Today's Special - - Stop Four on the Avon Pennyroyal Green Excerpt Tour with Giveaway

I discovered Julie Anne Long in 2006 when I purchased a copy of Beauty and the Spy, the first book in her Holt Sisters trilogy. I enjoyed her writing and bought the next two Holt Sisters books but it was the 2008 publication of The Perils of Pleasure, the first book in her Pennyroyal Green series, that vaulted her from "I like this author's writing" to "OMG! I love this author, will shout her name from the rooftops, pre-order every book she writes, tell all my friends, and establish her own keeper shelf in my bookcase" status. Yes, I loved Colin Eversea's story that much and for the past seven years I have greeted the release of each successive book published in this series with a sense of anticipation and joy typically reserved for Belgian chocolates or NYC cheesecake. And, of course, with each book I crossed my fingers in the hope that JAL would drop a hint here or a clue there to the mystery surrounding the Romeo and Juliet romance between Lyon Redmond and Olivia Eversea. On September 29th, we will finally learn the whole story. As we count down to the release of The Legend of Lyon Redmond, let's take a step back and relive Lyon's and Olivia's story up until now by following the Avon Pennyroyal Green Excerpt Tour. 




Excerpt #4
From What I Did For A Duke by Julie Anne Long

The Duke of Falconbridge converses with Olivia Eversea

“Good evening, Your Grace. Have you been sent to court me?”

Well.

“No one sends me anywhere I do not wish to go,” he replied easily. “I’m delighted to have an opportunity to speak with you.”

“She’s immeasurably kind, my sister.” Her mouth was wry at the corner and the words ironic. She sounded as though she was making a mental note to pinch Genevieve by the ear for setting a duke upon her. For clearly she thought this was why the duke was here.

“She is indeed kind.” He was certain there would be no disadvantage to flattering Genevieve to her sister. “She knew I would enjoy your company and conversation. And she assures me that you are kind, as well.”

“I’m not,” Olivia disagreed. “I’m committed. But not kind.”

“She assured me of that, as well,” he said smoothly. “Committed is an admirable thing to be sure. I’ve been accused of a similar quality.”

He was certainly committed to a course of action, anyway, with regards to Genevieve Eversea. Though he doubted anyone would call it admirable.

Across the room he noted, the way a predator notes prey, the presence of Ian Eversea.

“You’re committed to flattery, of a certainty.” Acerbic, though one would tolerate an acid tongue for a time when the owner of it was so very pretty. Like being pecked by a songbird.

“On the contrary. I’m not merely committed to flattery. I’m a positive acolyte of flattery.”

She smiled at that, and waved her fan thoughtfully beneath her chin, cocking her head, deciding whether he interested her.

Careful, Miss Eversea. You might slip up and flirt.

He considered whether he found Olivia’s directness appealing. It certainly simplified conversation. But simplification wasn’t necessarily always an improvement. Directness often disguised as much as it revealed, and was a marvelous defense. He could imagine suitors slinking away upon having frankness batted at them by the lovely Olivia Eversea.

Primarily he suspected Olivia Eversea quite simply didn’t care what he thought of her, while Genevieve Everseas’s Impulses were…well, they were in truth…kind. She cared whether he was comfortable even when she was uncomfortable. She was, in her way, more of a challenge and less of one.

And her kindness was what he would inevitably be able to exploit to achieve his ends.

Wiley she might be. But he was building his strategy.

He looked for her again, as she was indeed committed. Genevieve was now in conversation with a Mr. Adam Sylvaine, Pennyroyal Green’s vicar and a cousin on their mother’s side. He was long-boned and easy of manner. A striking man, what with the height and silvery-fair hair. All of which darkly amused the duke. He was certain bums were packed tightly on the Pennyroyal Green’s little pews every Sunday, and that most of them belonged to female. Clever decision on the part of the Everseas, taking such a cousin as the vicar.

