait, but I thought a lot about the fate of women during the period, especially women who were for one reason or another judged to be “not enough” by the men in their lives. As painful as it is to think about, it was the reality of the time, and I try to be faithful to the historical period when I write, even if I’m writing fiction. And I wanted to write a romance because a novel that is all about manipulative men just isn’t a fun read.

Blog Tour Excerpt: Severed Knot by Cryssa Bazos

Severed Knot by Cryssa Bazos

Publication Date: June 7, 2019

W.M. Jackson Publishing

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance

Barbados 1652. In the aftermath of the English Civil War, the vanquished are uprooted and scattered to the ends of the earth.

When marauding English soldiers descend on Mairead O’Coneill’s family farm, she is sold into indentured servitude. After surviving a harrowing voyage, the young Irish woman is auctioned off to a Barbados sugar plantation where she is thrust into a hostile world of depravation and heartbreak. Though stripped of her freedom, Mairead refuses to surrender her dignity.

Scottish prisoner of war Iain Johnstone has descended into hell. Under a blazing sun thousands of miles from home, he endures forced indentured labour in the unforgiving cane fields. As Iain plots his escape to save his men, his loyalties are tested by his yearning for Mairead and his desire to protect her.

With their future stolen, Mairead and Iain discover passion and freedom in each other’s arms. Until one fateful night, a dramatic chain of events turns them into fugitives. Together they fight to survive; together they are determined to escape.

Excerpt:

The song ended, and Iain watched Alastair as he entered the crushing mill. He disappeared for a moment, and when he reappeared, he cradled a violin in the crook of his arm.

Iain couldn’t sit there any longer. Passing by the keg, he dropped the cup on top and manoeuvred through the crowd to head back to his hut.

Tam stopped him. “Where are you off to, Scotsman? You’re truly sour, man.”

“I’ve had enough.” Iain patted the man on the shoulder and attempted to move past him. Before he did, he glanced to the crushing mill in time to see Alastair handing the violin to Mairead. The rapt expression on her face made Iain pause. She handled the instrument reverently, as carefully as a woman cradling her bairn. Iain had never seen her eyes so round, her normally wary expression soft.

Mairead lifted the violin to her collarbone and adjusted her grip. She tried a few tentative plucks and adjusted the tuning until the chord sounded right. She lifted the bow against the strings and started to play. 

The sound that came from her violin was low, wistful and with a melody that stirred long-buried hopes. Both light and dark notes rounded each other out as she pushed the tune farther along. A low drumbeat joined in, and she adjusted her rhythm slightly to hit the rising notes with the downbeat.

Then the main melody started.

Iain knew this song. An old Scottish ballad, one of his favourites. It called to mind the longing of home. It had been the song that he had sung to himself during the gruelling journey from England.

How was it that she stood there playing that very song?

The melody had always stirred him, providing comfort during all those times he had been away on campaign, far from home. But Mairead’s rendition added layers he had never heard. The mournful tone of the violin spoke of the wind in the firs and smoky twilight clinging to the mountains. A flight of swallows darting in a cold twilight sky and the cry of terns riding a lonely sea breeze. It called to memory swiftly flowing burns bordered with purple heather, and the hope of love reunited.

Book Blast: Lacewood by Jessica James

Lacewood by Jessica James

Publication Date: June 18, 2019

Patriot Press

eBook; 348 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Sometimes love is just too powerful for one lifetime…

Part love story, part ghost story, Lacewood is a timeless novel about trusting in fate, letting go of the past, and believing in things that can’t be seen.

MOVING TO A SMALL TOWN in Virginia is a big change for New York socialite Katie McCain. But when she stumbles across an abandoned 200-year-old mansion, she’s enthralled by the enduring beauty of the neglected estate—and captivated by the haunting portrait of a woman in mourning.

Purchasing the property on a whim, Katie attempts to fit in with the colorful characters in the town of New Hope, while trying to unravel the mystery of the “widow of Lacewood.” As she pieces together the previous owner’s heartrending story, Katie uncovers secrets the house has held for centuries, and discovers the key to coming to terms with her own sense of loss.

The past and present converge when hometown hero Will Durham returns and begins his own healing process by helping the “city girl” restore the place that holds so many memories. As the mystic web of destiny is woven, a love story that might have been lost forever is exposed, and a destiny that has been waiting in the shadows for centuries is fulfilled.

