Ezine: April 2015 - The Romance Reviews

Transcription

Romantic Road is a riveting thriller with surprising twists, romance, and a bit of humor
April 2015
Cover Story Excerpt
35 CARDENO C.
They'll finally realize the
depth of their potential, the
joy in their passion, and a
connection their kind has
never known....
Features / Interviews
He'll do anything to protect his
mate.
21 VICTORIA AVEYARD (Red Queen)
33 LORRAINE HEATH (The Duke and the Lady in Red)
54 MARY JO PUTNEY (The Bargain)
64 ELOISA JAMES (Four Nights with the Duke)
66 JILL SHALVIS (Still the One)
Series Spotlight
12 THE ENGLISH BROTHERS Katy Regnery
46 THE LOVE BIRD Ruth J. Hartman
The Romance Reviews
Beautiful, Vivid, A MUST Read-Amz 4.8 Stars 70+ Reviews;
LIMITED TIME $3.99
4
April 2015
Review Spotlight
Spotlight
Author
8 CHRISTMAS STAR Christine Ashworth
26 BRONWEN EVANS
37 KATE
GARDEN
OF SERENITY Nina Pierce
61
DEVEAUX
Romance Excerpts
7
STOLEN VENGEANCE (Romantic Suspense)
Dianna Love
23 THE ROGUE'S PRIZE (Historical) Katherine Bone
42 THE MARLBORO MAN (Contemporary) Anna
Alexander
56 ZELLE AND THE TOWER (Fantasy / Paranormal)
Rebekah R. Ganiere
In this battle of wills, there is no
middle ground.
Top Pick Reviews
68 ROMANCE
70 GLBT
72 EROTIC ROMANCE
In Ottawa, Terci meets the
Domme of her dreams...
The Romance Reviews
5
April 2015
Dear Reader,
Did you enjoy our recently concluded 4th Anniversary Party? We'd like to thank all the awesome
authors and publishers and, of course, you the reader, for making this event a great success.
Have you received your prize? Check out the prize list here, and if no one has contacted you yet,
please email me at event @ theromancereviews.com so that I can help you follow up with the
author/publisher.
Summer is fast approaching, and we're celebrating the Sizzling Summer Reads with a party in
June! Save the date! Authors interested to join the party for promo may email me at carole @
theromancereviews.com for details.
In this ezine, we interviewed popular authors on their upcoming/latest releases. Enjoy these
interviews with Eloisa James, Lorraine Heath, Victoria Aveyard, Mary Jo Putney, and Jill
Shalvis. We hope to bring you more in the coming issues. Enjoy!
Happy reading, everyone!
Desperate desire. Deep fear.
Pushed to the Edge.
The Romance Reviews
You gotta be careful who you play
with…
A Viking warrior will cross the
divide of a thousand years to
claim his modern day lover.
6
April 2015
Stolen Vengeance
Dianna Love
He's the last man she'll trust and the only
one who can save her.
Slye Temp agent Dingo Paddock walked
away from rare items recovery specialist
Valene Eklund seven years ago to protect
her from a deadly organization, but the
woman can’t stay out of trouble. Valene
hasn’t forgiven Dingo for breaking her
heart when he disappeared without a
word. The last thing she’ll allow is for him
to interfere with her new client whose
contract will dig her out of financial ruin.
She’s lucked into a deal that only comes
along once, but Dingo believes the price is too high – her life and now the organization he destroyed to keep her safe has
returned to exact vengeance on Dingo. Getting their hands on
the one woman Dingo would walk through fire for? Priceless.
ISBN: 9781940651880
Publisher: Silver Hawk
Press
Publication date:
March 30, 2015
Genre: Romantic
Suspense
Buy Links:
Amazon
Amazon UK
Kobo
Nook
iBooks
Dianna Love Website
If Dingo and Valene can't overcome their past and learn to trust again, multiple assassinations
will ignite the fuse to an international conflict. They can't save the world until they figure out how
to save each other first.
“If you need another favor, Dingo Paddock, the answer is no.” Valene’s words held enough edge
to cut through the tension crowding the air. “I’m busy and I don’t have time for any of this, this
... whatever it is you’re here for.”
“I know you’re busy and I just need to talk to you,” he repeated gently. He couldn’t get past just
taking her in. How many days and long nights had he imagined being this close to her again?
She was the sexiest thing he’d ever known.
One of her smiles would be worth the punishment he’d put his body through since yesterday to
get here, just to see her alive and safe. He knew every inch of the beautiful body hidden inside
that black-on-black mandarin style suit.
Damn. If he didn’t stop thinking about her sans the suit, he wouldn’t be able to walk.
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April 2015
“Well?” Valene snapped. “You got what you wanted. I’m sitting here.”
If he had what he wanted, she’d be in his arms and he’d be kissing the lips he missed more than
he’d thought possible. That was never going to happen again, especially now when he had to
open a wound that had never healed.
He asked, “Remember back when I was looking for information on a man named Giuseppe?”
Her gaze sizzled with fury. She crossed her arms. Yes, she remembered.
Shaking her head, she laughed and it came out as a dark sound. “Seven years. You disappear for
seven years, then show up out of the blue a month ago needing help, and now you want to talk
about the last time I saw you before you walked away without a word?”
He’d left her seven years ago, knowing she’d hate him.
He’d hurt her by leaving and saying nothing. But if he’d taken that risk, then the gamble to get
inside Satan’s Garden Club and stop them from touching her would have been for naught.
But he wasn’t going to reach for the sympathy vote by explaining it now, even if he could share
that information, which he couldn’t.
“Giuseppe went missing–” Dingo started.
“So you need to find him again?” she broke in, acid dripping off her words. “Forget it. I made one
exception to stop a terrorist. All your good deals are gone.”
She’d been their key to a successful mission last month. He admitted, “We were lucky to prevent
the Orion Hunters from pulling off that attack in May, but more than being lucky we had you. If
not for you, we might have lost that battle, Val. You saved a lot of lives.”
She glanced away. “Whatever.”
He’d seen her eyes glisten. She’d never been one to preen over compliments. If anything, they
made her wary. He’d like to know why, wished he’d have a chance to find out.
You could have dug around online and found out about her past.
He didn’t have a lot of rules, but unless it had to do with stopping a criminal or protecting
someone, he respected the privacy of those people who meant something to him.
He’d bent that rule just to find her today by triangulating her phone signal, but as far as he was
concerned, this fell under protecting someone important to him.
He explained, “About Giuseppe. I thought he was a distant relation of the man I was looking for
back then, but I was wrong.” Understatement of the century.
“Then you should have had me look for the guy you wanted, not his neighbor or cousin or
whatever. That’s not my fault.”
“Let me get this out, Valene. Please.”
She waved her hands in an exasperated you-have-the-floor motion.
“Giuseppe was connected to a very dangerous group back then. If I’d had any idea that he was
running guns for the man I was hunting, I’d have never asked you to do it.”
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April 2015
“Guns. As in black market guns?”
“Among other things, yes.”
She groused, “It seems to me that some alphabet agency with hotdog operators like you should
be able to find a gun runner.”
“We did.”
She flipped her hands in the air again and let out a long growl of exasperation. “So what’s the
problem, 007? Still need help finding Giuseppe? Again? Run out of women to do your research or
are they not letting you pay in trade?”
He flinched at the verbal strike. “I never treated you that way.” What they did after hours had
nothing to do with his job or her contract work for him. She knew that, but she’d waited seven
years to rail at him and he deserved it. That didn’t mean he could take it without grinding his
back teeth.
Her gaze darted all over the place before it zeroed in on him again. “How am I supposed to know
what was true and what was your job?”
“Believe whatever you will, but I have never mixed business and pleasure. I would never show
you that lack of respect.”
She was holding on to her righteous anger and she had every right to it, but he saw her chin
quiver before she sat up straight and put on her game face. “You’re burning my daylight and I’m
not on your payroll now. If you need Giuseppe–”
Dingo said, “No. Giuseppe died six years ago. I only came to make sure you’re safe.”
Her face softened and she got that dewy look she used to have when he’d show up after being
gone weeks–or months. They’d stare at each other for all of five seconds, then shred clothes in an
explosion of kissing and hot sex.
God, he missed the way she kissed.
He missed holding her when she slept.
He’d give up all his tomorrows for an hour with her in his arms, but not until he had her tucked
away out of view.
When she didn’t say anything, he took this calm moment to explain. “I need you to leave LA for a
while. Maybe three or four weeks tops. I can put you in a safe house, just–”
“No.” Whatever softness had been there vanished under the return of an anger flash fire. “In fact,
hell no.”
Dingo leaned forward. “There’s a chance that some of those people from seven years ago are
back.”
“And how is that a problem for me? I’m not involved with any of them.”
“I don’t want to risk you being out in the open until I can confirm that you are definitely not on
their radar.”
She leveled him with a you-must-be-kidding glare. “Oh, so let me get this straight. You want me
to go into hiding because of someone who might figure out that I gave you information on
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April 2015
Giuseppe like ...” She dropped her hands. “Seven freaking years ago? Who is this supposed threat
to me?”
This was where it got difficult. If he told her, Valene’s insatiable curiosity would push her to find
answers. That’s why Dingo had ended up taking the gamble of his life to get inside Garcia’s
organization. He was not going to allow her to make that same mistake twice.
He said, “I don’t know yet.”
She shook her head at some thought then stared at him, counting off each point on her fingers as
she spoke. “You vanish for years and show up again only because you need something. I do my
part for mankind and the US of A, help you out then you’re gone again–”
“I would have come back this time,” he muttered, but she ignored him and kept going.
“–and now back once more with some wild story about how someone from forever-years ago
might find out I helped you locate Giuseppe. Oh, and he’s dead! Now you want me to go into
hiding while you do what exactly?” She gave him a half beat then added, “No, let me answer. You
won’t tell me because you don’t trust me with anything but your dick.”
He wouldn’t trust her with that right now. “I know how it sounds, Val, but–”
“I’m. Done. This bullshit stops here.”
“Valene, I’m serious about this. Just work with me–”
“No.”
He knew that voice, it came with a rigid backbone that bent for nothing and no one.
Don’t lose your temper with her. He’d had spectacular rows with Val in the past, but this was not
one of those times he could let her blow off steam then seduce her.
Could he?
He reached out to touch her face.
She leaned away, giving his hand the same consideration someone would give a rattlesnake
coiled to attack.
Nope. Seduction was not on the menu.
He said, “Just consider what I’m asking and we’ll talk more later.”
She pointed her finger. “You come near me again and I’ll, I’ll ...”
“What?”
“Have a restraining order issued.”
“You don’t have enough information on me to do that.” Damn, the minute those words were out
he wanted them back.
She dropped her finger, hurt flowing across her face. “And that will never change, will it, Dingo?”
The Romance Reviews
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April 2015
About the Author:
New York Times bestseller Dianna Love once dangled over a hundred
feet in the air to create unusual marketing projects for Fortune 500
companies. Now she focuses her energetic muse on storytelling. The
first book she wrote won a RITA® Award and sold out in six weeks.
She writes high-octane romantic thrillers and urban fantasy. STOLEN
VENGEANCE, book 6 in the sexy, fast-paced Slye Temp romantic
suspense series released March 2015, and WITCHLOCK, book 6 in the
bestselling Belador urban fantasy series will be out this June.
When not in the writing cave, Dianna loves touring the country on her
BMW motorcycle. She lives in the Atlanta, GA area with her
motorcycle-instructor husband and a tank full of unruly saltwater
critters.
Connect with Dianna on facebook at Dianna Love Fan Page or sign up for the crazy fun on her
Dianna Love Street Team
Excerpts of all her books are at AuthorDiannaLove.com
Can rich girl Annie find love and
happiness in 2nd hand clothes and
a garage apartment?
The Romance Reviews
Can duty and evil forces destroy a
floundering love?
Rakish heroes and spirited
heroines from five best-selling &
award-winning Regency authors
11
April 2015
Welcome, Katy, and please do tell us more about your intriguing series, The English Brothers
Series!
Q: What inspired you to write this series?
It was a combination of circumstances.
The first was that I gave my husband a weekend in Philadelphia as
a Christmas gift, and we spent the loveliest weekend there in
February 2014. I don’t know if it was the break from real life, or
the Philadelphia Flower Show, or the fact that we just had a great
time reconnecting, but I came away truly believing that Philly was
the City of LOVE! I had been toying with the idea of setting my
next series in New York, but I immediately decided to use
Philadelphia instead.
Follow
Katy Regnery
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Amazon
In April 2014, I was invited to speak at the NECRWA Conference in
GoodReads
Boston, and my jaw just about dropped when my idol, Bella Andre,
Email
walked into my workshop. (Squelching the urge to fangirl was a
serious challenge!) After the workshop, Bella took me out for a
drink and we talked for a while about the direction of my budding
career, which was a little out of focus at the time. I shared my idea to write a series about a
family of wealthy brothers from Philly, and she was super supportive.
Her most valuable advice that day? “Write the books. Write the books. Write all of the books.” I
took her words to heart and wrote all six English Brothers books from May to December 2014.
Q: Please tell us a little about the overall series arc.
Much like Bella Andre’s Sullivan series, the English Brothers is about a family of five wealthy
brothers (and one charming cousin!) who grew up in Haverford, right outside of Philadelphia. The
series begins with Barrett, the oldest, and tells the story of all five brothers, including Fitz, Alex,
Stratton and Weston. Each story can be read as a standalone—with a solid beginning, middle and
end—but also woven through the entire series are longer stories. For instance, some proposals
are made in books one and two, which meant I got to write weddings in books five and six.
In book three, Anyone but Alex, the heroine, Jessica Winslow, falls for Alex English and the
response to the Winslow brothers was so strong, I am publishing their stories this summer. Alex
and Jess play a major role in the first book, Bidding on Brooks, and the English family will
continue to show up in all of the Winslow Brothers books.
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April 2015
Q: When you started this series, did you already have a clear vision of the books and
characters you wanted to write about? Or did that evolve over time?
When I first started the series, all I had in my head was the names of the brothers—Barrett, Fitz,
Alex, Stratton and Weston—and the alliterative titles of their books! I loved the title Breaking Up
With Barrett, so the entire story was actually written from that title. The rest of the stories
evolved out of Barrett’s story.
My stories are very character-driven, so once I started crafting the brothers in book one, their
stories came together based on the men they’d become. And then it was just a matter of creating
a yin for each of their yangs.
Q: In the first book, Breaking Up with Barrett, Emily and
Barrett have known each other practically their whole lives.
And when Barrett needed a fake fiancée, the first person he
thought of is Emily. How did Emily feel about the suggestion?
What were the thoughts going through her head?
Emily Edwards was a great character to write. She reminded me a lot
of the character Sabrina, from one of my all-time favorite movies,
Sabrina. I think I always wanted to write a story about a workingclass girl who catches the attention of a handsome, wealthy man. I
mean, isn’t that the ultimate fairy tale?
Because Emily is the fourth generation of Edwardes to live on the
English estate and serve the family, her station is ingrained and not at
all ambiguous. She is the daughter of the help. So, Barrett’s
suggestion that she work for him by playing his fake fiancée doesn’t even create a ripple in her
waters. Of course she should work for him—she’s an Edwards and he’s an English. What she
doesn’t bank on, is how desperately she falls in love with him. That’s when the trouble starts!
Q: In the second book, Falling for Fitz, how did Fitz feel about the fact that his one-time
love, Daisy Edwards, is now engaged to someone else? What was one of the things he
did to make Daisy change her mind and give him another
chance?