And knowing their proclivities, certain to result in a scandal involving some poor unwed village girl and that vicar being run out of Pennyroyal Green on a rail or tumbling out of some woman’s window.

“Perhaps you’d be kind enough to share a dance with me later this evening, Miss Eversea?”

He suspected he received precisely the same amount of attention and charm as every other man who approached her. She appeared indomitable. He suspected she was something like the opposite.

He, like everyone else, knew the story of Lyon Redmond’s disappearance, and how she had allegedly driven him away.

The loss of love took everyone differently, he knew. Perhaps she’d spent all of the love she had and was left with clever deflection to protect her wounds. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Note from PJ: 
Friday evening I received a copy of The Legend of Lyon Redmond. Here's what I posted after turning the final page at almost 2:00 am Saturday morning.

UPS delivered a review copy of THE LEGEND OF LYON REDMOND to my doorstep this evening. It's now 1:40 am and I just turned the final page with a deep and heartfelt sigh. When you long for a story for more than six years there's always a concern that it won't measure up to expectations. I needn't have worried. Julie Anne Long has outdone herself with a book that is exquisitely written, achingly romantic, heartbreakingly poignant, and supremely satisfying. It is everything I could have hoped for. And more.

I highly recommend THE LEGEND OF LYON REDMOND. It sits atop my Best of 2015 list. I can't wait to read it again...and again...and again.


Did you know that today is Julie Anne Long's birthday? Did you know it's also mine? To celebrate, I have two giveaways for you today: an autographed paperback copy of Like No Other Lover, the second book in the Pennyroyal Green series and a Kindle copy of The Legend of Lyon Redmond (to be delivered 9/29). 

To be entered in the draw, leave a comment, a birthday greeting for Julie or tell me about your favorite Pennyroyal Green book. Winners will be posted Monday night. 

(US only for Like No Other Lover)  

Pennyroyal Green Excerpt Tour Stops:

9/17 Avon Romance–THE PERILS OF PLEASURE  

9/18 All About Romance–LIKE NO OTHER LOVER

9/19 Coffee Time Romance–I KISSED AN EARL

9/20 The Romance Dish–WHAT I DID FOR A DUKE

9/21 Smexy Books–HOW THE MARQUESS WAS WON

9/22 Ever After Romance--A NOTORIOUS COUNTESS CONFESSES

9/23 RT Book Reviews–IT STARTED WITH A SCANDAL

9/24 Heroes and Heartbreakers–THE LEGEND OF LYON REDMOND

Bound by centuries of bad blood, England's two most powerful families maintain a veneer of civility . . . until the heir to the staggering Redmond fortune disappears, reviving rumors of an ancient curse: a Redmond and an Eversea are destined to fall disastrously in love once per generation.

An Enduring Legend

Rumor has it she broke Lyon Redmond's heart. But while many a man has since wooed the dazzling Olivia Eversea, none has ever won her—which is why jaws drop when she suddenly accepts a viscount's proposal. Now London waits with bated breath for the wedding of a decade . . . and wagers on the return of an heir.

An Eternal Love

It was instant and irresistible, forbidden . . . and unforgettable. And Lyon—now a driven, dangerous, infinitely devastating man—decides it's time for a reckoning. As the day of her wedding races toward them, Lyon and Olivia will decide whether their love is a curse destined to tear their families apart . . . or the stuff of which legends are made.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BOOKS IN THE PENNYROYAL GREEN SERIES (in order) with links to those reviewed here at TRD:

THE PERILS OF PLEASURE

LIKE NO OTHER LOVER

SINCE THE SURRENDER

I KISSED AN EARL

WHAT I DID FOR A DUKE

HOW THE MARQUESS WAS WON

A NOTORIOUS COUNTESS CONFESSES

IT HAPPENED ONE MIDNIGHT 

BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND IAN EVERSEA

IT STARTED WITH A SCANDAL

THE LEGEND OF LYON REDMOND (29 Sept. 2015)

Review - - The Legend of Lyon Redmond

The Legend of Lyon Redmond
By Julie Anne Long
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: September 29, 2015

Bound by centuries of bad blood, England's two most powerful families maintain a veneer of civility . . . until the heir to the staggering Redmond fortune disappears, reviving rumors of an ancient curse: a Redmond and an Eversea are destined to fall disastrously in love once per generation.