Rich in emotion and poignant in its telling, Lacewood is an unforgettable story about love and loss, roots and belonging…and spirits of the past that refuse to be quieted. 

A haunting story from award-winning author Jessica James that connects the past with the present—and the present with eternity.

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About the Author

Jessica James is an award-winning author of suspense, historical fiction, and military fiction ranging from the Revolutionary War to modern day. Her highly acclaimed Civil War novel Shades of Gray won numerous national literary awards, and is often compared to Gone with the Wind.

By weaving the principles of courage, devotion, duty, and dedication into each book, James attempts to honor the unsung heroes of the American military--past and present--and to convey the magnitude of their sacrifice and service. Her novels appeal to both men and women and are featured in library collections all over the United States including Harvard and the U.S. Naval Academy. 

James resides in Gettysburg, Pa., and is a member of the Military Writers Society of America, NINC, Sisters in Crime, and the Romance Writers of America. She is a two-time winner of the John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction, and was featured in the book 50 Authors You Should Be Reading, published in 2010.

Sign up for her free newsletter at www.jessicajamesbooks.com and ask for a free copy of From the Heart: Civil War Love Letters and Stories. You can also find Jessica on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Review: Project Duchess by Sabrina Jeffries

From the Back Cover:

From New York Times bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries comes a sparkling new series about an oft-widowed mother’s grown children, who blaze through society in their quest for the truth about their fathers ... and in the process find that love just might conquer all...

A series of stepfathers and a difficult childhood have left Fletcher “Grey” Pryde, 5th Duke of Greycourt, with a guarded heart, enviable wealth, and the undeserved reputation of a rogue. Grey’s focus on expanding his dukedom allows him little time to find a wife. But when his mother is widowed yet again and he meets the charmingly unconventional woman managing his stepfather’s funeral, he’s shocked to discover how much they have in common. Still, Grey isn’t interested in love, no matter how pretty, or delightfully outspoken, the lady...

Beatrice Wolfe gave up on romance long ago, and the arrogant Duke of Greycourt with his rakish reputation isn’t exactly changing her mind. Then Grey agrees to assist his grief-stricken mother with her latest “project”: schooling spirited, unfashionable Beatrice for her debut. Now that Beatrice is seeing through Grey’s charms to his wounded heart, she’s having trouble keeping him at arm’s length. But once Grey starts digging into her family’s secrets, she must decide whether her loyalties lie with her family . . . or with the man whose lessons capture her heart...

My Thoughts:

When Grey's stepfather dies unexpectedly, Grey is forced to go home to comfort his grieving mother and siblings. It's not that he doesn't love his mother, and he loved and admired his stepfather, but he's never forgiven them for sending him away when he was a boy. Prepared to do his duty and flee, he is unprepared for Beatrice Wolfe, the sharp-tongued spinster helping with the funeral, or for the news that his stepfather was murdered, and the prime suspect is Beatrice's reclusive, war-wounded brother. Charged with helping solve the case, Grey does not object to spending time with Beatrice, but only because it means he can have her brother arrested as soon as possible. It has nothing to do with how he feels when he's around her. At least that's what he tells himself.

Tired of being a charity relation, Beatrice longs for a life and family of her own. Though she is daunted by the idea of a London season, she allows Grey's mother to make a project of her, knowing how badly the dear woman needs a distraction from her grief. Lessons in etiquette and dancing with the arrogant Duke of Greycourt are something she must put up with, even though she finds it harder and harder to deny her attraction to him. But as that attraction deepens into something more, Beatrice is stunned to learn Grey suspects her brother of murder and that he's been using her for information. Both Beatrice and Grey will have to determine where their hearts and loyalties lie and how far they're willing to go to protect their families.

I have enjoyed previous Sabrina Jeffries novels, but this one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I really liked the characters, and the banter between them was sizzling, but I can't say there was anything really original or memorable about this story. I'm all for a mystery, and it appears the mystery of who murdered Maurice and why will run the course of the series, but I felt like it needed to have more substance in this first book to set it up. It seemed like more of an afterthought against the backdrop of dancing and etiquette lessons. The sex scenes, while hot, were too flowery for my tastes. Too many "ohs" and exclamation points. But I still found it an enjoyable way to pass the time, and I may read the next book to see if the mystery deepens.