Oh, my gosh. Poor Fitz. I just have to say…I love Fitzwilliam English so
much. He’s definitely my favorite English brother, I think, because he
is so earnest and because his heart loves so true and so deep and so
long. Tormenting him with Daisy’s fiancé was not easy! But it’s those
very qualities of Fitz’s heart that win Daisy over…he was never going
to give up on her. He was going to love her until the day he died. She
just had to trust that his love was true.
Q: Alex, the hero of book 3, Anyone But Alex, sounds yummy!
What made him into a womanizing playboy? With him feeling
his life so empty after seeing his two brothers end up with the
love of their lives, how did he feel when he met Jessica again?
Alex, Alex, Alex…oh, he was so HARD to write! Alex is the antihero in some ways, because he was
such a pig for so long. But, it makes it that much more delicious when he falls for Jessica, and
suddenly this Casanova is brought to his knees.
The Romance Reviews
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April 2015
Alex made a stupid decision as a teenager that deeply hurt someone’s
feelings, and she tried to hurt herself (and almost succeeded) as a
result. Alex is profoundly affected by this chapter of his life and vows
never get mired in commitment again...which is pretty easy, because
he makes this decision at sixteen years old, and no one can touch his
heart from then onward.
The twist is that little Jessie Winslow touched his heart before he was
sixteen. She is a remnant of the person he was before he became a
commitment-phobe, which is how she can beat his defenses in a way
that no other woman can. And when he meets her again? Here are his
exact thoughts as he flashes back to Jess as a child: “With her wild
tangle of jet-black hair, Alex had found her achingly vulnerable. She’d
been special to him—the way she’d look up at him with those big green
eyes, trusting him to let her into the clubhouse or let her play with the
big kids under his protection, trusting him to be kind to her, trusting him to make the right
decision where she was concerned. People looked at Barrett like that all the time, Fitz too, but
nobody else had ever looked at Alex like that. Ever. Except Jessie.”
So you see, Alex’s heart is recaptured by Jessica from the moment he lays eyes on her again.
He’s helpless to do anything but fall for her.
Q: What’s a swoonworthy moment in book 4, Seduced by Stratton?
What you need to know for this scene is that Stratton, who is a super-hot and super-awkward is
trying desperately NOT to fall for PhD student, Valeria, and keep her in the friend-zone. Valeria,
who is studying old love letters as they relate to early-American courtship, is falling in love with
Stratton, but waiting for him to make a move…
(Excerpt from Seduced by Stratton, The English Brothers #4, by Katy Regnery. Used with
permission.)
“Read me one,” Stratton said, holding her eyes.
Surprise made her mouth drop open lightly, and her cheeks felt warm as she smiled down at her
laptop, opening the syllabus. “Oh, I don’t—”
“Why not?” he asked.
“They’re surprisingly hot,” she said, wetting her lips and sneaking a glance at him as she teased,
“I don’t know if you can handle it.”
“I can handle it, Val.”
His voice was low and gravelly, his face hot and focused. The electricity snapping between them—
a current, a cord—was so taut, sizzling with heat, it was sucking the air out of the room.
She forced herself to break eye contact with him and took a deep breath, looking down at her
laptop. “All right.”
“Should I close my eyes?” asked Stratton.
“Only if you want to.”
His lids closed slowly behind his glasses, focused on her until they finally shuttered. Valeria
sighed, drinking him in, the way the low light from the fire bathed him in gold, the hard lines of
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April 2015
his thighs under denim, the veins on his forearms, highlighted by flickering flames. In her wildest
dreams, she could not have conjured a more beautiful man.
“Go ahead,” he encouraged her.
“Um, okay. Here goes . . .”
Her voice broke and she cleared her throat. Calming her nerves with a small sip of wine before
reading, she began:
“Could I see you without passion, or be absent from you without pain, I need not beg your pardon
for thus renewing my vows that I love you more than health, or any happiness here or hereafter.
Everything you do is a new charm to me, and though I have languished for seven long tedious
years of desire, jealously despairing, yet every minute I see you I still discover something new
and more bewitching. Consider how I love you; what would I not renounce or enterprise for you?
I must have you mine, or I am miserable, and nothing but knowing which shall be the happy hour
can make the rest of my years that are to come tolerable. Give me a word or two of comfort, or
resolve never to look on me more, for I cannot bear a kind look and after it a cruel denial.
This minute my heart aches for you; and, if I cannot have a right in yours, I wish it would ache till
I could complain to you no longer.”
***
As she read such desperate, tormented, passionate words of love in her smooth, low voice,
Stratton realized something very important. What he’d said to Kate this morning wasn’t accurate.
He’d told Kate that he “liked” Valeria, and while that was true, it wasn’t the complete truth, and
he faced an uncomfortable reality. In the two years that Amy had been coming to Stratton’s
apartment to watch chick flicks and drown her sorrows in ice cream, he’d never once felt the
violent, terrifying surge of emotion for her that he felt right now, staring at Valeria Campanile’s
bowed head as she read the words “This minute my heart aches for
you.”
Something was happening to him. The more time he spent with this
woman, the more he longed for her, the more he wanted to know
about her, the more he wanted to touch her, make her smile, make
her laugh—Christ, make her come—to be anything and everything to
her heart. It was becoming a terrible ache, an all-consuming burn.
Was his heart, as Kate had suggested, free to love her? For so long,
he’d believed that Amy owned him, and yet, in four short days, Valeria
had infiltrated his life with her interests and smarts, her beautiful
smile and wild hair and sexy curves. He’d tried to turn her away today
and failed. He feared that, after tonight, whatever willpower he’d
possessed would be gone.
Q: Which is your favorite scene in the entire series? Why?
Remember how I shared that Fitz is my favorite English brother? It’ll come as no surprise that my
favorite scene comes from Falling for Fitz, The English Brothers #2. It’s early morning, and the
love of his life, Daisy, has just woken up.
(Excerpt from Falling for Fitz, The English Brothers #2, by Katy Regnery. Used with permission.)
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April 2015
Daisy woke up at her regular time on Sunday morning, glancing at the clock on Fitz’s bedside
table, surprised to see that it was eight o’clock and he was still beside her, holding her naked
body snuggly against his.
“You’re finally awake.” He sighed against her neck.
“So are you.” She turned to look at him and had to bite back a moan. Fitz was always sexy, but
first thing in the morning? With bedhead and a happy grin? He was crazy beautiful. “Why are you
still in bed with me?”
“I woke up two hours ago,” he confessed, his eyes profoundly tender as he gazed at her sleepy
face. “But I asked myself, is there really anywhere else in the world you want to be right now?
The woman you love, the most beautiful, most amazing woman on earth is sleeping next to you.
Why would you want to go anywhere else? And so I watched the sun come up through the
windows. I saw the way it turned your hair from white to gold over the course of an hour while I
felt you breathe in and out against my chest. I closed my eyes and smelled your hair and
memorized the feeling of your body in my arms, the way your legs entwine with mine. If I tried to
pull away, yours were like magnets, following mine. So I kept them all tangled together, and
yours were happy. Your back arches every so often, like it’s making sure I’m still here, and your
spine presses against my ribs, stealing my breath for a second, because nothing has ever felt like
you beside me, and I don’t want any more nights when your spine doesn’t steal a little of my
breath. There is nothing softer than the skin of your tummy and nothing warmer than the skin
under your breasts, and you sigh in your sleep, did you know that? You sigh. And I decided it’s
the last sound I want to hear before I die, Daisy. I want to hear you. Sighing beside me.”
By the time he finished speaking, her face was wet with tears, washing away nine years of pain
with his beautiful words, which made everything better, which made her never, ever want to
leave the heaven of his arms.
“Make love to me,” she whispered, closing the distance between their lips and pressing her body
flush against his.
Q: Which character in the series is the most difficult to write? Why?
It’s a tie between Alex English and Etienne Rousseau because both
were rogues and both required redemption, and while I love writing
redemption, making it believable isn’t always a picnic.
I wrote three versions of Anyone but Alex before I finally settled on
the one that felt the most organic, and Kiss Me Kate has another
version that was half written before I committed to the arc in the
completed manuscript.
Manwhores are not organic for me to write… I don’t know how to
write gratuitous sex—I’ve never done it. And for the record, I don’t
do gritty all that well either. Every sex scene I’ve ever written has
been grounded in love because I have to write what I believe in:
tender kisses, gentle touches, honesty, hope, heat and heart. Love.
True love. So, to write Alex and Etienne—renowned playboys—was
challenging for me…but redemption was so very sweet.
Q: Who are some of your romance influences? What about your writing influences, if
different?
From way back when I first started reading romance? Lisa Kleypas, LaVyrle Spencer, Judith
McNaught, and Teresa Medieros. I love all four of them so much, and have read and re-read all of
their books dozens of times. Lisa Kleypas, especially, writes so lyrically, I have to put my Kindle
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April 2015
down for a second when I’m reading her books. The writing is just so damn beautiful. My
contemporary romance, The Vixen and the Vet, is nominated for a RITA® this year, and Lisa
Kleypas is EmCing the ceremony, which means even if I don’t win, I still win because I get to
meet her.
These days? Bella Andre, Mia Sheridan, and Amy Harmon probably top my list. I love it that
they’re all indie authors…I love Bella’s Sullivans and Mia’s Signs of Love books. And Amy just has
this marvelous way of developing her characters that I really admire.
Q: What’s up next for you?
I have four Winslow Brothers books coming out this summer and fall (in May, July, September
and November) and I hope that my English Brothers readers will show up to see what’s going to
happen next in Philly. Plus, I have two more books coming out in my a m o d e r n f a i r y t a l
e series. The Vixen and the Vet was based on Beauty & the Beast…Never Let You Go (coming out
on June 19th) is based on Hansel & Gretel, and Ginger’s Heart (coming out on December 16th) is
based on Little Red Riding Hood. I am just really excited to spend my days writing more love
stories…seriously, what could be better?
True enough!  And we lucky readers get to read more awesome stories. Thanks a lot, Katy, for
giving us these insights into your amazing series! Now for the Fast Answer Round:
Last book you read: The Awakening of Ivy Leavold (Sierra Simone)
Favorite vacation location: Squam Lake, Holderness, New Hampshire
Favorite dessert: Chocolate cake with thick ganache filling and frosting
Favorite drink: Decaf coffee with cream and simple syrup
Favorite place to write: My office
Favorite household appliance: Keurig
Favorite TV series: Outlander, Married at First Sight, Grimm, Nashville
Favorite movie: A Room With A View
Favorite book: Welcome to the Monkey House (Kurt Vonnegut)
Can’t leave home without it: My iPhone
Favorite chocolate: Reese’s peanut butter cups
Favorite cartoon character: Pocahontas or Mulan
Favorite superhero: Wolverine (but possibly more for Hugh Jackman than Wolverine.)
Favorite food: Cheeseburger and fries
Most influential person: My mother and father, Diane and George Gilliam
The Romance Reviews
17
April 2015
About the Author, Katy Regnery:
Katy Regnery, award-winning and Amazon bestselling author, started
her writing career by enrolling in a short story class in January 2012. One
year later, she signed her first contract for a winter romance entitled By
Proxy.
Now a hybrid author who publishes both independently and traditionally,
Katy claims authorship of the six-book Heart of Montana series, the sixbook English Brothers series, and a Kindle Worlds novella entitled “Four
Weddings and a Fiasco: The Wedding Date,” in addition to the standalone
novels, Playing for Love at Deep Haven and Amazon bestseller, The Vixen
and the Vet.
The Vixen and the Vet is included in the charity anthology Hometown Heroes: Hotter Ever After,
and Katy’s novella “Frosted” will appear in the upcoming (Jan ’15) anthology, Snowy Days
Steamy Nights. Additionally, Katy’s short story, “The Long Way Home” will appear in the first
RWA anthology (Feb ’15), Premiere.
Katy lives in the relative wilds of northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, where her writing room
looks out at the woods, and her husband, two young children, and two dogs create just enough
cheerful chaos to remind her that the very best love stories begin at home.
Book 1 in the English Brothers
Amazon
iBooks
Barnes & Noble
Breaking Up with Barrett is the first of six books about the
Philadelphia-based, wildly-handsome English brothers who are all on the
look-out for love.
(Except Alex. He's a womanizing manwhore. And maybe Stratton,
because he's wicked hot, but super awkward around girls.)
Barrett English, aka "the Shark," is the fair-haired, first-born of the English brothers, and the CEO
of the oldest, most prestigious investment banking firm in Philadelphia. He rules the boardroom
with an iron fist, refusing to take no for an answer and always getting his way.
Emily Edwards, a first-year doctoral student at the University of Pennsylvania, grew up in the
gatehouse on the outskirts of Barrett's childhood estate. The daughter of his family's gardener
and housekeeper, she was always looking through the window of privilege, but forced to
remember her place at the very periphery of the kingdom.
When business partners suggest that a fiancee might soften Barrett's image over business
dinners, he approaches Emily for the "job" of fiancee. And while love wasn't necessarily on
Barrett's radar, he begins to realize that Emily always has been. But will his take-no-prisoners
boardroom tactics work on the heart of the woman he loves?
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April 2015
Amazon
iBooks
Barnes & Noble
Falling for Fitz is the second of six books about the Philadelphia-based,
wildly-handsome English brothers who are absolutely not on the look-out
for love.
(Except Barrett, who fell in love when he was eight-years-old. And Fitz,
who met the girl of his dreams at nineteen. And maybe even Weston, who just doesn't know it
yet.)
Fitz English and Daisy Edwards fell in love during one magical summer when they were
teenagers. When something tragic happens at the end of the summer, Daisy tells Fitz she never
wants to see him again. Despite his feelings for her, he respects her wishes and for almost a
decade Fitz and Daisy go their separate ways.
Nine years later, when Daisy moves home to Philadelphia, they meet again, and both are shocked
to discover that the feelings they had that summer are just as deep and real today. There's a
little snag, however. It seems that Daisy is engaged to someone else, and she's come home to
get married.
Can Fitz gets Daisy to fall for him all over again before it's too late? Only if Daisy can learn to
trust the man who shattered her heart once upon a time.
Amazon
iBooks
Barnes & Noble
Kiss Me Kate is the sixth of six books about the Philadelphia-based,
wildly-handsome English brothers (and one lovely cousin!) who are all on
the look-out for love.
Kate English, cousin to the beguiling English Brothers, has relocated to
Philadelphia and now works with her cousins at English & Company. The problem with moving to
Philly? It was where Kate met her first love, Etienne Rousseau. Since the move, Kate can't seem
shake the painful memories of a romance that broke her heart.
Etienne Rousseau, neighbor and arch-enemy of the English family, is recently single and has
every intention of enjoying his newly-minted bachelor-status. That is...until his brother inks a
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April 2015
deal with English & Company, forcing Etienne to work with his one-time lover, Kate English.
Though he wants to hate the girl who once destroyed his life, he can't deny the fierce attraction
or hide the deep tenderness he still feels for Kate.
With vibrant flashbacks of their passionate, teenage love affair making it impossible to ignore
their unresolved history, Kate and Etienne will commit to unraveling the secrets of their
heartbreaking past to make way for a breathtaking future.
Sometimes a MOMENT changes
everything...
The Romance Reviews
What will happen when two sworn
enemies are stranded in a cabin
together?
Our love was strong, unwavering,
and unbreakable . . .or so we
thought.