An Enduring Legend

Rumor has it she broke Lyon Redmond's heart. But while many a man has since wooed the dazzling Olivia Eversea, none has ever won her—which is why jaws drop when she suddenly accepts a viscount's proposal. Now London waits with bated breath for the wedding of a decade . . . and wagers on the return of an heir.

An Eternal Love

It was instant and irresistible, forbidden . . . and unforgettable. And Lyon—now a driven, dangerous, infinitely devastating man—decides it's time for a reckoning. As the day of her wedding races toward them, Lyon and Olivia will decide whether their love is a curse destined to tear their families apart . . . or the stuff of which legends are made.

For the past five years the residents of Pennyroyal Green have speculated about the reasons behind Lyon Redmond's sudden and unexplained departure from their village. Prevailing opinion is that a broken heart drove him away, the heart breaker, of course, being Olivia Eversea but she's not talking and nobody has seen or heard from Lyon in all that time. Until now.

For the past five years, Olivia Eversea has spurned every potential suitor, her heart belonging only to Lyon Redmond, oldest son and heir to the powerful Redmond family, enemy of the Everseas. Most of the suitors gave up when she showed no interest but not Lord Landsdowne. He persisted until Olivia finally acknowledged the fact that he wasn't going away, Lyon wasn't coming back and she wasn't getting any younger. Did she love him? No, she didn't, but she liked him and hoped that one day love might come even if it would never be the same kind of love she shared with Lyon.

It was the first week of February when Lyon Redmond received the message. She's getting married on the second Saturday in May. Of course, he knew who the "she" was. Was she happy? Was she in love? Had he waited too long? Was everything he'd done over the past five years for naught? There was only one way to find out. Lyon Redmond was returning to England and a reckoning with Olivia Eversea.

Throughout the Pennyroyal Green series, we've been teased with bits and pieces of Lyon and Olivia's relationship but, until now, only three people have known what really happened between these two: Lyon, Olivia and their creator, Julie Anne Long. The rest of us have been waiting a long time, almost eight years in some cases, for this story to be told. When a book is as highly anticipated as this one has been, for that many years, expectations are very high which means the possibility of disappointment is high as well. Unless we're talking about The Legend of Lyon Redmond. This book not only met my expectations, it blew them straight out of the water.

The book opens three months before Olivia's wedding when Lyon has been gone for five years. As the story progresses toward the wedding in "real" time, the story of Olivia and Lyon is told in flashbacks, beginning with their first meeting at the Sussex Christmas Eve Assembly five years earlier.

He wove through the crowd, leaving a little wake of turned heads. He might have even smiled and nodded appropriately, for such was his breeding, and such were his reflexes. Feminine hearts lifted and then broke as he passed.
Olivia lifted her head abruptly when he'd nearly reached her, as if she'd heard that gong. Her eyes flared for an instant.
And then she smiled.
Slowly.
Incandescently.
But with absolutely no curiosity or surprise.
More as though she'd been expecting him.
That smile...it was like walking through a door into a world he'd never suspected existed. He understood, all at once, the word "joy," and why it was so small, just three letters. It was as simple and profound as a sudden flame in the dark. 
For a moment or for a year, they stood silent and smiling like loobies, as if they'd already said everything they were ever going to say to each other, perhaps in some other lifetime.
No one else existed.
And yet later they were to discover that dozens were watching all of this via sidelong glances and outright stares and stricken glares.
"Of course," she said, finally, softly.