My Rating:  3 Stars out of 5

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | GOOGLE PLAY | ITUNES | INDIEBOUND | KOBO

Project Duchess is on a blog tour!

View the tour schedule  ~  Add to your shelves on Goodreads

GIVEAWAY!

We have two paperback copies of Project Duchess up for grabs!

To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Quick Review: The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo by Kerrigan Byrne

From the Back Cover:

The bravest of heroes. The brashest of rebels. The boldest of lovers. These are the men who risk their hearts and their souls—for the passionate women who dare to love them…

He is known only as The Rook. A man with no name, no past, no memories. He awakens in a mass grave, a magnificent dragon tattoo on his muscled forearm the sole clue to his mysterious origins. His only hope for survival—and salvation—lies in the deep, fiery eyes of the beautiful stranger who finds him. Who nurses him back to health. And who calms the restless demons in his soul…

A LEGENDARY LOVE

Lorelei will never forget the night she rescued the broken dark angel in the woods, a devilishly handsome man who haunts her dreams to this day. Crippled as a child, she devoted herself to healing the poor tortured man. And when he left, he took a piece of her heart with him. Now, after all these years, The Rook has returned. Like a phantom, he sweeps back into her life and avenges those who wronged her. But can she trust a man who’s been branded a rebel, a thief, and a killer? And can she trust herself to resist him when he takes her in his arms?

My Thoughts:

This book had a really strong start that perfectly introduced two damaged characters that seemed made for one another. Completely opposite in so many ways, but exactly what the other needed. I loved the dynamics between them in the beginning, the crippled girl and the beaten boy--there's is a love story you root for from their very first interaction. But then they were separated for a number of years and the long-awaited reunion was not what I was hoping for. Ash was cruel, Lorelai was hurt, and that aspect just seemed unnecessary. It took a long time for Ash to treat her the way she deserved to be treated. Then we get some adventure and suspense and big revelations that probably would have had more meaning if I'd read the previous books since a few of those characters make an appearance toward the end. Certainly not a bad read, and of course there's a happy ending, but it did not live up to the excellence of the first few chapters.

My Rating:  3 Stars out of 5

Please Note: This review references an advance digital copy received from the publisher via NetGalley, and therefore the final published copy may differ. Though I received this book from the publisher, my review is voluntary and these are my honest and unbiased thoughts. I was not compensated in any other way for reviewing this book.

Blog Tour Q&A with May McGoldrick, Author of Highland Crown

Please join me in welcoming May McGoldrick (aka the husband and wife writing team of Nikoo & Jim McGoldrick) to Let Them Read Books! Having recently discovered and fallen in love with their stories, I was thrilled to have the chance to ask them some questions about the history behind their new Royal Highlander historical romance trilogy. Read on and pick up a copy of Highland Crown today!

Scottish pride, persuasion, and passion—this is Highland romance at its breathtaking best. 

Inverness, 1820

Perched on the North Sea, this port town—by turns legendary and mythological—is a place
where Highland rebels and English authorities clash in a mortal struggle for survival and
dominance. Among the fray is a lovely young widow who possesses rare and special gifts. 

WANTED: Isabella Drummond

A true beauty and trained physician, Isabella has inspired longing and mystery—and
fury—in a great many men. Hunted by both the British government and Scottish rebels, she
came to the Highlands in search of survival. But a dying ship’s captain will steer her fate
into even stormier waters . . . and her heart into flames. 

FOUND: Cinaed Mackintosh

Cast from his home as a child, Cinaed is a fierce soul whose allegiance is only to himself …
until Isabella saved his life—and added more risk to her own. Now, the only way Cinaed can
keep her safe to seek refuge at Dalmigavie Castle, the Mackintosh family seat. But when the
scandalous truth of his past comes out, any chance of Cinaed having a bright future with
Isabella is thrown into complete darkness. What will these two ill-fated lovers have to
sacrifice to be together . . . for eternity?

Hello, Nikoo and Jim! Thank you so much for stopping by Let Them Read Books!

This time period is a bit of an unusual setting for historical romance, but I greatly appreciated having a light shed on Scotland's "Radical War." Can you tell us what inspired you to weave a romance through this tumultuous yet underrepresented era in history?