20
April 2015
An Interview with
Victoria Aveyard on
RED QUEEN
Red Queen, Book 1
Graceling meets The Selection in debut novelist Victoria Aveyard's sweeping
tale of seventeen-year-old Mare, a common girl whose once-latent magical
power draws her into the dangerous intrigue of the king's palace. Will her
power save her or condemn her?
Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood—those with common, Red blood
serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities.
Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of
fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all
the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.
To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and
betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks
everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard—a growing Red rebellion—even
as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in
the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.
Available now at Amazon
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Welcome to The Romance Reviews!
Q: What was your inspiration for Red Queen? How did you come up with the idea of a
societal divide by means of blood or abilities?
I first started with the image of a downtrodden, seemingly beaten teenage girl who can control
lightning. It was really striking (no pun intended) to picture this character who would seem
completely disenfranchised, but is in actuality a force of nature. The rest of the story and world
came out of wanting to create something this character could exist in. So right off the bat, I knew
I was dealing with superhumans, and I wanted to lean away from the usual treatment of this. In
X-Men, for example, the mutants are on the fringe, hunted and feared by society. I wanted to flip
that because, well, if superhumans started popping up, I don't think it would take more than a
few decades for them to seize power. Therein, we find the Reds enslaved by the stronger minority
of the Silvers.
Q: That's fascinating. A lot of people have commented negatively on the heroine’s
name—Mare. Why have you given her such a name?
It honestly just popped into my head fully formed. Mare Barrow. It might be subconscious - one
of my favorite names is Mary, and my grandmother, named Mary, told me later on that Mare was
her nickname as a kid. But it’s completely fine if you don't like the name.
Q: If there was something you could change about Mare, what would it be? Would we
see this in the sequels?
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April 2015
This isn't about her personality specifically, but I wish the poor girl could catch a break. The next
book is just as non-stop as the first, probably more so, and she can barely catch her breath, let
alone think about her actions and their consequences. I really like her as she is, warts and all,
and wouldn't want to change even the more violent or negative aspects of her character.
Q: Which character was the most difficult to write? Why?
I find Cal to be quite difficult. There's an interesting balance in his personality, forcing me to see
his very twisted world view, and understand his motivations for keeping it that way. Not to
mention he's a military genius, which I'm not, so writing those portions can be a bit daunting.
He's also one of the more compassionate and kind characters, while also being one of the most
brutal. He's a hard line to walk.
Q: What’s up next in the series? Please give us a sneak peek!
Book 2 is very much the road movie. We hone in on a core group of characters established in the
first, and get to see so much more of the world, both good and bad. Farley became one of my
favorites in this book. Sneak peek wise? Mare says "kill me" and means it.
About the Author:
Victoria Aveyard was born and raised in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, a
small town known only for the worst traffic rotary in the continental United
States. She moved to Los Angeles to earn a BFA in screenwriting at the
University of Southern California, and stayed there despite the lack of
seasons. She is currently an author and screenwriter, using her career as an
excuse to read too many books and watch too many movies. She has sold
several television pilots and feature-length screenplays. RED QUEEN is her
first novel. You can visit her online at www.victoriaaveyard.com .
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April 2015
The Rogue's Prize
Katherine Bone
An unlikely alliance earns Henry the
ultimate prize...
Captain Henry Guffald is no ordinary sea
captain. A member of Nelson’s Tea, he’s
been ordered to rescue a comrade
captured in Spain. The rescue is Henry’s
last chance to prove his loyalty to Admiral
Nelson. Not so easy a task when the job
entails joining forces with a female pirate.
ISBN: 9781507736883
Publisher: esKape Press
Publishing
Publication date:
December 16, 2014
Genre: Regency Pirate
Romance
Buy Links:
All Romance eBooks
Amazon
iTunes
Kobo
Smashwords
Lady Adele Seaton would no sooner give
up the call to rove than marry, contrary
to her father’s wishes. When news arrives
that her brother has been captured in Spain, Adele quickly
Katherine Bone Website
develops a plan to rescue him and sets sail to intercept the first
royal navy ship she encounters. A brilliant tactician, she doesn’t
count on meeting her match in a navy captain bound and determined to outwit her at every turn.
Can a pirate be tamed?
“Captain! Captain!”
Henry spun on his heel at the frantic sound of his first mate’s voice. Lieutenant Lucas Winters
rushed toward him, sword drawn, his hat askew, eyebrows fretfully knit together, his mouth set
in a scowl. It was the same expression the man had worn when he’d forewarned the Dragon was
being boarded by pirates. What the deuce was happening now?
Hair rose on the back of Henry’s neck. “Mr. Winters, what has you in such a state?”
Winters’ face turned ashen, and his eyes lit with feral purpose. “There’s a problem below, sir.”
“What kind of problem?” Dreading the answer, Henry drew his own sword.
“We’ve a breach, sir. Several of the prisoners have escaped.”
“Escaped?” he bellowed. His blood began to boil. “Out of an iron cage? How is that possible?”
“I don’t know, sir.”
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April 2015
“I gave strict orders the prisoners were not to be left unguarded.”
Enraged by the incompetence of his men, Henry followed Winters down the gangway to the next
deck, hurrying as fast as his laborious gait allowed. Damn the useless appendage!
“Where are the guards?” His gaze traveled the length of the deck, finding it empty. “When I said
not to let those pirates out of your sight, I meant it.”
“Your orders were carried out to the letter, sir. Still, this development—”
“What development?” he spat.
“This one.”
This strange, new voice knotted Henry’s gut. He stiffened.
Winters looked to Henry’s right. Taking his lead, Henry turned with his sword drawn, prepared for
whatever fight would soon befall him. He heard a ping of clanging steel and felt a powerful weight
thrust against his sword. He shifted back then stepped forward, lunging as the two blades chinked
together, slicing the distance between captain and foe, creating sparks that fired, faded, and then
sparked anew.
His opponent moved with lithe grace, whipping his cloak about him and then retreated just as
Henry had gotten another foothold. Lurching forward, Henry challenged each lunge more
aggressively than the last, taking note of his adversary’s skill. Tall and lean, the masked pirate
thrust a gleaming weapon close to Henry’s shoulder then took a step near his side as he skirted
around a wooden cask.
Sidestepping another advance, Henry moved forward, dipping low, using his good leg to support
his retaliation. Yet again, his efforts were challenged with an agility that surprised him. Changing
tactic, he spun on his good heel and brought his sword down in a thunderous swoop, carving
wood as his quick-footed enemy dodged his thrusts with uncanny agility.
There was an odd familiarity about the way his opponent fought, a methodic grace he’d practiced
with only one other. But that was impossible because that man was in Spain, waiting on the
ransom Henry still had to acquire. Yet, the swift turn of his attacker’s wrist, the flexible maneuver
of the arm, and the parry behind an arched back illustrated Garrick Seaton’s trademark thrust.
Another well-aimed lob ricocheted off of Henry’s blade, redirecting his thoughts, sparking the
twilight with brilliant light. Alarmed, Henry doubled back, retreating toward the Dragon’s rails. His
enemy marched toward him. Lightning flashed, momentarily blinding them. Henry took
advantage, quickly taking the upper hand, settling his blade against his opponent’s breast bones.
“Tell your men to stand down.”
The pirate moved toward him, baiting him to slide the blade home. Was defeat so horrible a cost
that death was a better option? Henry drew back his sword slightly so as not to draw blood. He
didn’t want to kill the man, only glean what he could about the Black Belle, who captained it, and
where it hailed from. Though he already suspected the truth. He also wanted to know how the
vermin had escaped his brig.
His attacker moved menacingly forward again.
“Stay where you are, or I will be forced to drop you where you stand.”
“Surrender is not an option, Captain.”
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April 2015
About the Author:
Katherine Bone has been passionate about all things historical since she
was an Army brat traveling all over the world. Initially, she dreamed of
being an artist, but when she met and fell in love with Prince Charming,
her own dashing Lieutenant vowing duty, honor, and country, she found
herself saying, “I do.”
Whisked away to Army bases, castles, battlegrounds, and cathedrals,
where tales of swashbuckling adventure filled the lonely gaps when the
Army called Charming away, Katherine’s imagination took flight. No
longer nomadic, she calls the south home and spends most of her time
daydreaming about Charming and heroes of yesteryear.
Can mangled hearts become
entangled souls? Free!
The Romance Reviews
Will a vow of chastity keep them
apart?
That's the moment I start to feel
different.
25
April 2015
Let's welcome BRONWEN EVANS to this issue of the ezine!
Q: Hi Bronwen, do tell us something about yourself.
Dear Readers,
I’m waving madly from New Zealand where I live with my
dog Brandy and my twin sister, Leigh. I was born here, but I
spent 8 years living in England and loved it. I’ve traveled
quite extensively from Russia, to North America, to Africa
and Europe. That’s what kiwis tend to do. NZ is a country of
only 4.5 million people and we are a long way from
anywhere. So, most young kiwis head to England where we
are allowed to live and work for two years (in temporary
jobs). We tend to work for a few months and then use that
money to travel for a few months. I was lucky, my
grandparents were born in England which meant I could stay
longer.
Follow
Bronwen Evans
Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
GoodReads
Pinterest
Leigh and I decided to pool our resources about three years ago. We built a new house that has
two separate wings—one for her and her son who is now at university, and the other for me. We
found it’s cheaper to live together than each have a house, and so far it’s working beautifully.
Leigh is an avid reader of romance so helps me by critiquing my stories. I’m very lucky.
We live near the sea in the middle of a vineyard, a most inspirational location to write from.
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April 2015
I enjoy walking through the countryside with Brandy, and biking. I have a bike with a little
electric motor on it for when I get too tired going up the hills, or the strong sea breeze gets me.
It has a basket on the back for Brandy too.
I spend my days writing, walking, and of course reading. I always find time to read at least
something each day. I love losing myself in a story, meeting new characters and watching as they
fight for their HEA.
Q: How did you discover that you love to write?
That’s a great question! I have always had a vivid imagination. From the age of seven I used to
put on plays, with the neighborhood children all involved. I loved reading, books like Famous
Five, Nancy Drew, Narnia series etc. However, I’m slightly dyslexic and I’ve always struggled with
writing and grammar and spelling, so I didn’t think I could write for a living.
But I had a very, very close friend who was dying and he made me promise to follow my dreams,
so I gathered courage from his epic battle and decided to give it a go. I dedicated my first
published book, Invitation To Ruin (Kensington Publishing March 2011) to him. I was thrilled
when it was nominated for Best First Historical in the RT Reviewers Choice Awards. It also won
the RomCon Readers Crown Best Historical in 2012. I know he is proud of me.
Q: What do you use to read your eBooks? Why do you prefer it over other ereading
devices?
I use Kindle Paperwhite; I think that’s what it’s called. It’s my
second Kindle device. I had an old Kindle but it broke. I also read
Kindle on my iPad and Mac Air sometimes. The reason I read on a
Kindle is because when eBooks first started, Amazon was the only
place New Zealanders could buy eBooks. The launch of eBooks was
fabulous for NZ because, due to our population size, most romance
books are not published here. We used to have to get books sent
from Book Depository in the UK, which took ages. With eBooks we
could get books instantly, and mostly any book we wanted.
Sometimes publishers wouldn’t make them available for our region
via Amazon, so we still had to buy books, or we bought from Kobo
when it launched (which I read on my iPad.)
I love eBooks because I’m long sighted and the bigger print means
I can read without glasses. I also love eBooks because I have instant access to millions of books.
Anytime or anywhere, if I want a book to read I have it at my fingertips.
Q: What hurdles did you have to overcome before you became a published author? How
long did it take you?
I had to learn how to tell a story. It’s not as easy as it sounds. How do you construct words on a
page that flow and entertain? I had, and still have, tons of story ideas and characters milling
around in my head, but getting them down on paper, in an emotionally enthralling read is a craft.
So, I set about honing my craft. Starting with joining the RWNZ and the RWA (Romance Writers
of NZ and Romance Writers of America.) I took loads of online courses from other romance
writers (thank you Patricia Kaye and Margie Lawson). I analyzed, chapter by chapter, how the
best selling authors developed a story and character arc. Many books on my bookshelf have
highlighted pages. But mostly I just wrote and wrote and wrote. I started entering contests to get
feedback, and I found a fabulous group of critique partners.
The first book I ever finished, took me 8 months to write, and 3 years of honing my craft to
complete. I submitted it in November 2009 and it sold in January 2010.
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April 2015
Q: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?
I write Regency historical romances and I’m also branching into contemporary romance.
I write historical romances because I love history, it was my favorite subject at school. I also love
English history in particular, and the Regency period is full of change and interesting topics like
war, industrial revolution, etc. The Regency period is also the era I enjoyed reading the most.
I also have written one contemporary, The Reluctant Wife, and I have been asked by my editor to
write more. So I’m in the process of thinking up some ideas.
Q: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
The minute I picked up an Enid Blyton book at the age of about eight I think. My imagination
exploded and I wanted to write suspense. Most of my historical romances have suspense
elements in them.
I seriously thought about it when I lived in London and I approached Mills and Boon and got their
‘how to write romance’ guidelines. Then in 2006, spurred on by my friend’s illness, I took the
plunge and actually sat down and began to learn how to write.
Q: Where do you do most of your writing? What’s your favorite spot or room? What
does your desk look like?
I have a really bad back and neck, an old sporting injury. I played netball at a representative
level, and managed to hurt my back, so I find sitting at a desk kills my ability to write for long
periods of a time. If my neck goes, I get headaches, and they incapacitate me. A friend of mine
showed me her lap-desks. I now use that, and I sit on the couch, or on my bed against the
bedhead, and use my laptop. So I can pretty much write from most rooms in my house.
My favorite spot to write is in the den, in my recliner, looking out over the pool!
Q: Who among your heroes is your favorite? Why?
Gosh, it’s hard to have favorites. I love them all or I wouldn’t have written them. Can you
imagine how wonderful it is to spend your day with handsome, body beautiful, honorable, loving
and warm men?
I have written so many different heroes. Heroes who are very dark, damaged, then those who
struggle with honor, and love.
There are three heroes who stand out for me.
a) Anthony Craven, Earl of Wickham—Invitation To Ruin. His father
was a slave trader and he had the most awful upbringing. Yet he
finds the courage to open his heart to love.
b) Marcus Danvers, Marquis of Wolverstone—To Wager the Marquis
of Wolverstone.
Marcus was betrayed by the woman he loved when she up and
married another. Yet, when he has his chance for revenge he can’t
to it to her. He still loves her after everything she did to him. When
he finds out why she left him, his thirst for revenge quickly moves
to another.
c) Christian Trent, Earl of Markham—A Kiss of Lies (my first USA Today bestselling book).
The Romance Reviews
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April 2015
The battle at Waterloo has a lot to answer for. Christian is badly burned—his scars redefine how
he sees himself and how society sees him. A rake no longer, how can he win the heart of the
most beautiful woman he’s ever met? It’s his strength of honor, compassion, and his huge
capacity to love that sees him win his woman’s heart.
Q: Who among your heroines is your favorite? Why?
I love my female characters. I like strong women. I was always a bit of a tomboy, growing up on
a farm. My favorite heroine is probably Rheda Kerrich from Invitation To Scandal. Rheda is left to
save her younger brother’s estate after her debauched father bled it dry. She sets up a smuggling
ring to help her brother and the widows of Deal, Kent (one of England’s largest smuggling
village). But she knows she cannot do this forever, so she is trying to develop a horse stud,
breeding horses for the cavalry who need them in their fight against Napoleon. What’s a girl to do
when she can’t afford stud fees, but a handsome stranger arrives with a fine thoroughbred
stallion?