Julie Anne Long is, in my opinion, one of the best authors in the business and this book, again in my opinion, is her best work. Her writing is exquisite, with words that reached into my heart, eliciting every emotion. Her words paint vibrant pictures...of emotions, exotic locales, soul-deep desire, and a love for the ages.  Reading this story, I ached for Lyon and Olivia. I felt their joy, their disappointment, their fear, the sizzle that snaps between them, their strength and their vulnerability. I could fill pages with quotes, passages, everything I love about this book - and there are many, many things - but I want every reader to travel this journey with Lyon and Olivia as I did; by slowly unveiling each twist and turn, every word, phrase, passage and page, and savoring it all.

Like a beautiful symphony, The Legend of Lyon Redmond hits every note perfectly, creating a masterpiece that brought me to tears and filled my heart with joy. It's my favorite book of 2015. Years from now, when people are asked to list their all-time favorite books, I fully expect Lyon and Olivia's enduring love story to be among those at the top. It really is that good.

~PJ

Review - - Malcolm & Isabel (Pennyroyal Today)

Malcolm & Isabel (Pennyroyal Today)
by Julie Anne Long
Self-Published 
Release Date: October 15, 2018
Reviewed by PJ

In Pennyroyal Green, the past is very much alive...but the present has a power—and a magic—all its own.

Isabel Redmond never anticipated that the echoes of a legendary love will reverberate through her own life. Or that answers she's long sought might be between the pages of Olivia Eversea's diary.

Until she goes in search of her roots...and meets her tall, dark destiny under a famous pair of entwined trees.

One look into Isabel's heart-stopping blue eyes and town doctor Malcolm Coburn knows 1) getting involved will be risky; and 2) their chemistry will be scorching. But as they retrace Olivia and Lyon's footsteps in Pennyroyal Green, a tender, fiery intimacy emerges...and old wounds are laid bare. Will two people who guard their hearts as fiercely as their freedom repeat the mistakes of a pair of long-ago lovers...or will they let love alter the course of their lives?

My thoughts:

Three years ago, Julie Anne Long brought her Pennyroyal Green historical romance series to an end with the long-awaited story of Olivia Eversea and Lyon Redmond in The Legend of Lyon Redmond, my favorite book of 2015 (read my Top Dish review). Turning that final page in their story was bittersweet as, with it, came a final farewell to the families I had come to know over the course of several books...or so I thought. When I began reading the (extended-length) epilogue, I realized Ms. Long had a surprise up her sleeve: an American woman, descended from Lyon and Olivia, on a three-month holiday in present-day Pennyroyal Green. What would she discover while exploring her newly-revealed family roots? Would a happy ending of her own be in the forecast or would she return to America with a broken heart? All the answers are revealed in Long's newly released novella: Malcolm & Isabel: Pennyroyal Today. For those readers who have not read The Legend of Lyon Redmond, you should know that Malcolm & Isabel begins exactly where Isabel and Malcolm's journey ended in the epilogue. I strongly encourage readers to begin with the epilogue then pick up the story to it's conclusion in the novella. 

This story pushed every single one of my happy buttons. At 145 pages (not including the previous epilogue), it's longer than most novellas but short enough to be an easy one-day read, though, if you're like me, you'll want to take your time and savor each perfectly placed word. Julie Anne Long is brilliant at evoking emotion while bringing stories and characters to vivid life through the imagery created by her beautiful mastery of words. For example, there's this passage from early on in Malcolm and Isabel's relationship:

He'd forgotten what this kind of newness was like. Thrilling, yes. But it wasn't entirely comfortable. Maybe this was how the earth feels when spring comes upon it. A little raw and uncertain. Buds pushing up and roots reaching down are bound to hurt a little. 

Or this one...

They lay in silence for a time. If he'd been asked to define "peace," he might have said, "lying in the dark next to Isabel Redmond."

Or one more...

The air against her skin simply felt different when he was near. 