We are historians and romantics. We believe that there is much to be learned from the past, from our achievements and our mistakes. In all of our work, we try to shed light on periods and events that we feel are relevant to our present time. As writers, we also believe that we have a responsibility to entertain but also to interest our readers in the political climate of a certain time period and place…and to pursue the truth of what was happening at the time.

‘Underrepresented’ is a great term for this era, but ‘hidden’ may be closer to the truth. The one who holds the pen writes the history, and in this case it was English doing the writing. Scotland’s Radical War of 1820 has many ‘forgotten’ revolutionaries and heroes.

We also believe that history repeats itself, and the events and upheaval during the late Regency period in England and Scotland and Ireland are tremendously relevant to us and our readers. Vast differences in living conditions between the rich and the poor. Governmental power being used to benefit the wealthy few. Citizen’s rights being taken away under false premises. Entrapment tactics being used against people who want reform, decent lives, and a voice in government. People being ousted from their homes in the name of ‘improvement’. Refugee populations soaring.

We also believe that the human spirit is indomitable, however. Love and compassion will always find a way to exist in the midst of struggle and suffering. That’s probably why we started writing historical romance to begin with.

So, to answer the question, we loved putting Isabella and Cinaed in the middle of Scotland’s Radical War. Theirs is a relationship tested by the social upheaval and the fires of their world. And we believe that struggle makes their story timeless. 

Q&A with Charlotte Brentwood, Author of Gloved Heart

Please join me in welcoming Charlotte Brentwood to Let Them Read Books! Charlotte is celebrating the release of her newest historical romance, Gloved Heart, book two in the Hearts of Amberley series, and I recently had the chance to ask her some questions about reading and writing romance!

Can she ever trust again?

Amy Miller is struggling to come to terms with her new life as a mother, while being a reluctant guest in a rigid gentry household. A victim of abuse, she is determined to never trust a man again.

Henry Russell has loved Amy for as long as he can remember, but his family want nothing to do with her. A chance encounter with Amy rekindles a friendship which might save them both.

The discovery of a secret which holds the key to Amy’s past will change them forever, and jeopardise any chance they have for happiness. Can Henry show Amy that true love will give her everything she could ever need?

Note, although this is a 'sweet' read, there is some subject matter that may offend sensitive readers, including mention of a rape and very mild violence and coarse language.

Hi Charlotte! Thanks so much for stopping by Let Them Read Books!

You describe your books as "romantic books for fans of classic love stories." Which classic love stories have inspired you the most?

All of Jane Austen’s work, as well as the Brontes, Georgette Heyer and Carla Kelly

Do your characters pop into your head fully formed, or do you discover who they are as you write?

A bit of both. With GLOVED HEART, I knew quite a bit about Amy and Henry because they were in the first book as minor characters. Usually I have a fair idea of how I want my characters to interact with each other, and then I have to go back and figure out why they’re acting that way.

What kind of research do you do to bring your historical settings to life?

Writing a novel set in a historic period, and in another country, requires many hours of research. Most of the time, I enjoy it. Research has sparked storylines a number of times. I try to put the right historical details in my work without boring the reader with too much information.

Can you describe what a typical day in your writing life looks like?

Well, I work at a day job, and spend the rest of the time looking after my nearly-two-year-old. So writing happens at night, after she’s in bed and all the chores are done.

What are you working on now?

My next book follows on from GLOVED HEART. In BARRINGTON MEETS HIS MATCH, we find out why John Barrington has turned into the man he is. I am going to have great fun torturing him with a strong heroine who’ll challenge him at every turn.

Amazon     ~     Goodreads

About the Author:

Charlotte developed serious crushes on a series of men from age fifteen: Darcy, Knightley, Wentworth and Brandon. A bookworm and scribbler for as long as she can remember, Charlotte always dreamed of sharing her stories with the world.

Earning a degree in communication studies, she was seduced by the emerging digital world and has since worked with the web and in marketing. She is a member of the Auckland chapter of RWNZ.

Now mother to an adorable human tornado, Charlotte is trying to find the time for reading, seaside walks, warbling at the piano and quaffing far too many hot chocolates.

Author Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Goodreads  ~  Twitter  ~  Pinterest

Blog Tour Review: When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton

From the Back Cover:

In 1960s Florida, a young Cuban exile will risk her life--and heart--to take back her country in this exhilarating historical novel from the author of Next Year in Havana, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick.

Beautiful. Daring. Deadly. 