Q: Please tell us about your latest release, A TOUCH OF PASSION!
Speaking of strong women, my latest release, A Touch of Passion, book #3 in my Disgraced Lords
series, (Loveswept March 2015), has a heroine who is, what I call, a historical trailblazer. Lady
Portia Flagstaff almost died of influenza and is determined to live her life to the full. She loves
apple cider so decided to try and make some—just a hobby—yeah, right! It turned into a very
successful business, which allows her to fund an orphanage and be financially independent.
Portia has been in love with my hero, Grayson Devlin, Viscount
Blackwood, most of her life. Grayson moved into her family home
many years ago when his family died in a carriage accident.
Grayson’s memory of his mother clouds his judgment regarding
behavior of a suitable wife. Portia is far too modern, outspoken, and
scandalous, for his tastes, even though he’s drawn to her wit and
beauty.
However, when they find themselves in a compromising position,
he does the honorable thing and offers marriage.
Unfortunately, that is not enough for Portia. She wants his heart or
nothing. The sparks fly as Grayson realizes that to save his honor
he’ll have to convince Portia to become his wife.
Here is the blurb:
In the latest Disgraced Lords novel from USA Today bestselling author Bronwen Evans, a
vivacious thrill seeker clashes with her dutiful defender—causing irresistible sparks to fly.
Independent and high-spirited, Lady Portia Flagstaff has never been afraid to take a risk,
especially if it involves excitement and danger. But this time, being kidnapped and sold into an
Arab harem is the outcome of one risk too many. Now, in order to regain her freedom, she has to
rely on the deliciously packaged Grayson Devlin, Viscount Blackwood, a man who despises her
reckless ways—and stirs in her a thirst for passion.
After losing his mother and sister in a carriage accident years ago, Grayson Devlin promised
Portia’s dying brother that he’d always watch over his wayward sister. But having to travel to
Egypt to rescue the foolhardy girl has made his blood boil. Grayson already has his hands full
trying to clear his best friend and fellow Libertine Scholar of a crime he didn’t commit. Worse still,
his dashing rescue has unleashed an unforeseen and undesired consequence: marriage. Now it’s
more than Portia he has to protect . . . it’s his battered heart.
The Romance Reviews
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April 2015
Q: What inspired you to write the Disgraced Lords series?
I have a very close and loyal group of friends that I made at university. We keep touch, children
play together, holidaying together, etc.
That gave me an idea for a group of men who went to school together. These men were drawn
together due to having similar life experiences. I’ve named them the Libertine Scholars because
they love learning and seduction equally. All of them had fathers who were, to say politely, not
very nice men.
The fathers committed a crime, the sons are not too sure exactly
what the crime was but they have a fair idea, and an enemy is
targeting the men for the sins of their fathers.
All the books are standalone however, there is an over arching
villain. There are six books in the series.
Q: What’s next for you? Are you currently writing anything
new? Please give us a sneak peek!
I’m currently writing book #4 A WHISPER OF DESIRE and book #5
A TASTE OF SEDUCTION in my Disgraced Lords series.
A Whisper of Desire is Maitland Spence, Duke of Lyttleton’s story. It’s
been fun to write because I’ve paired the Cold Duke as he’s known,
with Marisa Hawkestone, the Marquis of Coldhurst’s (fellow Libertine
Scholar’s) little sister. It’s a best friends brother’s story.
Here’s a snippet. It’s one of my favorite scenes between sensual and vivacious Marisa and her
brother, Sebastian. She can’t understand why Maitland, her husband, does not willingly come to
her bed. Maitland is known as the Cold Duke but she wants to warm him up. Marisa goes to her
brother for advice:
Marisa felt her face heat but Sebastian knew her husband well so she asked. “I know you were
thought of as a rake before you married.” She pressed her fingers to his lips. “Don’t deny it, I
have heard the women talking.” She smiled and laughed, “and I really wish they hadn’t gone into
such detail.”
Her brother looked as if he’d rather be at a spinster’s embroidery circle than having this
conversation.
She took a breath and swallowed her pride. “However, I have never heard such stories about
Maitland.”
She watched as Sebastian’s frown grew. “Isn’t that a good thing?”
“That depends on why I have not heard any such tantalizing tales.”
“What on earth are you implying?”
She threw up her hands and rose to pace the floor. “I don’t know. Is there something wrong with
him?” At his blank look she added, “In the bed sport department.”
Sebastian half rose from his chair and looked appalled. “Wrong?” His voice rose. “What did he do
to you?”
She pivoted on her foot and almost yelled, “Nothing. That’s the point.”
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April 2015
Sebastian sank back into his chair and looked slightly appeased. “He hasn’t—bedded you?”
She dropped her head into her hands, covering her face. “This is so embarrassing.”
“Perhaps you should talk with Beatrice.”
She shook her head. “He ‘bedded me’ the night of our wedding. But since then…”
“Perhaps he is trying to be gentlemanly. Thinking of you and…”
“I stood naked in his room, and I even climbed naked into his bed, and he sent me back to my
room. He was aroused”“Christ. I can’t be having this conversation. You’re my sister, for
heaven’s sake.”
She ignored his embarrassment and dropped her hands to her side. “Is
there something wrong with me?”
Q: Which one of your characters would you date? Why?
This question I found quite easy. As they are now all attached and
happily married, I’m assuming you mean before they meet the woman
they fell in love with. I can’t stand cheating of any kind.
It would have to be Conte Dante Lombardi from my first contemporary
romance, THE RELUCTANT WIFE, (Macmillan, 2013, RomCon Best
Short Contemporary 2013).
Firstly, I love Italian men, tall dark and handsome does it for me every time. Secondly, he is all
about family. Family means everything to him. Thirdly he lives in Italy! Fabulous culture, wine,
food, fashion and weather.
Q: What is your advice to aspiring writers?
Hone your craft. Don’t think you can simply sit down and write a book. Make sure you learn how
to craft a great story, with great characters. Read the top selling books and work out why readers
love them. Then sit down and write!
Thank you, Bronwen! Now for the Fast Answer Round:
Favorite
Favorite
Favorite
Favorite
Favorite
vehicle: Porsche Carrera S Cabriolet
color: Black
actor: Hugh Jackman
actress: Emily Blunt
author: Toni Aleo Contemporary / Gaelen Foley Historical
Favorite
Favorite
Favorite
Favorite
Favorite
movie: Australia
book: JR Ward - Lover At Last (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 11)
food: Roast Lamb
dessert: Pavlova
chocolate: Whittaker’s NZ Chocolate maker - anything
Favorite music: A real mix depending on mood pop, rock, country
Favorite reality show: The Block or My Kitchen Rules – both Australian
Favorite television show: Mentalist, How To Get Away With Murder, Revenge, Game of Thrones
– we haven’t got Outlander or Poldark yet but I’m sure I’ll love them!
The Romance Reviews
31
April 2015
Favorite flower: Peonies
Favorite scent: Madness by Chopard.
About the Author:
USA Today bestselling author, Bronwen Evans grew up loving books. She
writes both historical and contemporary sexy romances for the modern
woman who likes intelligent, spirited heroines, and compassionate alpha
heroes. Evans is a two-time winner of the RomCon Readers’ Crown and
has been nominated for an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award. She lives in
Hawkes Bay, New Zealand with her dog Brandy.
Bronwen loves hearing from avid romance readers at
bronwen@bronwenevans.com
You can keep up with Bronwen’s news by visiting her website
www.bronwenevans.com
Is Hannah Swift a thief? Jesher
Kenyon seems to think so.
The Romance Reviews
A wager throws a country spinster
and an austere lord together
32
April 2015
An Interview with
Lorraine Heath on
THE DUKE AND THE LADY IN RED
The Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James Place, Book 3
Sparks fly in the finale of the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James Place series,
as the last wicked rogue meets his match.
When Rosalind Sharpe gains the attention of the deliciously wicked Duke of
Avendale, she’s torn between her distracting attraction to the notorious rogue
and the knowledge that he—rich as Croesus—is the perfect target for a
deception that will put her swindling days behind her.
However, Avendale is no fool. After he discovers the tantalizing lady packing
up to leave London with his coins in tow, he confronts her with a scandalous
proposition: she can have all the money she requires…for a week in his bed.
Desperate for the funds, Rose agrees, but on one condition: he must never question her motives.
Avendale quickly sees beneath her mask and discovers she is more than passion and pleasure—
she is everything he has ever desired. But claiming her requires he unveil her secrets and lose
her forever. Unless he can put his own dark past aside and risk everything for a chance at love.
Pre-order now at Amazon
(Available April 28, 2015)
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Lorraine, welcome to The Romance Reviews!
Q: THE DUKE AND THE LADY IN RED is the third and last book in the Scandalous
Gentlemen of St. James series. For new-to-the-series readers, please give us an
overview of the series. How are the books interconnected? Would readers be able to
start the series with this book?
The Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James is a spin-off of The Scoundrels of St. James. In the
Scoundrels, the reader is introduced to three young boys—the Duke of Lovingdon, Peter Sykes
(who later becomes Drake Darling), and Whit who becomes the Duke of Avendale. In the
Scandalous Gentlemen, they are now grown, a bit scandalous, and enjoying the pleasures to be
found in vice. THE DUKE AND THE LADY IN RED is Avendale’s story, and he is the most decadent
and lost of the three. I write all my books so readers can read any one of them without being lost.
While they include characters from the other stories, enjoying each story is not dependent on
having read any other book in the series. So THE DUKE AND THE LADY IN RED very much stands
on its own.
Q: What do you like about your heroine, Rosalind Sharpe? On whom did you model her?
I like Rosalind’s strength and the fact that while life has treated her and those she loves unfairly,
she never considers herself a victim. She makes her choices, and while they may not always be
wise, she stands by them. She makes no excuses for her actions, while knowing that at some
point she will pay a steep price for them, but for now her decisions are made based on the
greater good. The idea for Rosalind came from an article I read that appeared in The Sporting
The Romance Reviews
33
April 2015
Magazine, April 1801. The topic was two swindling females who managed to live a very “dashing”
lifestyle by claiming that they had a vast inheritance coming so businesses allowed them to
charge exorbitant amounts on fancy carriages, furniture, housing, clothing. It was quite
remarkable. When I finished reading the article, I knew I had found the perfect heroine for
Avendale.
Q: What is your favorite scene in THE DUKE AND THE LADY IN RED? Why?
I enjoy so many scenes in this book that I’m hard-pressed to pick a favorite. All the characters
were such fun to write. I loved how hard Avendale and Rosalind fought not to fall in love with
each other—because how could a duke and a swindler ever make a go of it? I loved the honesty
of the secondary characters, especially Harry, who seemed so innocent and yet was so incredibly
wise.
Q: How do you come up with such emotionally driven plots with incredible sexual
tension?
Thank you for the lovely compliment. I very much write by the seat of my pants and don’t spend
a lot of time analyzing the mystery of my process, but in this instance the credit has to go to my
characters. With a degree in psychology, I spend a lot of time striving to understand their goals
and motivations. Then I start throwing obstacles in their path. I have to admit that I enjoy
making them work for the things they want—even if it’s merely a kiss. I tend to view certain
milestones, like a kiss, sex, goals reached, as rewards not only for the characters, but for myself,
and hopefully for the reader. It’s much more satisfying if they don’t come too easily.
Q: What’s up next for you? Please give us a sneak peek.
Up next is FALLING INTO BED WITH A DUKE, the first book in The Hellions of Havisham series.
After their parents are killed in a railway accident, three lads are placed under the guardianship of
a mad marquess (although no one realized he was mad at the time) and are raised alongside his
son. They grow up to be daring, bold adventurers and London’s darlings. But they each have a
secret. FALLING INTO BED WITH A DUKE is the story of the Duke of Ashebury, known as Ashe to
his friends, and Miss Minerva Dodger who, after six seasons without finding love, has decided to
forego marriage entirely. Instead, she’ll visit the Nightingale Club where women don masks and
take lovers. But Ashe has other plans for the independent Miss Dodger, and convincing her that
they can be more than lovers is quite the challenge.
About the Author:
LORRAINE HEATH always dreamed of being a writer. After graduating from
the University of Texas, she wrote training manuals and computer code, but
something was always missing. After reading a romance novel, she not only
became hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked:
rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She’s been writing about them ever since.
Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards, including
RWA’s RITA® and a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. Her novels
have appeared on the USA Today and New York Times best-seller lists.
Visit Lorraine online at http://www.lorraineheath.com/
The Romance Reviews
34
COVER STORY FIRST CHAPTER
Johnnie
Cardeno C.
A Premier lion shifter, Hugh Landry dedicates his life to leading the
Berk pride with strength and confidence. Hundreds of people
depend on Hugh for safety, success, and happiness. And at over a
century old, with more power than can be contained in one body,
Hugh relies on a Siphon lion shifter to carry his excess force.
When the Siphon endangers himself and therefore the pride, Hugh
must pay attention to the man who has been his silent shadow for
a decade. What he learns surprises him, but what he feels astounds
him even more.
Two lions, each born to serve, rely on one another to survive. After
years by each other’s side, they’ll finally realize the depth of their
potential, the joy in their passion, and a connection their kind has
never known.
Available at:
Author Site
Smashwords
Amazon
Kobo
All Romance eBooks
Praise:
“I liked the careful tenderness between the men that turns into intense passion." ~ My
Fiction Nook
“Like always the sex was deliciously hot and steamy, yet still sweet (CC does that SO well)
and the ending was satisfyingly sigh worthy.” ~ Sinfully Sexy
The Romance Reviews
35
Chapter One
O
ver a decade had passed since he’d last experienced the overly-full feeling, so Hugh
Langley didn’t immediately identify the cause. He continued thrusting, enjoying the warm
bodies, hungry grunts, and musky scents of the lion shifters around him, when suddenly,
the pressure in his head and chest swelled and nearly knocked him unconscious. That was when
he realized what was happening.
“Where’s the Siphon?” he asked breathlessly as he pushed himself to a kneeling position and
darted his gaze around his large bedroom. This was worse, so much worse than it’d ever been. He
could barely breathe, barely think, barely move. “The Siphon?” he gasped.
“Hugh?” said Mara Terrence, the shifter who’d been writhing beneath him. “What’s wrong?”
“Premier?” Dennis Jones untangled himself from Percy Milroy and both men approached him.
“What’s… Oh, fuck! Mara, hold onto him before he falls.”
“What’s wrong with him?” Mara cried as she balanced Hugh’s considerable weight and lowered
him to the floor.
“What’s going on?” Lorena Mansfield said as she rushed out of the bathroom, where she’d been
cleaning up before heading home to make dinner for the dozen cubs living in her house.
“The Siphon,” Hugh bit out as he clutched both sides of his head. “Find the Siphon.”
“He isn’t in here.”
“The Siphon can’t be far from the Premier,” Percy pointed out. “Look in his room!”
Within seconds, the door connecting Hugh’s bedroom to the Siphon’s slammed open.
“Oh shit!” Dennis screamed. “I need help! Mara, Lorena, Percy, someone get in here. Hurry!
Before he hurts our Premier.”
“What… Dennis! Hugh’s seizing,” Percy said. He cupped Hugh’s cheeks with his clammy, trembling
hands and begged. “Hugh. Premier. Please don’t die. We need you. Please don’t die.”