Did I mention how romantic this story is? It touched me in all the right ways, with laughter, tears, and Long's beautiful, breath-stealing language. I enjoyed the snippets of Olivia and Lyon's life after marriage that readers are treated to through the pages of Olivia's diary. While this is most definitely Isabel and Malcolm's story (and oh, how I loved these two), the interwoven glimpses of Olivia and Lyon brought an additional layer of pleasure to this longtime fan. And speaking of pleasure, let's hear it for Sir Clive Dunkirk, the crusty, aging rock star, and apparent distant relative of Isabel's, who steals every single scene he's in. By the end of the story, I wanted to download every song his band had recorded. I also wanted to stock my jewelry box with Isabel's uniquely crafted earring designs. It's a good thing both the band and the earrings are fictional or Julie Anne Long and her exquisitely detailed descriptions would be a huge drain on my bank account! 

When I first read the epilogue in The Legend of Lyon Redmond, I immediately wrote to the author, begging for Isabel and Malcolm's story. When I finished this novella, I did the same. But, this time, I begged for more contemporary Pennyroyal Green tales. Long has populated this sleepy little town with a plethora of intriguing characters: from doctors, to pub owners, to charming, rapscallion musicians and self-aware actresses, to dishy vicars, to self-important aristocracy, and more. Some are descended from familiar historical Pennyroyal Green characters, others not, but all are deserving of happy endings of their own and I'm hopeful Ms. Long will agree.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do you enjoy revisiting beloved characters after their HEA?

Isabel inherited Olivia's diary and Lyon's timepiece and cherished both. Which of your possessions would you like a future descendant to cherish? 

Malcolm and Isabel each have a tattoo that reveals something important about them. Do you have any tattoos? What would yours say about you? 

Because I loved both of these stories so much, I'm giving a Kindle copy of The Legend of Lyon Redmond and Malcolm & Isabel to one person who leaves a comment before 11:00 PM, October 16.  

Our Best Books of 2015

I seem to say this every December but this year, 2015, truly was an exceptional year for romance fiction and choosing my top ten was more difficult than it has been in years. While we're all looking forward to the new stories awaiting us in 2016, Janga, Lisa, Manda, Hellie and I have taken a moment to look back over the past twelve months and put together lists of our favorite books of 2015. 

Janga’s Top Ten Romance Novels of 2015

This reader has found 2015 a very good year. Among the 352 books I read in 2015, I gave 4.5-5.0 stars to slightly more than 16 percent of them.  Although I read roughly the same number of historicals and contemporaries, more than half of the books that left me raving to friends and preparing for a reread were historicals. Selecting a top ten from the forty plus romance/women’s fiction titles on my A list was a difficult task that involved rereading sections of books and frantically reordering a dozen times or so. Because I am still wavering on how I rank the top ten after I move past #1, I list them in order of release date.

1.     Rise, Karina Bliss (January 14)

This was my top contemporary read of the year, and I’m not really a fan of rock star romances. But Bliss won me with this redemption story of a bad-boy musician who is risking everything on a comeback and the college professor/Pulitzer Prize-winning historian whom he convinces to write his biography. These are flawed, intelligent characters who should not work as pair but who do regardless. They left me rooting for them as individuals and as a couple. Bliss made a believer out of me. Now I want to know what’s next in the Rock Solid series.

2.     It Started with a Scandal, Julie Anne Long (March 31)

With readers panting for Lyon and Olivia’s story, the book before the long-awaited conclusion to their romance could have been a colossal failure. Instead, Long gives readers a cross-class romance that ranks with the best in the genre. Two people who are all wrong and all right for each other fall in love in an unforgettable tale. Then, there’s a child who totally won my heart. I love this book!

3.     This Heart of Mine, Brenda Novak (March 31)

Novak’s eighth novel in her Whiskey Creek series is a romance with a heroine who has just been

released from prison and a hero who became a single father at eighteen. I think Novak deserves special recognition for moving off predictable paths with the characters in this series. I give this my Best of Series Award and consider it one of the best books this prolific author has written.