The Cuban Revolution took everything from sugar heiress Beatriz Perez--her family, her people, her country. Recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro's inner circle and pulled into the dangerous world of espionage, Beatriz is consumed by her quest for revenge and her desire to reclaim the life she lost. 

As the Cold War swells like a hurricane over the shores of the Florida Strait, Beatriz is caught between the clash of Cuban American politics and the perils of a forbidden affair with a powerful man driven by ambitions of his own. When the ever-changing tides of history threaten everything she has fought for, she must make a choice between her past and future--but the wrong move could cost Beatriz everything--not just the island she loves, but also the man who has stolen her heart...

My Thoughts:

Next Year in Havana was one of my favorite books of 2018. The story of Elisa Perez's experiences in the Cuban revolution and her granddaughter Marisol's eye-opening trip to present-day Cuba utterly transported me and left a lasting impression, so I was so happy when I saw Elisa's sister Beatriz was getting her own book. But that also meant I had extremely high expectations for the sequel!

While Elisa's story took place in Cuba during the revolution and Marisol's in the present day, Beatriz's story takes place among the Cuban exiles living in south Florida in the years after the revolution and sheds light on the situation many refugees found themselves in, having to watch tyranny take over their beloved island from afar, worried about loved ones they left behind, struggling to adjust to their new reality in a new country.

As a famous socialite in Cuba and a scandalous one in America, beautiful, intelligent, and sensuous, with ties to both the revolutionaries and the resistance, Beatriz Perez is quick to catch the attention of not only every bachelor in Palm Beach, but also the CIA. Beneath the carefree facade she presents in public, Beatriz is angry. Very angry. And her anger needs an outlet. Lured with the promise of helping bring down Fidel Castro, Beatriz becomes a spy.

But there are complications. Beatriz falls in love for the first time, with a powerful man, and their relationship could present a threat to her ambitions and the nation's security. She constantly feels the disapproval of her parents and their pressure to preserve their good name by behaving herself and catching a good husband. Resistance fighters and radicals have infiltrated Palm Beach society. Russia's new alliance with Cuba brings America to the brink of nuclear war. And Beatriz grapples with her conscience and her heart's desires and must ultimately decide where her allegiance lies and how far she is willing to go to prove it.

The story begins with a prologue featuring Beatriz as an older woman in 2016 that leaves you wondering which of the many men in her life is sending her champagne on the day Fidel Castro dies. Interspersed with Beatriz's adventures are a few more scenes from 2016 that ratchet up the anticipation of discovering how the past storyline plays out, and this book consumed me so much it seriously gave me anxiety. Whenever I had to put it down to go back to real life, I thought about it constantly till I could get back to it. I devoured it.

Blog Tour Excerpt: It's Getting Scot in Here by Suzanne Enoch

It's Getting Scot in Here

by Suzanne Enoch

Wild, Wicked Highlanders #1

On Sale February 26, 2019

ISBN-13: 978-1-250-29637-5

St. Martin’s Paperbacks

HAPPILY-EVER-AFTER
London socialite Amelia-Rose Baxter is nobody’s fool. Her parents may want her to catch a title, but she will never change who she is for the promise of marriage. Her husband will be a man who can appreciate her sharp mind as well as her body. A sophisticated man who loves life in London. A man who considers her his equal—and won’t try to tame her wild heart...

IN THE HIGHLANDS
Rough, rugged Highlander Niall MacTaggert and his brothers know the rules: the eldest must marry or lose the ancestral estate, period. But Niall’s eldest brother just isn’t interested in the lady his mother selected. Is it because Amelia-Rose is just too. . . Free-spirited? Yes. Brazen? Aye. Surely Niall can find a way to soften up the whip-smart lass and make her the perfect match for his brother for the sake of the family.

JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT HOTTER.
Instead it’s Niall who tempts Amelia-Rose, despite her reservations about barbarian Highlanders. Niall finds the lass nigh irresistible as well, but he won’t make the mistake his father did in marrying an Englishwoman who doesn’t like the Highlands. Does he have what it takes to win her heart? There is only one way to find out...