One moment, Hugh had no control over his twitching limbs and useless lungs, and the next, he
felt an opening into the tunnel that connected him to the Siphon. With the last of his energy, he
shoved his power through it, and finally, blessedly, relieved the disabling pressure tearing him
apart from within.
“Hugh?” Percy said, his voice trembling. “Can you see me?”
The darkness cleared from Hugh’s vision and he blinked as he sucked in air.
Percy was crouched over him, his normally tan skin, milky white and his brown eyes huge.
“Premier?”
“I’m okay.” Hugh coughed and sat up. He patted Percy’s shoulder, his black hands wildly
contrasting with Percy’s unusually pale body. “Everything’s fine.”
“Hugh?” Mara, Lorena, and Dennis rushed over and dropped to their knees beside him.”
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A rare Premier lion, Hugh’s power and energy put his pride members at peace and made them
strong and confident, which allowed for success in all facets of their lives. The pride adored and
revered him, so the sight of him so near death left them shaken.
“I’m okay. I pushed my power into the Siphon.” Hugh looked around. “Where is he?”
“In his room,” Dennis said, his lips curled up in disgust. “How could he do that to you? To our
pride?”
“What did he do?” Hugh asked.
“Hanged himself.”
A Premier’s life spanned centuries, his strength and power growing with every cycle of the sun
until, eventually, he could no longer contain the force, leading to a painful death for him and
devastation to the pride. But a Siphon siphoned off a Premier’s energy. Though he couldn’t use it
himself, the Siphon provided storage for the power while keeping it available for the Premier’s
use. A Siphoned Premier was nearly indestructible. Nearly because the death of the Siphon would
eliminate the energy storage source, leaving the Premier overrun with power until he imploded.
“Don’t worry. We cut him down and used the rope to secure his wrists and ankles.” Mara glared at
the connecting doorway. “He won’t be able to hurt you now.”
Hugh had been leading the Berk pride for over seventy years when his steadily increasing power
had become too large to contain within his own body. Under his guidance and leadership, the
Berk pride and its lions had blossomed. A decade earlier, the small, weak Westgate pride had
offered him a Siphon who had just come of age in exchange for taking them all into his
prosperous Premier Pride. Hugh’s agreement had saved the Westgate lions from near certain
death.
“Hanged himself?” Hugh repeated in surprise. “Why would he do that?”
The blank stares around him indicated that nobody had considered the question let alone
determined the answer. Physically drained and more than a little shaken by how close he had
come to death and how vulnerable he had been in front of his lions, Hugh needed to regroup and
then investigate the situation with the Siphon so he could make sure it never happened again.
“You said he’s secure now?”
“Yes.”
Not wanting anybody to view him as weak, Hugh determinedly climbed to his feet and
straightened his broad shoulders. Like all Premiers, his skin, hair, and eyes were black in both
human and lion forms. And because his body grew along with his power as he aged, at over a
century old, he was seven feet tall and weighed three hundred pounds. That size helped him
appear stronger and more in control than he felt at that moment.
“I’ll get to the bottom of it,” he said firmly, making sure his tone allowed for no argument. He
walked to his open bedroom door, knowing his pride members would follow him, and said, “We’re
done here for the night.”
All four lions said their goodnights and traipsed out of the house without a backward glance. He
sighed, relieved his loss of control hadn’t made them doubt his abilities. Unfortunately, the same
couldn’t be said for his own thoughts.
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He had never come that close to dying, not even before he’d had a Siphon. The upside to the
incident was indisputable proof of how much his power had grown over the past decade. The
downside, however, was how incredibly dependent he was on the Siphon. Exhausted, Hugh
returned to his bedroom and collapsed on the mattress, not bothering to pull back the quilt. He
would sleep, rejuvenate his body and his mind, and deal with the Siphon when he could think
clearly.
Hugh woke up in a pitch-black room. He rolled to his side and squinted toward the huge picture
window. By mid-morning, light inevitably seeped in from around the corners of the rich silk
drapes, the sun-blocking liner unable to keep the rays completely at bay. Not an ounce of light
came through, so it was either late Friday night or early Saturday morning.
Though he had healed from the physical effects of the Siphon’s action, his worry hadn’t abated.
Whatever caused the lapse in judgment had to be addressed quickly and firmly. Needing to regain
his emotional footing before dealing with the unexpected and unwelcome situation, Hugh headed
toward the bathroom.
Once he was clean, dressed, and feeling more like himself, he marched into the adjoining room,
flipped on the light switch, and said, “You need to explain yourself.”
Curled into a ball on the bed with his ankles and wrists bound together, the Siphon remained
silent and still. Hugh would have thought he was dead but for the fact that his death would have
meant Hugh’s own immediate demise.
When Hugh had taken in the starving Westgate lions and saved them from their fire-ravaged
land, they had gained resources, homes, food, and a Premier. With a great deal of work and time
on Hugh’s part, those lions had integrated with the Berk lions and they now made a cohesive
pride that was even more successful than it had been before the merger. But the Siphon had
almost destroyed all of that the previous night.
“Wake up,” Hugh said.
With a resigned sigh, the Siphon moved, seemingly trying to sit up. The bindings prevented him
from succeeding.
“I’ll untie you.” Hugh was a foot taller and twice the Siphon’s weight, so releasing him wasn’t a
risk. He stepped over, took the rope in both hands and tugged, snapping it with no effort. The
display of strength eased the part of him still worried about an ongoing impact from his neardeath experience. “Can you sit up?” he asked when he noticed the Siphon still having trouble.
“Yes,” the Siphon croaked and shakily rose to a sitting position. “Are we going somewhere?” He
rubbed his trembling hand over his neck and began standing. “I’ll get my shoes.”
“No.” Hugh grasped the Siphon’s shoulder and held him in place. “I came here to talk to you.”
“You want to talk to me?” He blinked in confusion.
“Yes. We need to talk about what you tried to do to our pride.” Though based on that hoarse
voice, Hugh doubted the Siphon could do much talking. “You need water.” He flicked his gaze
around the room, which was a silly exercise because there was nothing in the space other than a
bed, a nightstand, and a dresser, same as always. The only difference was a hole in the ceiling
near the dresser, where Hugh presumed the Siphon had attached the rope. “Let’s go downstairs.”
“Oh.” The Siphon climbed to his feet and then swayed. Hugh waited for him to get his bearings
and then slowly walked out of the room. Until he knew what had caused the Siphon’s erratic
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38
behavior, he needed to be on guard, so he carefully watched him as they made their way to the
kitchen.
After getting a bottle of water from the gleaming stainless steel refrigerator, Hugh sat in one of
the plush upholstered chairs in front of the magnolia wood kitchen table and waited for the
Siphon to get his drink and join him. When the Siphon hadn’t spoken by the time Hugh had
drained his bottle, he lost his patience and took the reins.
“We can’t have a repeat of yesterday. You endangered my pride.” Under normal circumstances,
Hugh would have killed someone for committing that offense, but the Siphon’s death was exactly
what he needed to prevent, so he had to come up with a different solution. “Tell me why you
hanged yourself.”
The Siphon raised the bottle to his mouth, tipped it, and swallowed slowly.
Annoyed at the delay, Hugh considered beating the Siphon into submission, but he had no idea
what weakening the Siphon physically would do to his ability to carry Hugh’s power. Only one in
half a million lions was born a Siphon so there weren’t enough of them in the world to know much
about them and Hugh couldn’t risk anything that would damage the person who stored his power.
Growling in frustration, he said, “Answer me.”
“What do you want to know, Premier?” the Siphon asked tiredly. He fiddled with the label on the
bottle.
“I want to know why you tried to kill me and destroy this pride.”
“I didn’t.”
Faster than a normal lion’s eyes could track, Hugh grasped the Siphon’s throat. “These rope
marks say otherwise,” he roared, his patience eviscerated. “How dare you lie to your Premier?”
Despite Hugh’s show of strength, loud voice, and clear superiority, the Siphon didn’t flinch.
“Answer me.” Hugh shook him.
“I did answer.” The Siphon’s voice was barely audible, both because he spoke quietly and because
of the grip Hugh had on him.
“You wrapped a rope around your neck, tied it to the ceiling, and jumped off your dresser,” Hugh
accused. The Siphon didn’t deny the statement, so Hugh continued. “That is an attack on me and
this pride.” Again, the Siphon didn’t speak. Hugh shook him. “Do you deny it?”
For the first time since they had begun talking, the Siphon raised his gaze, laying his uniquely
blue eyes on Hugh. “I don’t deny hanging myself, but I wasn’t attacking anyone.”
That answer made no sense.
“I’m over a century old. A Premier my age has too much power to exist without a Siphon.” Hugh
tossed the Siphon away, making his chair tilt sideways. “You know this. Hell, any cub old enough
to climb knows this.” He dragged his fingers over his close-cropped hair. “Right?”
After steadying his chair, the Siphon lowered his gaze and nodded.
“And yet you deny that your actions would have left me with no way to contain my energy?”
The Romance Reviews
39
The Siphon shook his head.
Premiers were rare—one in five thousand lions were born with the black fur and skin marking
them as the most powerful lions in existence. But there were a hundred Premiers for every
Siphon, making the blue-eyed lions almost unheard of. There was nobody else who could siphon
Hugh’s power, and on his own, he would implode from its force.
“No more games!” Hugh shouted as he shoved his chair back and jumped to his feet. He planted
both hands on the table and loomed over the Siphon. “Berk is a Premier Pride. You could have
hurt fourteen hundred full-grown lions and five hundred cubs with your actions. Did you think of
that?”
Again, the Siphon shook his head.
“Aren’t you grateful?”
His eyebrows drawn together in confusion, the Siphon said, “Grateful for what?”
“For what?” Hugh roared. “Look around.” He waved his arm around the room blindly. “You are
part of a Premier Pride. We have over four thousand acres of rich land. Our members are wellfed, financially secure, and close-knit. Our homes, businesses, and territory are the envy of most
prides. What more do you want?”
“I don’t know.” The Siphon shrugged and hunched lower in his chair. “To live, I guess.”
“You’re a Siphon. You can live forever.”
Where regular lions lived and aged at the same pace as their human counterparts, Premiers
stopped aging when they reached their peak condition and, instead, grew larger and more
powerful. And a Siphon who carried a Premier’s power aged at the Premier’s pace.
“I’m not living.” The Siphon licked his lips. “But I’m not dead.” Sighing deeply, he whispered, “I
want to be.”
The conflicting statements made no sense.
“You say you want to live but then say you want to die.” Hugh looked into the Siphon’s eyes,
hoping to find an answer. When he couldn’t figure it out, he asked, “Why did you hang yourself?”
“I’m a Siphon. I can’t live.” The blue-eyed gaze dropped. “Dying’s the only way out.”
A foreboding chill ran down Hugh’s spine. The Siphon dying would mean Hugh’s own death. He
wouldn’t allow it.
To carry a Premier’s power, a Siphon had to remain close to him at all times, so Hugh could
monitor the Siphon most of the time. But Hugh slept, showered, fucked. He couldn’t watch the
Siphon every second of every day. Bringing in pride members to guard him wasn’t an option
because it would alert them to Hugh’s vulnerability, which would cause turmoil among the pride,
and even worse, it would risk outsiders finding out about it, which would expose a vulnerability
that could easily be exploited.
Eight decades of Hugh’s leadership and hard work had paid off—he hadn’t been exaggerating
when he’d listed Berk’s attributes to the Siphon. Berk was a Premier Pride, meaning it was
stronger, wealthier, and happier than most prides. It also meant other lions desperately wanted
The Romance Reviews
40
what they had, and if they smelled blood, they wouldn’t hesitate to mount an attack. Showing
weakness would endanger the entire pride.
Since age twenty-three, Hugh had dedicated his life to protecting the Berk pride. If he didn’t get
to the bottom of the Siphon’s issue, his life and the pride would be in jeopardy. He wouldn’t allow
that to happen. But to fix the problem, Hugh first had to understand what it was.
Available at:
Author Site
Smashwords
Amazon
Kobo
All Romance eBooks
About the Author:
Cardeno C. - CC to friends - is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few
"awwws" into a reader's day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and
volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno's stories range from sweet to intense,
contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and
walks into the happily-ever-after sunset.
The Romance Reviews
41
April 2015
The Marlboro Man
Anna Alexander
For years Mark Webber was in love with
his best friend’s girl, and it had become
well past time for him to move on for
greener pastures. Not long after he left,
Mark realized the Sprawling A was his
home, so now he’s back, ready to leave
the past in the dust. While he was gone,
there had been some changes at the A,
including a new ranch hand who comes
with a sister that stirs Mark’s passions in
ways he never felt.
Gabriella Montoya has come to the ranch
seeking shelter after a failed marriage.
Not only is she welcomed with open arms, but she gains six big
brothers. But one man doesn’t look at her like he would a sister.
Oh, no.
ISBN: 9780990595533
Publisher: House of
Rosenorn
Publication date:
February 24, 2015
Genre: Contemporary
Romance
Buy Links:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
iTunes
Kobo
All Romance eBooks
Anna Alexander Website
Mark gazes at her with a heat and promise in his eyes, and damn if he doesn’t deliver on every
one. But Gabriella’s not certain she’s ready to embark on another relationship so soon with a man
who has made no bones about wanting forever, especially when both of their pasts rise from the
ashes and threaten everything they have.
“Care for some company?”
She bit her lip and tamped down the thrill of excitement that deep voice ignited within her belly.
Shifting her gaze, her breath lodged in her throat at the sight of Mark standing at the bottom of
the stairs. He looked so tall and masculine, with his black hat shielding his eyes and emphasizing
the strong line of his jaw. Her lips tingled just thinking about brushing kisses along that firm line.
“Sure,” she said and scooted over to give him more room beside her.
The swing jostled with his added weight, and he placed his hat on his lap as he practically melted
into the corner, stretching his well-muscled arm along behind her. How nice would it feel to
snuggle against that broad chest and get up close and personal with that manly scent?
She swallowed hard and shifted her gaze away from the temptation of his chambray-covered
chest. “How was your day?”
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April 2015
The corner of his mouth quirked up and the skin around his eyes crinkled as if she said something
funny. “Let’s just say our bulls are real happy.”
Since she wasn’t sure exactly what that meant, she just nodded in return.
“How was the shopping?” he asked.
“Good. Got some jeans and a pair of boots.” He looked pointedly at her bare feet and raised his
brow. She wiggled her pedicured toes.
“I’m more comfortable without shoes.”
“I’m glad you feel like you can be yourself, and that you feel comfortable enough to sit with me
like this.”
She frowned. “Why shouldn’t I be?”
“We’re alone, and I’m a strange man. It would make sense if you were a bit frightened.”
“Are you planning on doing me harm?”
“Never.” His jaw tightened. “I’d never hurt you, Gabriella.”
The ferocity of his vow sent chills down her bare arms. “If I go around thinking every man I’m
going to encounter is out to hurt me, then I will always live in fear. If I’m always afraid, then he
wins. He will have taken my life away as surely as if he’d killed me. There’s no way I’m going to
let him win.”
“You’re very brave.”
She shook her head. “Everyone keeps saying that. I’m not brave. I’m just trying to survive.”
“Darlin’, sometimes choosing to live in the face of adversity is the bravest choice one can make.
I’m sure there are a lot of women who would have given up. You said you had enough and did
something about it. That decision put you way ahead of the game.”
Her first inclination was to dispute the praise she heard in his voice, but then she bit her tongue.