4.     The Color of Light, Emilie Richards (July 28)

Emilie Richards has been on my auto-buy list for more than two decades, and this story about a woman pastor, a priest experiencing a crisis of vocation, and the imperfections and overcomings of a contemporary congregation earned a spot on a special keeper shelf for comfort rereads. I think it is her best since Prospect Street (2003).

5.     Luck Be a Lady, Meredith Duran (August 25)

Duran had two winners this year, but Luck Be a Lady edged out Lady Be Good because I so admired Duran’s ability to take a man who behave immorally and an ice queen devoid of human attachments and make me not only believe in them as hero and heroine but also root for their HEA.

6.     Not Always a Saint, Mary Jo Putney (August 25)

MJP is one of my never-fail authors. I’ve loved every book of hers, but some are more beloved than others. This one falls in the latter group. Daniel is a good, although imperfect, man who tries to live a life of wholeness, that is, a life in which his choices reflect his beliefs. He falls for a “wicked widow” with an immediacy and intensity that surprises even him. I love a rogue as much as any romance reader—and MJP has created some classic rogues—but I also love a deftly crafted good-guy hero.

7.     Forever Your Earl, Eva Leigh (September 29, 2015)

Since Eva Leigh is also Zoe Archer, she is not eligible for debut of the year honors, but she counts as my discovery of the year (via PJ’s recommendation). This book made me an instant fan. I especially loved the intelligence of the characters and the gender reversal of a heroine passionate about her work and a hero in need of substance and meaning in his life. Plus the prose is wonderful with the sound and sense melding of poetry.

8.     The Legend of Lyon Redmond, Julie Anne Long (September 29)

This is it: my top read of the year! My expectations were so high that I was afraid to turn the first page for fear that it would disappoint, but those fears proved groundless. Long weaves together the tangled past and present of Lyon Redmond and Olivia Eversea with skill and grace and gives enough of a glance at their future to leave readers with a happy sigh. This book was everything I hoped it would be and more, and it left me an even more devoted fan of Julie Anne Long.

9.     Dukes Prefer Blondes, Loretta Chase (December 29)

Fans have been asking for Lady Clara’s book since the Dressmakers series began, and Chase delivers in the best book of the series. I don’t want to preview my upcoming review or to include spoilers, so suffice it to say Chase offers further evidence of why she justifiably has the reputation of being one of the best writers in the genre of romance. I’ve read DPB twice and I’m sure I will be rereading it again.

10.  Anything for You, Kristan Higgins (December 29)

Kristan Higgins’s Blue Heron series has become one of my all-time favorite series, and the combination of humor, emotional power, and superior storytelling that characterize this book demonstrate how the series has earned that distinction. AFY is the story of Connor O’Rourke and Jessica Dunn, two characters in whom many fans are already invested, and it is a blue ribbon winner. A review of this book is also forthcoming.

Glancing over this list, I long to reread them all, but I am also reminded of books I loved almost as much that are not on the list. Mary Balogh’s Survivors’ Club series continues to be incredibly good. Manda Collins and Madeline Hunter gave me all-time favorite heroes. Tessa Dare and Eloisa James gave me books with humor and heart that I cherish, as I do the books by Kim Law, Julia London and Marilyn Pappano that moved me to tears. Grace Burrowes proved as addictive in contemporary romance as in historicals, Anne Gracie and Rose Lerner, in their usual fashion, added books to my keeper shelves, and Lauren Willig ended a beloved series with wit and grace. Forgive me if I repeat myself, but 2015 was a very good year for this romance reader.