MacMillan  ~  Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  IndieBound  ~  Powell's

Excerpt:

Prologue

Once upon a time—in May 1785, to be exact—Angus MacTaggert, Earl Aldriss, traveled from the middle of the Scottish Highlands to London in search of a wealthy bride to save his well-loved but crumbling estate. Aldriss Park had been in the MacTaggert family since the time of Henry VIII, when Domhnall MacTaggert, despite being Catholic and married, declared publicly that Henry should be able to wed as many lasses as he wanted until one of them got him a son. Aldriss Park was the newly minted earl’s reward for his support and understanding.

For the next two hundred years Aldriss thrived, until the weight of poor harvests, the ever-intruding, rulemaking Sassenach, and the MacTaggerts’ own fondness for drinking, gambling, and wild investments (including an early bicycle design wherein the driver sat between two wheels; sadly, it had no braking mechanism and after a series of accidents nearly began a war within the MacTaggerts’ clan Ross) began to sink it into disrepair.

When Angus inherited the title in 1783, he realized the old castle needed far more than a fresh coat of paint to keep it from both physical collapse and bankruptcy. And so he determined to go down among the enemy Sassenach and win himself a wealthy bride. The English had made enough trouble for him and his over the centuries, so they could bloody well help him set things right.

On his second day in London, he met the stunning Francesca Oswell, the only offspring of James and Mary Oswell, Viscount and Viscountess of Hornford—who had more money than Midas and a bevy of very fine solicitors—at a masked ball where he dressed as a bull, and she as a swan. Despite the misgivings of nearly everyone in Mayfair, Angus and Francesca immediately fell madly in love, and married with a special license ten days later.

A week after that, Angus took Francesca back to Aldriss Park and the Highlands, where she found very little civilization, a great many sheep, and a husband who preferred brawling to dancing, and he discovered that her father’s solicitors had arranged to keep the Oswell family money in Francesca’s hands. This made for some very spectacular arguments, because there is nothing more combustible in the world than an impoverished Highlands laird in disagreement with an independently wealthy English lady about his own ancestral lands.

Blog Tour Guest Post: A Class Apart and A Class Entwined by Susie Murphy

Please join me in welcoming Susie Murphy to Let Them Read Books! Susie is touring the blogosphere with A Class Apart and A Class Entwined, the first two novels in her A Matter of Class series. I'm pleased to have her here today with a guest post about the history of the time period and the inspiration for her characters. Read on and enter to win ebook copies of both books!

"A beautifully written historical novel with characters who linger long after the last page is turned." ~Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Came Home

It’s 1828, and Ireland is in turmoil as Irish tenants protest against their upper-class English landlords.

Nineteen-year-old Bridget Muldowney is thrilled to return to the estate in Carlow she’ll inherit when she comes of age. But since she left for Dublin seven years earlier, the tomboy has become a refined young lady, engaged to be married to a dashing English gentleman.

Cormac McGovern, now a stable hand on the estate, has missed his childhood friend. He and Bridget had once been thick as thieves, running wild around the countryside together.

When Bridget and Cormac meet again their friendship begins to rekindle, but it’s different now that they are adults. Bridget’s overbearing mother, determined to enforce the employer-servant boundaries, conspires with Bridget’s fiancé to keep the pair apart.

With the odds stacked against them, can Bridget and Cormac’s childhood attachment blossom into something more?

A Love Story Across the Class Divide

by Susie Murphy

As an Irish historical fiction author, I feel very lucky that I hardly need to look beyond my own doorstep to find a wealth of inspiration for my novels. I have always been fascinated by Ireland’s history, which has been turbulent to say the least.

Ireland suffered occupation by the British for hundreds of years, beginning with the Norman invasions in the 12th century. These were followed by the Tudor conquest of the 1500s, during which Henry VIII proclaimed himself King of Ireland. Then there were the plantations of the 17th and 18th centuries where the land was taken from Catholic Irish landowners and given to English and Scottish Protestant settlers, generating a deep-seated resentment among the native people caused by British rule on Irish soil.

In 1798, the Society of United Irishmen rose up against the British with the aim of gaining independence for Ireland. The rebellion failed and in 1800 the Act of Union was passed which created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, giving Britain even more control over its small island neighbour.

This tumultuous, often-bloody past created a dichotomy in our population: the upper class, wealthy, Protestant English landlords versus the lower class, poor, Catholic Irish tenants. Over the centuries, the gap between the classes grew ever wider.

What a treasure chest for an author, right?

For me, it’s not the violent risings nor the political machinations that intrigue me. It’s the individual people, the human stories behind the hard facts.