She wanted a life, a good life. Nothing extravagant, but also no less than what she deserved. She
had to stop apologizing for wanting something that should be a basic human right.
“Do you still love him?” he asked in a low voice.
“No,” she answered immediately and turned her gaze back to the land. “No, I’ve thought a lot
about it for some time now. When I was a kid, all I wanted was to get out of that shack of a
farmhouse and go someplace that wasn’t constantly covered in dust. I wanted to live in a house
with shiny appliances and tile floor and more than one bathroom. When I met Drew, he was
everything I ever wanted. Successful, good looking, wealthy. When he started to shower me with
attention, I couldn’t believe that he actually wanted the poor girl from the apple orchard. Once we
were married, I was so happy and relieved to not have to worry about money anymore that I
overlooked how he slowly cut me off from my friends. How he and his mother kept my days filled
with women’s club meetings and charity work that they took all of the credit for to further his
image. I know I should have left him the first time he hit me, but I was so afraid of the unknown.
After that, it just didn’t matter anymore. I might have cared for him once, but I realized I never
really loved him. I loved what he represented. Does that make any sense?”
He nodded with a small humorless smile. “I know exactly what you mean.”
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She thought about what Greta had told her earlier about her and Mark’s past and curiosity
prompted her to ask, “Have you ever been in love?”
His gaze flicked away and he leaned forward to rest his arms on his thighs. When he looked back
at her he let out a long sigh. “I thought I was, once.”
“What happened?” she asked when he didn’t continue.
“Just like you, I realized I loved what she represented. Family, a partner, loyalty. She was the
first woman I met who was everything I ever wanted.” A rueful smile twitched across his lips and
he leaned back.
“Except she was in love with someone else. And they were perfect for each other. I harbored
those feelings for much longer than I should have.
Wasted a lot of years that I could have had for my own happiness. After I realized what I had
done, I promised myself that when I found the woman for me, I’d never let her go.”
“Do you think you’ll find her?”
The heat that simmered in his obsidian gaze warmed her as if she stood in front of a bonfire. “I
know I will.”
Wow. Greta had been right. The woman who ended up with Mark would be a very lucky girl
indeed.
It was easy for her to imagine what it would be like being held in his strong arms. To feel those
big calloused hands stroking over her bare skin. Her breasts swelled under the weight of his gaze
at the thought.
Could he see her nipples pebble under her blouse?
Her own gaze trailed down his chest to the six-pack she knew lay beneath his shirt, She wanted
to spend hours tracing each muscle with her tongue.
Under the hat that lay on his lap, the muscles of his thighs bunched as he pushed the swing back
and forth.
“Darlin’, your eyes are making promises I don’t think you can keep.”
Her gaze flew to his face, and her heart pounded in her chest. A flush graced his cheeks and his
full lips were soft and parted.
“What promises are those?” She didn’t recognize the husky-voiced response as belonging to her.
“Long, slow, drugging kisses, full body contact, and screaming orgasms.”
She blinked twice. “Funny. I wouldn’t have taken you for a screamer.”
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About the Author:
Anna Alexander's literary world changed at age thirteen when a friend
gave her a copy of Kathleen Woodiwiss's "A Rose in Winter." With her
mind thoroughly blown, she decided that one day she too would be a
romance writer. With Hugh Jackman's abs and Christopher Reeve's
blue eyes as inspiration, she loves spinning tales about superheroes
finding love.
Sign up to receive news about Anna's latest releases at
http://eepurl.com/Q0tsz
Where to find us:
Website:
Romance: http://www.theromancereviews.com
Erotic: http://erotic.theromancereviews.com
GLBT: http://glbt.theromancereviews.com
Blog: http://theromancereviews.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theromancereviews
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TRRtweet
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April 2015
Welcome, Ruth, and please do tell us more about your series with the intriguing name: The
Love Bird Series!
Q: What inspired you to write this series?
I actually never started out to do a series. I'd never done one
before. After the first book, Love Birds of Regent's Park, my editor
asked me to write the second, The Unwanted Earl. It kind of
morphed into a whole five-book series after that.
Follow
Ruth J. Hartman
Website
Q: Please tell us a little about the overall series arc.
Since the first one took place in the Regent's Park Bird Sanctuary, I decided to keep the bird
theme. There are birds in each book, but to varying degrees. The characters in the series reoccur, but not in all books. For example, Percy Radcliff, the hero from Book 5, doesn't appear in
books 1 or 2.
Q: How do you keep track of your series details?
I have a 3x5 card for each book with all the main characters listed and who they were. So
whatever book I'm writing, editing, or referencing, I can just grab the right card.
Q: What draws you to write historical romance?
I'd never tried writing historicals until 2012. There was a call out from my publisher for them and
I decided, why not? After the first one, I was hooked!
Q: In the second book, The Unwanted Earl, Amelia blackmailed
Conrad into marrying her. What made her do such a drastic
move? What were her feelings for Conrad at the time of the
blackmail and then after?
Amelia is forced into a terrible situation by her father. She has to find
a husband and fast. After she overhears something about Conrad, she
decides she has no choice but to force his hand. Her feelings at first
were negative. He was a means to an end. But I'm happy to say that
by the end of the book, both Conrad and Amelia had changed.
Q: Which is your favorite scene in the entire series? Why?
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I don't think I could name one favorite, but this is one I love from His Lady Peregrine.
~o~o~o~
Mr. Radcliff raised one eyebrow and leaned forward, studying her face as if she was a rare albino
goose. “Are you unwell, Lady Peregrine?”
“No. Why?”
“Your face has gone quite red.” He pointed toward her. “And your mouth…”
“Yes, what about it?” Her jaws were beginning to ache from clenching.
“Well it… it reminds me of a pelican I once saw a portrait of.”
Unable to stand it anymore, she relaxed her mouth. “A pelican?” Something told her this was not
going to be as complimentary as Mr. Radcliff’s peregrine comment.
“It had a down-turned mouth, lips, that is if pelican’s indeed do possess lips, were pulled low at
the sides, nearly to its chin. Do those birds even have chins?”
“I’m sure I wouldn’t know.” Though it was an interesting question…
His eyes widened. “Oh, I just realized you might have misconstrued my pelican comment.”
“You mean about its lips, or its chin? Or the question of whether it is in possession of either.”
“I hadn’t meant it in any way negative, I assure you.”
“Of course not. How could a woman ever find even a hint of anything
untoward in your comment?” Georgiana, you’re doing it again. Be
pleasant.
Mr. Radcliff sat back against his seat. He openly stared at her. Was he
regretting his invitation for today? Contemplating tossing her from the
moving carriage? Then, a slow — could she even call it seductive? —
smile appeared. “I say, you really are a saucy one, aren’t you?”
Saucy? She blinked. He wasn’t angry? “I can honestly say you’re the
first to give me that particular adjective, Mr. Radcliff.”
He leaned toward her again and grabbed her hand. “Please. Call me
Percy.”
Christian names? Already? “Oh, well… I am Georgiana.”
He tilted his head to one side and closed his eyes. Was he going to take a nap? “Georgiana. I’ve
never heard such a melodious name.” He tugged her hand closer until it rested against his chest.
This left Georgiana in a very uncomfortable stance half-sitting, half-standing, trying not to fall
into his lap.
Again.
Much more of inspecting the man’s private area and she really would earn the saucy
nomenclature.
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Her left leg, upon which most of her weight rested, began to tingle. Not now. Please don’t fall
asleep here. A quick check told her the man’s eyes were still closed. How long was she expected
to—
Abruptly, he opened his eyes and let go of her hand at the same instant. Georgiana’s leg, now
completely gone numb, gave way. Her awkward position, still bent over him forced her forward.
Not again!
She collapsed in a heap, draped across his chest and yes, his lap. He’d think her a trollop.
“My dear Lady Peregrine!” He grabbed her upper arms to steady her. “If you wish to spend time
on top of my person, you could have simply asked.”
“Excuse me?”
“Obviously, you like what you see.” He wiggled his eyebrows and gave a slight toss of his head.
As if he was preening.
Like a bird.
Good heavens, could it be? Had she actually found someone with whom she could share her love
of—
Percy’s lips crashed down on hers. Georgiana gasped, though she couldn’t really get much air into
her lungs around his lips. What did he think he was about? She placed her hands against his
chest, intent on shoving him away. But something came over her. A warmth that started in her
lips, traveled down and circled around her heart, then shot lower to her pelvis.
It had been so long since she’d felt that sensation she nearly hadn’t recognized it.
Well hello there. Nice to have you back again.
She grinned against Percy’s lips, fully intent on spending the rest of the day right in that very
spot. Perhaps if she pressed closer they could—
The carriage slowed and stopped.
Percy, looking reluctant, ended the kiss and blinked. “Perhaps it’s a good thing we’re already on a
Christian name basis, hmmm?”
Q: Which is the most kickass scene in the entire series?
This scene is from A Courtship for Cecilia:
~o~o~o~
The other man smirked. “Ah, Mr. Rat, was it?”
“Radcliff.”
With a shrug, Mr. Wolverton returned his attention to Miss Fleming.
“Same difference, I suppose.” And laughed.
Laughed!
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Miss Fleming whipped her gaze from Mr. Wolverton to him. “Please, won’t you sit down?” With
widened eyes, she mouthed again the word, please.
“Gladly.” How could Wolverton possibly think that Miss Fleming would welcome a call? The way
he’d treated her the night before had been appalling. If Barrington hadn’t feared causing a scene
and drawing even more unwanted attention to Miss Fleming, he’d have pummeled the scoundrel
right there on the ballroom floor. There wouldn’t have been anything left but a scrap of his cravat
and a tooth or two.
Anger flooded his mind and soul. The more he obsessed about the rogue daring to touch and paw
at his Miss Fleming the way he had—
My Miss Fleming? Why, he barely knew her. Something though, something drew him in, made
him long to be near her, talk to her, or simply to drink in her lovely countenance.
“—some tea?”
“Uh, pardon?” Stop daydreaming, man!
Miss Fleming held up an empty cup. “Would you care for some?”
“Oh, certainly.” He ran his hand down his face, hoping she wouldn’t
have noticed his inattention.
A sputtered laugh came from Mr. Wolverton.
Barrington fisted his hands on his lap. “Care to share the joke, Mr.
Wolverton?”
“Oh, I have no need to share the joke. You are the joke.”
“I beg your pardon?” He stood, barely registering Miss Fleming with her arm outstretched,
offering him the tea.
The other man stood as well.
A clatter came from the tray on the side table as Miss Fleming dropped the cup. Brown liquid
spread across the tray and splattered on the floor. The maid rushed to her aid and began to mop
up the mess with her apron.
Barrington took a step forward. “I may be the joke, but at least I know how to treat a lady.”
“Is that supposed to mean something, Rat?”
“I saw what you did last night at the ball.”
Miss Fleming gasped.
“And what would that be, Rat? Dance? It’s quite common at balls, I’m told.”
“No, you… you made a spectacle of yourself.”
“Why is that any of your concern?”
Barrington stepped closer. “Because you upset Miss Fleming.”
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Mr. Wolverton sniffed. “I think not. Women love me. Just ask her.” He waved a hand in Miss
Fleming’s direction.
She raised wide, staring eyes to Barrington. Almost imperceptibly, she shook her head.
Poor girl is already mortified. Nothing is worth embarrassing her more. He broke eye contact with
her and glanced up. “I needn’t ask her. It was obvious last night. Perhaps you should leave now.”
Mr. Wolverton closed the rest of the distance between them. “I was here first. You should leave.”
Barrington longed to punch the man. Pound his jaw with his fist and send him packing. But was it
what Miss Fleming would want? A tiny sob came from his left. He faced her. She bit down on her
lower lip, the skin pressed beneath her teeth a shade paler than the rest.
No. I won’t. As much as I’d like to, I can’t be the one to start a fight. He spun back to his
adversary. A fist closed the distance and pounded his eye. Pain shot through Barrington’s head
and radiated down his face.
He bit back a curse and glared at Mr. Wolverton. “How dare you?”
The other man took another swing but Barrington saw that one coming. He ducked and Mr.
Wolverton’s fist only connected with Barrington’s hair above his right ear. But it looked as if the
man wasn’t ready to slow down his endeavors. Mr. Wolverton stumbled and landed on the floor.
I can’t simply stand here and take it. And I refuse to run away! Barrington stared pointedly at
Miss Fleming, whose mouth hung slightly open. With pleading in his eyes, he kept his gaze on
her. I won’t do this without your permission. But please, let me do this for you…
Miss Fleming tilted her head and lowered her eyebrows.
Please…
A single nod was her response.
Mr. Wolverton stood back up and dusted himself off. Murderous intent showed in his eyes. “You’re
going to be very sorry you did that, Rat.”
“I think not.” Barrington rushed forward, clamped his hands on Mr. Wolverton’s shoulders and
spun him toward the doorway. A hard shove had the other man stumbling toward the door.
The butler, with a smile, opened the door and slammed it shut behind the interloper.
Q: Among all the characters in the series, major and minor,
which is your favorite? Why?
I adore Percy Radcliff from His Lady Peregrine. He's crazy and fun and
has no filter. While most of us are confined by rules and political
correctness, Percy doesn't care about any of that.
Q: Which character in the series is the most difficult to write?
Why?
That would definitely be Conrad in The Unwanted Earl. The poor man
was raised by his overbearing mother and was afraid of everything. I
felt sorry for him as I wrote it, but by the end of the book, he has a
much better outlook.
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April 2015
Q: What kind of research did you do in the process of writing this series? Please share
with us an interesting fact that you came across.
I got to do a lot of fun research on birds. Did you know that a peregrine has dark feathers on its
face so it appears to wear a moustache?
Q: Which usually came first for you? Plot or character? Please give us an example.
Usually character. I came up with Uncle Percy in Book 3. He just seemed to fit there, and gave his
serious nephew some comic relief. Then, as the series continued, I realized that Percy had to
have a book of his own.
Q: What's up next for you?
I'm working on a new Regency series about three sisters who are artists. It's turning out to be a
lot of fun!
Thanks a lot, Ruth, for giving us these insights into your amazing series! Now for the Fast
Answer Round:
Last book you read: The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron
Favorite vacation location: Wyoming
Favorite dessert: Chocolate
Favorite drink: Caffeine-free Diet Mt. Dew
Favorite place to write: On my screened-in porch
Favorite household appliance: Washer (I used to hate dragging it all to the Laundromat.)
Favorite TV series: Monk
Favorite movie: While You Were Sleeping
Favorite book: The Cradle Will Fall by Mary Higgins Clark
Can't leave home without it: My little pink purse.
Favorite chocolate: Hershey's Drops
Favorite cartoon character: Pink Panther
Favorite superhero: Wolverine
Favorite food: Pizza
Most influential person: My husband
About the Author:
Ruth J. Hartman spends her days herding cats, and her nights spinning
sweet romantic tales that make you smile and maybe even laugh out loud.
Or so she’s been told by readers! She, her husband, and their three cats,
love to spend time curled up in their recliners watching old Cary Grant
movies. Well, the cats, Maxwell, Roxy and Remmie, sit in the people's
recliners. Not that the cats couldn't get their own furniture. They just choose
to shed on someone else's. You know how selfish those little furry creatures
can be.