Lisa's Top Ten   

1.      When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare

2.      Trade Me by Courtney Milan

3.      Suddenly One Summer by Julie James

4.      The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah MacLean (12/29 release)

5.      The Liar by Nora Roberts

6.      Fallen by Carey Baldwin

7.      Hero by Night by Sara Jane Stone

8.      The Legend of Lyon Redmond by Julie Anne Long

9.      Dead by Midnight by Pamela Clare

10.    Dearest Rogue by Elizabeth Hoyt

Manda's Top Ten  (in no particular order)

Beyond Limits -- Laura Griffin

We've been waiting a couple of years to see Elizabeth LeBlanc and Derek Vaughn get their HEA and it was worth the wait. I especially loved that Elizabeth was great at her job and didn't need to be rescued. Griffin never fails to keep me riveted and her subtle characterization makes her romantic suspense some of the best out there.

Closer Than You Think -- Karen Rose

When I heard Karen Rose was moving the action of her romantic suspense novels back to Cincinnati,  I was a little worried we'd be leaving all out favorites from her Baltimore books behind.  But I shouldn't have worried. Both Faith and Deacon put in appearances in previous books, and Karen Rose's tight plotting and stellar characterization are present no matter where her books are set. I loved this one,  even when I was gasping at some of the over the top twists.

Still the One -- Jill Shalvis

I usually think of Jill Shalvis as a writer I can go to for laughs and witty banter--and there is plenty of that here--but I didn't expect to find myself nodding in recognition at her description of how it feels to distrust your own body. Darcy Stone's struggle to regain her mobility after a bad auto accident is chock full of moments like that for me. And her romance with hunky physical therapist AJ is sweet and funny. Shalvis at her best.

The Other Side of Midnight -- Simone St.James

With her trademark combination of period detail and paranormal mystery, The Other Side of Midnight is a poignant and powerful addition to St. James's canon. Set in the years after WWI when England is mourning the loss of a generation of young men, it's the story of a reluctant medium and a determined policeman.  Wonderful book.

The Shameless Hour -- Sarina Bowen

Sarina Bowen was one of my happiest discoveries this year.  From the first book her Ivy Years series has pushed boundaries,  and The Shameless Hour is no exception. With a virgin hero and a heroine who isn't afraid to own her sexuality, this book takes on the issue of campus sexual assault with insight and humor without feeling like an after school special.  Plus it's just a solid romance with a cute and sexy beta hero.

The Friend Zone -- Kristen Callihan

I kinda hate Kristen Callihan. Okay,  maybe jealous is a better word.  Not only does she write amazing paranormal historical romance,  but she also has written one of my favorite New Adult romances of the year. Gray Grayson and Ivy MacKenzie are funny and sweet together and their story hits all the right notes. It's smoking hot, but also incredibly tender. This is just damn good romance.

Taking the Heat -- Victoria Dahl

Take one sexy male librarian,  one surprisingly innocent advice columnist and add strong attraction and you've got the makings of Victoria Dahl's latest Jackson Hole set contemporary romance.  Fresh and funny, sexy and sweet,  I adored sexy beta hero Gabe and his mad skillz (librarianish and otherwise). And Veronica's self doubt over her failed attempt to leave home for the big city really hit close to home for me.

Dark Wild Night -- Christina Lauren

There needs to be a word for that feeling you get when a couple you've been rooting for over several

books finally gets together. If there was such a word Dark Wild Night would be next to its definition in the dictionary.  Lola and Oliver surprised me in a great way. Their own story was both sweeter and sexier than I expected.  And I loved it. If Comic Book Guys are like Oliver sign me up!

Irresistibly Yours -- Lauren Layne

Fun and frothy, sexy and sweet,  Lauren Layne's contemporary romances set amid the exciting world of New York magazine publishing are another of my favorite discoveries this year.  Complete with a charming meet-cute this funny,  sexy friends to lovers story deserves to stand out in the crowded contemporary field.

? -- ?

Since there's still a month to go,  and I'm an optimist, I'm leaving the #10 slot blank.  Because it always makes me nervous to compile a list of the best books of the year before the year is over. So, here's to finding #10 and another year of new discoveries. 