Ruth, a left-handed, cat-herding, Jeep-driving, farmhouse-dwelling romance
writer uses her goofy sense of humor as she writes tales of lovable, klutzy
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April 2015
women and the men who adore them. Ruth's husband and best friend, Garry, reads her
manuscripts, rolls his eyes at her weird story ideas, and loves her in spite of her penchant for
insisting all of her books have at least one cat in them. Or twelve. But hey, who's counting?
Book 2 in The Love Bird Series
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords
Amelia Talbot has been issued a death sentence. At least it feels that
way. The thought of marrying a man old enough to be her grandfather
sends her into a panic. So much so that she sets off on a desperate
search to find another man to marry herâ€ ”quickly.
Conrad Croome, the Fifth Earl of Lofton, knows all too well that blackmail isnâ€ ™t the way to
form a marriage. How ironic that one Amelia Talbot uses a Croome family secret heâ€ ™d thought
long buried to force him to marry her.
Is Conrad doomed to a life of marriage based on an exposed secret, or could Amelia learn to love
an unwanted earl?
Amazon
Leah Hunter must choose between two men. Valet Daniel Barlow makes
her laugh, fills her heart with delight, and answers her bodyâ€ ™s desire
for love. But Felton Kensington, a member of the ton, would give her and
her family a better life. Security. Prestige. And choosing him would take
away the one thing that plagues her mind with worry and confusion.
Felton Kensington scoffs at the valetâ€ ™s attempt to steal away Leah.
With what Felton has to offer, heâ™s quite confident Leah will be his. In every way.
Daniel Barlow knows what he wants. And thatâ€ ™s Leah Hunter. Heâ™s trying everything in
his power to win her over. But competition from Felton Kensington is stiff. How can a valet
compete with a wealthy gentleman?
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April 2015
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
Percy Radcliff has gone mad. At least that's what his family thinks. Simply
because he adores birds to distraction. If only there were someone with
whom he could share his great love. Perhaps he's found her in the woman
he happened upon
at the Bird Sanctuary?
Widow Georgiana Ollerton has finally met her match. In love and in admiration for everything
avian. Percy, though odd, has a sensual quality Georgiana can't quite explain but definitely wants
to explore further.
The problem is Percy has once again gotten himself into a pickle. How is he to romance his lovely
Georgiana when another woman believes him to be her long-lost husband? Will Percy be able to
disentangle himself from the other woman before he loses Georgiana for good?
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April 2015
An Interview with
Mary Jo Putney on
THE BARGAIN
Forced to wed to keep her inheritance, independent Lady Jocelyn Kendal finds
an outrageous solution: she proposes marriage to Major David Lancaster, an
officer dying from his Waterloo wounds. In return for making her his wife, she
will provide for his governess sister. But after the bargain is struck and the
marriage is made, the major makes a shocking, miraculous recovery. Though
they agree to an annulment, such matters take time. . .time enough for David
to realize he is irrevocably in love with his wife.
Haunted by her past, Jocelyn refuses to trust the desire David ignites in her.
She never counted on a real husband, least of all one who would entice her to
be a real wife. But some bargains are made to be broken—and his skilled
courtship is impossible to resist. . .
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Mary Jo, welcome to The Romance Reviews!
Q: How would you describe book in 5 words or less?
Her dying husband won't die!
Q: LOL What do you admire about your main characters, Jocelyn and David?
They're both honorable, and kind to each other even though their marriage of convenience
quickly becomes inconvenient.
Q: Which character surprised you the most in terms of their involvement in the story or
their character growth?
Jocelyn, I think. The premise of my original proposal was a bit flippant--"marries a dying man,
and then he won't die for her!" As I wrote, though, I discovered the deeper reasons for her
behavior, and that was moving. But David's sister Sally grew from a plot device to a really
interesting character in her own right. I won't say my characters dictate to me, or surprise me,
but I learn a lot about them as I go along!
Q: What is one of your favorite romantic quotes from THE BARGAIN?
When David says, "If you have trouble believing that I love you, then I will just have to repeat
the words every day for as long as we both shall live."
Q: How romantic! What’s up next for you?
I'm currently working on Once a Soldier, first in the Rogues Redeemed spin-off series from my
Lost Lords series. The hero, Will Masterson, has been part of the series from the first book, and
finally his time--and his heroine!--have arrived.
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April 2015
About the Author:
Mary Jo Putney is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who
has written over 60 novels and novellas. A ten-time finalist for the
Romance Writers of America RITA, she has won the honor twice and is on
the RWA Honor Roll for bestselling authors. In 2013 she was awarded the
RWA Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award. Though most of her
books have been historical romance, she has also published contemporary
romances, historical fantasy, and young adult paranormal historicals. She
lives in Maryland with her nearest and dearest, both two and four footed.
Visit her at maryjoputney.com.
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April 2015
Zelle and the Tower
Rebekah R. Ganiere
Sweet and naïve Rapunzelle
possesses a dangerous and powerful
magick. Her entire life has been
spent in a mage tower built by her
father, to keep her safe. Or so she's
been told.
himself killed.
Flint Gwyn has spent the last six
months wandering Fairelle, wanting
nothing more than to wash away the
pain of letting family down. Between
drinking and women he plummets in
to despair, with only Dax the
werebear to keep him from getting
ISBN: 9781633000070
Publisher: Fallen Angel
Press
Publication date:
April 15, 2015
Genre: Fantasy Romance /
Paranormal Fantasy
Buy Links:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
iTunes
Kobo
Rebekah R. Ganiere Website
When Flint and Dax stumble into Zelle's tower while running from a dragon, she finds herself
drawn to Flint in a way that awakens startling memories she cannot place. And the longer he
stays, the closer she comes to losing her heart.
Unable to control his feelings for the lonely maiden who brings him peace for the first time in his
life, Flint fights to release her from her prison. But in doing so, he may very well bring down the
wrath of an evil that's plagued Fairelle for a hundred years.
A
flutter ran through Zelle at Flint's appearance in the moonlight.
"Did I wake you?" he asked.
"No. I wasn't asleep yet." Loca nipped her on the ear and she laughed. "All right, all
right." She pet the bird, walked to the window and pulled on one of the bars. It came
loose and Loca gripped her shoulder before taking flight out into the air beyond the tower.
"I thought the bars were solid," Flint mused, moving to her side.
"They are. Father made this one special. It can be removed only at night, so Loca can come and
go. He's the only bird I can't feed."
"Your father seems to have thought of everything to keep you here."
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April 2015
Zelle frowned. "My father is a great man. He only wants me safe."
"I meant no disrespect."
"I'm not a prisoner here. It's for my own safety." Even to her own ears the words were now a
thin excuse.
"I'm sure it is."
What was going on with her? Just yesterday she had been
content to be in her tower. Keeping the world safe from what
she could do. But now… Now having listened to Dax tell her of
the wolves, and vampires, and fae. The forests and animals and
trees. Now…she wondered if it would be so bad if she left every
once and while. Not permanently, but just to see things,
experience things, be around people.
She scanned the meadow and woods, her hope recklessly
budding.
"What are you thinking?"
"About what it would be like living out of this tower. To wander as you do."
Flint's eyes softened and he raised his hand to touch her. Heat flushed her skin like a thousand
tiny candles. She wanted nothing more than to feel his touch. His hand hung in the air, inches
from her cheek. Tilting her head she closed the gap between them. His palm dragged rough
against her skin. A warrior's hand.
Goosebumps rose on her neck. "Kiss me," she whispered.
He searched her face. "I can't."
"You did before."
"And that was wrong." He dropped his hand. "You're a lady, and should be treated as such. Like
you said before, you don’t invite strange men into your house to seduce them."
"No. I don't. But I've never had any man in my house before you and Dax."
"Even more reason I shouldn't. You don't know the ways of the world."
"I know the ways of my body. And right now my body is telling me that what I want more than
anything in this world is the feel of your body."
Flint blinked several times. "Do you always say what you think?"
"Should I not?"
"Most women don't."
"Why?" The idea confused her. "What else would I say?"
"Women are taught to be what their husbands expect them to be, I suppose."
"But I have no husband."
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April 2015
Flint rubbed his neck and shoulder with his hand.
"I've made you uncomfortable," she said.
"You see people. Really see them. You see the things they are hiding."
"I do."
He took a step closer and she pressed into the wall, setting the metal bar on the window ledge.
Their bodies were almost touching. She sucked in a shuddered breath, her body tightened at the
nearness of him. His deep intense gaze searched her face.
"What do you see in me?" Emotions played all over his face.
"You're scared."
"I've never been scared in my life," he retorted.
"You are now. You're scared of what I see. Of what I think. Of what I might say to you." His eyes
betrayed him and she pressed on. "You feel sadness and are burdened by the things you've done.
You're too prideful to go home, though you surely have people there who love you. And most of
all you want to find someone. Someone who will see you for you and love you despite it."
"And do you? Do you see me for who I am? Do you see the people I've murdered? The vampires
I've killed with my bare hands?"
"I see that you have done what was required of you to do," she said in a soft voice.
His body stiffened. "Then you don’t see me. Because I did more than was required. And I liked it.
The rush of anger that comes right before a fight. The feel of a blade as it takes a life. I know
those feelings, and I like them. I live for them. They are what I am."
Zelle shook her head. "I don’t believe you. How many months have you gone without killing? Was
it when your sister turned on you? Is that when you stopped?"
He stepped away from her.
"You want to believe you are a killer, Flint. You want to believe you enjoy those things because it
makes it easier to deal with. Easier to push people away. Easier than dealing with the truth."
"And what's the truth?"
"That inwardly, you want to be loved despite what you've had to do. You want to be told that it's
okay. It's not who you are. You want to forget and be what everyone else is."
"A coward?"
"No." Zelle shook her head. "Normal."
*****
How could she know those things? He'd never told anyone his deepest desires, yet somehow
when she looked at him, she read him perfectly. He swallowed. Normal was not in the cards for
him. As long as his family lay divided, and the mantle he wore made him an enemy of his sister,
he would never find true happiness.
"You know that normal is only a fairy tale, right?" he asked.
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Zelle inched closer to him. Her willowy form barely reached his shoulder. Her hands were delicate,
shoulders slim, her neck long and slender. Every part of her looked like a fragile doll. Except the
presence that wafted off of her. The confidence she exuded combated that appearance. Every
inch of her exuded sensuality.
Her hand snaked out and splayed against his chest. "You won't hurt
me."
"No, I won't." From the glow of her purple eyes, he knew there was a
reason she stayed in her tower. Power was the only word he could
think of. Power and magick.
He ran a shaky hand through her long soft tresses and pushed the
hair over her shoulder revealing more of her throat. Her perfectly
full, peachy lips waited for him, just inches away. His erection stirred
at the thought of kissing her again.
She stepped into him, pressing against his body. Her supple breasts
smashed into his torso and her hips found purchase between his
own. The contact was like a lantern switching on inside him. Every
part of him woke up and paid attention.
"Kiss me again."
He should be chivalrous and do the right thing. Leave the sweet creature be, and not poison her
with his anger and pain. But the pounding in his ribcage, and the feelings she aroused in him,
were like no other. Never before had he wanted to be with a woman so badly. And never before
had one held so much sway over his person.
He wondered for a moment if she had bewitched him, before pressing his lips to hers and tasting
her sweet fragrance. He lifted her from the ground, pinning her against the wall with his knees
between her thighs. Her soft frame molded into his as she tangled her fingers in his hair. Their
tongues swirled together in a soft dance of desire and he fought to keep from ripping her dress
from her.
His body responded of its own accord, his need growing with each passing moment. She reached
down to the hem of his tunic and lifted it, running her fingers underneath. He'd never let someone
touch his scars before. Never even let people see them before besides his family. The women he'd
been with, he'd forced to face the wall till he was done.
The desire to take Zelle down to her plush bed and make love to her flooded him. He slowed his
kisses, his brain screaming that this was wrong. He didn’t deserve this. She pushed her hands
higher, raising his tunic to his shoulder. She traced a scar with her mouth, kissing his skin.
Flint swallowed a lump in his throat and moaned. Her fingers twined in the dark curls of his chest
hair. Moving over to his nipple, she flicked out her tongue and licked around it. He slammed his
hands into the wall on either side of her, and pulled away, trying to control himself. She slid down
a couple of inches and worked her way across his chest with her mouth and fingers, bringing him
torturous pleasure.
He had no doubt she knew what she was doing, but the thought that she had done this before
wasn’t something he could comprehend. She'd said he was the first who had ever gotten into her
tower before. Had that been a lie? Pulling away from her was the hardest thing he'd ever done.
The Romance Reviews
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April 2015
About the Author:
Rebekah is an Award Winning Bestselling Author. Her debut novel Dead
Awakenings, hit the bestseller list the first day, in January 2014. Her Fairelle
Series, released in May 2014 and has won several award and is currently up
for the Rone Award. Her trilogy The Society was released by Kensington's
Lyrical Press.
Rebekah is the VP of Communications of the RWA Los Angeles Chapter as
well as the Newsletter Editor of the FF&P Chapter. In her spare time when
she isn't writing you can find her moderating on SavvyAuthors.com or
hanging out with her husband, four children and her English Bulldog, rabbit,
two bearded dragons, and two tortoises. The escaped snake has yet to be found.
The Romance Reviews
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April 2015
Let's welcome KATE DEVEAUX to this issue of the ezine!
Q: Hi Kate, what is your stress buster?
Born in London, and now living in the U.S., my answer to all
stress is “put the kettle on.”
Follow
Kate Deveaux
Website
Q: Which do you prefer: ebook or print book? Why?
Facebook
I prefer print books, but truth be told I mostly read on my
Kindle as I read a lot and it’s simply more convenient. But
there’s just something about holding a paper book in your
hands and turning the page...
Twitter
Pinterest
Goodreads
Q: I know what you mean. How does editing affect
you? Like it or hate it? Why? What has your experience with editing your books been
like?
I have to admit I have a love/hate relationship with editing. It is my least favorite part of the
writing process, yet I know it is entirely essential the book. I’ve struck a balance I can live with: I
really enjoy the creative part of writing the book, savoring the act of writing, and then when it
comes to editing said book, I switch to more the business end of things. I cannot say enough
about my fabulous editors I’ve been lucky to have. Totally Bound in particular has such great
editors and I learn something each and every time I work with an editor on a manuscript. They
are a dream to work for.
Q: How did you feel when you receive your first contract? What did you do? Any
celebratory dinner, dance, event, etc to commemorate the occasion?
I was absolutely over the moon as I’d waited years for that ‘first sale’ and
when it came, it was for two books! How fab is that? I celebrated by
buying myself a very nice pair of sexy high-heeled red shoes. They’re still
the favorites in my closet and remind me of that ‘first sale’ feeling every
time I wear them. :)
Q: So you need to write a sensual scene and it’s just not
happening. What do you do to get your characters in the mood?
I write ‘hot’ books, so usually have no problem writing a sensual scene
because when I am writing I am into the book completely. The fire alarm
could go off and I might not notice (don’t worry, Mr. Deveaux will notice).
The romance in the story has built to the point that leads to the sensual
scene — and if it hasn’t — then I haven’t done my job.
The Romance Reviews
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April 2015
Q: Who among your heroes is your favorite? Why?
That’s a tough one as I am in love with them all. Lawrence in Academy of
Love has to be closest to my heart. He’s sexy as hell and had a heart of
gold. Academy of Love is about that ‘first love’ and ‘second chances,’ I
poured my heart into that book dredging up all the emotions of ‘first love’
and I think Lawrence had me at ‘hello.’
Q: Please tell us about your latest release, A VIXEN IN VENICE!
I’d love to, as Vixen is one of my favorite books I have written. Set in a
Five Star Luxury hotel chain in Venice, it mixes the dizzying world of fine
art with intrigue, seduction, and deception. Monique, the heroine, is a
street smart self assured fire cracker who knows just what she wants
when she lands her dream job as art curator for the newly opened
venetian hotel. When she falls for her supervisor, a man who fulfills her every erotic fantasy,
Monique is in for a surprise when it turns out her seducer is an art thief on the run —with her
heart.
Q: What’s next for you? Are you currently writing anything new? Please give us a
sneak peek!
Oh la la, I would love to share a sneak peak of Cockpit, due out this summer:
High school sweethearts re unite forty years later at 37,000 feet.
Fifty eight year old commercial airline pilot, Bobbi Cooper, gets a blast
from the past when her high school sweetheart, Mack McConnell,
appears as one her first class passengers on her 747 transatlantic flight
to London.
It seems turbulence isn’t always caused by weather. Used to being in
control at all times, Bobbi is reeling from a crummy marriage and she
must learn at Mack’s capable hands that losing control can be oh so
sexy. Throttle up as past loves collide…
Q: What is your advice to aspiring writers?
I love this question as my answer changes the more books I’ve
published. My first answer remains true, and that is “Never Ever Give Up.” Just keep writing. And
my second answer now that I’m a ‘seasoned’ author is not to listen too much to others…just write
what you want to write. I don’t think writing to the market makes a
good writer. The market will come to you if you write what’s deep
inside.
Q: If you had a free pass to go on a date with anyone, who would
you choose?
Mr. Deveaux. I know, eye rolls, but really, I can’t think of anyone else
I’d rather go on a date with. You’d think after 25 years I might want to
go on a date with someone else, but I don’t. Told you I’m a die hard
romantic. :) Of course if Clive Owen was available…
The Romance Reviews
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April 2015
Q: Which cartoon character from Disney or the Looney Toons describes you? Why?
It would have to be Cinderella. I’m all about the shoes. And Prince Charming of course!
Q: If you were made into chocolate, what kind would you be?
Pure dark chocolate with a scattering of nuts and a dash of Chile pepper!
Q: If you could go one place, anywhere at all… tap your heels together and you’re
there… where would it be? Why?
Sitting at a picnic table outside a cottage in Provence with a bottle of wine, a few good friends, a
divine meal and Mr. Deveaux, of course.
Thank you, Kate! Now for the Fast Answer Round:
Favorite
Favorite
Favorite
Favorite
Favorite
vehicle: Maserati
color: Gold
actor: Clive Owen
actress: Cate Blanchett
author: Opal Carew
Favorite
Favorite
Favorite
Favorite
Favorite
movie: Love Actually
book: The Principal’s Office by Jasmine Haynes
food: Chocolate.
dessert: Chocolate anything.
chocolate: Dark.
Favorite
Favorite
Favorite
Favorite
Favorite
music: Jazz
reality show: HGTV, House Hunters International
television show: Barefoot Contessa with Ina Garden. And House of Cards.
flower: Orchid.
scent: Orange
About the Author:
Kate Deveaux is a contemporary erotic romance writer and die-hard
romantic. A former wedding planner, she has always been "in love"
with love! Kate is currently working on several fictional stories – each
filled with sexy romance, heroines who are no shrinking violets and
heroes who make your heart skip a beat. She is a member of Savvy
Author, Romance Writers of America (RWA) and their erotic romance
chapter, Passionate Ink. Kate currently resides with her husband in
the U.S.
The Romance Reviews
63
April 2015
An Interview with
Eloisa James on
FOUR NIGHTS WITH THE DUKE
Desperate Duchesses, Book 8
As a young girl, Emilia Gwendolyn Carrington told the annoying future Duke
of Pindar that she would marry any man in the world before him—so years
later she is horrified to realize that she has nowhere else to turn.
Evander Septimus Brody has his own reasons for agreeing to Mia's audacious
proposal, but there's one thing he won't give his inconvenient wife: himself.
Instead, he offers Mia a devil's bargain . . . he will spend four nights a year
with her. Four nights, and nothing more. And those only when she begs for
them.
Which Mia will never do.
Now Vander faces the most crucial challenge of his life: he must seduce his own wife in order to
win her heart—and no matter what it takes, this is the one battle he can't afford to lose.
Pre-order now at Amazon
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Eloisa, welcome to The Romance Reviews!
Q: FOUR NIGHTS WITH THE DUKE is book 8 in the Desperate Duchesses series. For
new-to-the-series readers, please give us an overview of the series. How are the books
interconnected? Would readers be able to start the series with this book?
FOUR NIGHTS is actually pretty much a standalone: its only real link is with Three Weeks with
Lady X, as the heroes of the two books are best friends. The truth is that while this is labeled
Book 8, it only has the slimmest of connections with the original Desperate Duchesses series: A
favorite character from that series, the Duke of Villiers, plays a role in this novel.
Q: How would you describe FOUR NIGHTS WITH THE DUKE in 5 words or less?
Wallflower blackmails Duke into marriage.
Q: What do you admire about the heroine, Mia?
Mia is driven to blackmail a man she dislikes in order to protect her nephew, whom she loves very
much. As a wallflower who’s been jilted at the altar, she is horrified at the idea of coercing a
duke to marry her, but she never allows Vander to intimidate her with his anger, his title, or his
power. She holds her own! Also, she’s a romance writer, which I love. A bit of the novel she’s
writing appears at the top of every chapter.
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April 2015
Q: What is the most romantic quote from the book? Who said it?
"When I call you my duchess, I mean that you are mine to love, to hold, to make love to. That
means…That means everything to me.”
That’s said by Vander—obviously, after he’s gotten used to idea of being married to Mia!
Q: What’s next in the Desperate Duchesses series? Please give us a sneak peek.
SEVEN MINUTES IN HEAVEN. My hero, Edward Reeve, is a character in Four Nights with the
Duke, who was unfairly imprisoned and forced to miss his own wedding. His former fiancée
(Mia) married Vander before he broke free. Now he’s determined to marry a lady who will be
loyal to him, above all. He finds a perfect lady, who’s written a best-selling book about manners,
and is both sweet and soulful. Or so he thinks.
Q: Is that the next novel from you?
No! The next novel is something entirely new: My American Duchess. This book began as a
charming novella about an American heiress who comes to London and ends up marrying a duke.
I loved the characters so much that I just kept writing, and the short story became a novel. It
will be published probably late in 2015.
About the Author:
New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James writes historical romances
for HarperCollins Publishers. Her novels have been published to great
acclaim. A reviewer from USA Today wrote of Eloisa's very first book that
she "found herself devouring the book like a dieter with a Hershey bar";
later People Magazine raved that "romance writing does not get much better
than this." Her novels have repeatedly received starred reviews
from Publishers' Weekly and Library Journal and regularly appear on the
best-seller lists. After being a finalist for a RITA—the top award in the genre
of romance fiction awarded by the Romance Writers of America—over ten
times, she won in 2013.
After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D.
from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with
Oxford University Press. Her "double life" is a source of fascination to the media and her readers.
In her professorial guise, she's written a New York Times op-ed defending romance, as well as
articles published everywhere from women's magazines such as More to writers' journals such as
the Romance Writers' Report.
In 2014, Eloisa was nominated for a career achievement award by Romantic Times Book Review.
Visit her at: http://www.eloisajames.com/
The Romance Reviews
65
April 2015
An Interview with
Jill Shalvis on
STILL THE ONE
Animal Magnetism, Book 6
Darcy Stone is game for anything—except sexy Navy vet and physical
therapist AJ Colten, the guy who’d rejected her when she’d needed him most.
Now the shoe is on the other foot and he needs her to play nice and help him
secure grants for his patients. Unfortunately Darcy can’t refuse. She needs
the money to fund her passion project: rescuing S&R dogs and placing them
with emotionally wounded soldiers.
AJ admits it—Darcy is irresistible. But he’s already been battle-scarred by a
strong-willed, vivacious, adventurous woman like Darcy, and he’s not making
the same mistake twice—until he and Darcy are forced to fake a relationship.
Growing closer than they’d ever imagined possible, Darcy and AJ have to ask themselves: how
much between them is pretend? What’s the real thing? And where does it go from here?
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Jill, welcome to The Romance Reviews!
Q: STILL THE ONE is the sixth book Animal Magnetism series. For new-to-the-series
readers, please give us an overview of the series. How are the books interconnected?
Would readers be able to start the series with this book?
I’ve always been adamant about writing books that also stand alone. I don’t want a reader to
ever be worried about it. So absolutely, you can start with any book in this series. :)
Q: What do you like about your hero, AJ Colten? What makes him irresistible to women,
especially heroine Darcy? Did you model him on anyone?
AJ Colten is a tough, stoic, quiet badass. What makes him irresistible is that he isn’t afraid to feel,
show those feelings, and he has no hangups about falling in love. He has plenty of other hangups
though… :)
Q: What is the most romantic scene in STILL THE ONE?
Here's an excerpt:
Her little black dress—emphasis on little—just about killed him…The bodice was short, snug, and,
at first glance, modest.
Second glance, not so much.
She bent over and fiddled with her heels, which had a strap around her ankle and screamed SEX.
So did the way the hem of her dress rose up on her thighs, high enough that his eyes nearly
popped right out of his head. “What are you doing?” he managed.
The Romance Reviews
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April 2015
“Nothing.” Still bent at the waist, she shifted to her other heel, during which time he pressed his
fingers into his eye sockets to keep his eyes in his head.
She was all leg and silken skin and crazy gorgeous hair, and he attempted to steel himself against
her but he failed. He’d been wrong, oh so very wrong when he said he’d be able to handle her. He
couldn’t, not in her yoga pants, not in a sexy little black dress, not at work, not in his truck, not in
an elevator, not in anything anywhere—he couldn’t do it, Sam I Am.
She straightened and sent him a searching look. She’d piled all that long curly hair on top of her
head but several silky strands had escaped, brushing her temples and shoulders, giving her a
just-got-laid look. Her lips were siren red and he knew it made him a pig, but all he could think
about was her mouth and how her lips would looked stretched around his—
“We’re on time still, right?” she asked.
He had to clear his throat to answer. “Yeah.” Jesus.
The door slid shut and silence filled the elevator while they stared at each other. To keep his
hands to himself, he backed to the wall.
“So,” she said, looking like she was mentally cracking her knuckles. “What are the rules here?
Kiss ass? Sit, shake, and roll over on command? Tell everyone how you saved my life? Obey your
every order?”
Her sarcasm helped him roll his tongue back into his mouth. “I will ask you to kiss someone’s ass
never,” he said. “Same for sit and shake and roll over. And you know damn well I didn’t save
your life. But as for the obeying me? That. Lots of that would be great.”
Q: How do you come up with such likeable characters and charming settings that won
the hearts of many readers?
I write about people I want to know and places I want to live in. So I’m thrilled if that comes
across the page and the readers
Q: What’s up next for you? Please give us a sneak peek.
Next up will be Zoe’s story is ALL I WANT… and after that? Well, more Animal books, of course.
:)
About the Author:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a
small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to
the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for
Jill’s sexy contemporary and award-winning books wherever romances
are sold and click on the blog button above for a complete book list and
daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.
Visit her at: http://jillshalvis.com/
The Romance Reviews
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April 2015
Contemporary Romance
ROUGH JUSTICE Sarah Castille
UNDERCOVER HEAT Tami Lund
SHIP OF DREAMS Rebecca Heflin
Historical Romance
THE ROGUE'S PRIZE Katherine Bone
FOUR NIGHTS WITH THE DUKE Eloisa James
LEARNING TO WALTZ Kerryn Reid
THE THORNLESS ROSE Morgan O'Neill
IF THE VISCOUNT FALLS Sabrina Jeffries
Romantic Suspense
ONE KISS MORE Mandy Baxter
BETTER WHEN HE'S BOLD Jay Crownover
ABANDON ALL HOPE M.J. Schiller
RUTHLESS PEOPLE J.J. McAvoy
The Romance Reviews
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April 2015
New Adult
GET OFF ON THE PAIN Victoria Ashley
THE TRAVELING MAN Jane Harvey-Berrick
PULL Claire Wallis
THE ROYAL WIZARD Alianne Donnelly
Paranormal Romance
THE IMMORTAL WHO LOVED ME Lynsay Sands
VAMPIRES NEVER CRY WOLF Sara Humphreys
AZAGOTH Larissa Ione
FIVE WEEKS Dannika Dark
GHOST OF A PROMISE Kelly Moran
YOUNG ADULT
DEATH MARKED Leah Cypess
A DEVIL IN DAYLIGHT Marcus Damanda
* For a comprehensive list of Romance book reviews, check out the site.
The Romance Reviews
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April 2015
BDSM
RATED: XXXMAS Lisa Henry; J.A. Rock, E.F. Mulder
THE SENSUALIST & THE UNTOUCHED Susan Laine
HARD RIDERS Jenna Byrnes, L.M. Somerton, Morticia Knight
COMFORT AND JOY Joanna Chambers, Harper Fox, L.B.
Gregg and Josh Lanyon
LOVING JAY Renae Kaye
A RESTORED MAN Jaime Reese
BRIT BOYS: ON BOYS Anthology
A WALK THROUGH FIRE Felice Stevens
MCFARLAND'S FARM Cardeno C.
PUMPING IRON Nya Rawlyns
Historical Romance
STEFAN'S SCANDAL Josie Dennis
THE DIARY R.M. Jane
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April 2015
URBAN FANTASY
LOVE RAMPAGE Alex Powell
Paranormal Romance
RABBIT SEASON Megan Derr
FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS Cheyenne Meadows
NYX'S PIXIE K.M. Mahoney
ON THE ROCKS Elizabeth Morgan
Menage or More
CLAIMING ADDISON Zoey Derrick
GLAD YOU CAME Sara Brookes
I KISSED A GIRL IN VEGAS Scarlet Chastain
CENTERFOLD Kris Norris
ALWAYS THE QUIET ONES Amy Valenti
* For a comprehensive list of GLBT book reviews, check out the site.
The Romance Reviews
71
April 2015
BDSM
CARNAL BEGINNINGS Reily Garrett
SAY MY NAME J. Kenner
DRIVEN BY FATE Tessa Bailey
BEHIND BLUE EYES Tara Rose
BLYSSFUL LIES J.C. Cliff
CADENCE Ker Dukey, D.H. Sidebottom
BETTING ON FATE Katee Robert
NAUGHTY LITTLE WISHES Nina Crespo
ONE NIGHT OF TROUBLE Elle Kennedy
WILD ANGELS Lily Harlem, Helena Maeve, Rosalie
Stanton
COPS Erin M. Leaf
GAME PLAY Lynda Aicher
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April 2015
Motorcycle Club Romance
BRANDED IRISH Sara Brookes
Menage or More
HER BAREBACK COWBOYS Ylette Pearson
THE SURRENDER GATE Christopher Rice
Romantic Suspense
CARTEL Lili St. Germain
ON THE EDGE OF LOVE Shay Rucker
TIGHT Alessandra Torre
* For a comprehensive list of Erotic book reviews, check out the site
The Romance Reviews
73
We hope you have enjoyed our ezine!
For questions, suggestions, comments and feedback, please send an email to
ezine @ theromancereviews.com
2015 (c) All Rights Reserved
The Romance Reviews
The Romance Reviews
74

Ezine: April 2015 - The Romance Reviews

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