Hellie's Favorite Books of 2015

I’ll be honest: picking favorite romance novels for me is like picking my favorite M&Ms out of the giant bag. I mean, sure, I love the green ones, but are the orange ones that bad? No. They’re all awesome and make me feel a big pile of mush and goodness when I’m in their presence. And I can’t stop consuming them.

But I’ll give it a shot.

If you’ve been around my reviews a while, you would imagine this is going to be a list of ONE. Because there’s only one book that came out this year that I absolutely cared about more than I could about my own firstborn with Tom Hiddleston.

     THE LEGEND OF LYON REDMOND by Julie Anne Long 

      Oh, BFF, Jules, you lived up to your own legend. This book was magical, funny, romantic, and angsty-angsty goodness. I had to wait a long time for this Happily Ever After, but it was brilliant.

      IT STARTED WITH A SCANDAL by Julie Anne Long

      The penultimate leading up to Lyon’s book. I honestly couldn’t tell you what happened in it now because I still have Lyon’s ballad in my head, but I remember loving and rhapsodizing about it at the time.

      WHEN A SCOT TIES THE KNOT by Tessa Dare

      I feel like I’m saying this with every new Tessa Dare series, but really the Castles Ever After is her best series. (I will undoubtedly say it about whatever series she writes next.) But OMG, I could not stop laughing in this book. The scene with the bog—I think I cackled a lung out of my body just reading it. Then I wanted to read it aloud to someone and act it out so they could enjoy it as much as I did.

      SAY YES TO THE MARQUESS by Tessa Dare

      Much like It Started With a Scandal—I can’t tell you much about it other than I laughed and enjoyed it mightily at the time.

      COLD HEARTED RAKE by Lisa Kleypas

      Being we have waited AGES for a new Lisa Kleypas historical, I think this is on most everyone’s favorite list this year. She writes the most delicious rakes of all time.

      SWEETEST SCOUNDREL by Elizabeth Hoyt

      OMG! The scene with the highwaymen. Asa is so BADASS and delicious and I loved him so dearly. I just love Elizabeth Hoyt heroes. They’re not conventional, but they are wholly, WHOLLY masculine and sex-on-a-stick.

     THE STRIKER by Monica McCarty

      I cannot get enough of her books. This story was sadder than many of the others in this series (though her stories are typically emotionally powerful and you are put through the wringer each time you read one). I was so worried this couple wouldn’t work out because there was so much to let go of. Relationships where a betrayal of trust occurs are terribly hard to put back together, especially when the betrayal is something as large as large numbers of men lost in a battle.

Now the next three I haven’t actually read yet because they’re due later this year, et al, but they’re on this list because I have a good feeling I will want them on this list.

      THE ROCK by Monica McCarty

      THE ROGUE NOT TAKEN by Sara Maclean

      ANYTHING FOR YOU by Kristan Higgins


PJ's Top Ten (in no particular order)

Mistress Firebrand: Renegades of the American Revolution by Donna Thorland (March 3)

Thorland continues to bring the passion and danger of the American Revolution to life through her well-developed characters, believable scenarios and impeccable writing. Her characters leap from the pages, so realistic that it's often difficult to discern the historical figures from the fictional. If you enjoy historical romance set amidst the American colonies' struggle for independence, Donna Thorland should be your go-to author. 

Montana Cherries by Kim Law (July 28)

A complex, compelling story that delves into the impact of mental illness on a family. This emotional, contemporary romance was originally meant to be a stand-alone but Law has since decided to write more stories for the Wilde family. If any characters deserve happy endings, it's these and I'm delighted that the talented Kim Law has decided to take them on. 

Tiffany Girl by Deeanne Gist (May 5)

In Tiffany Girl, as well as her other Chicago World's Fair books, Gist creates a sense of time and place that draws me into the world of her characters as if I'm traveling their journey with them. Her research is impeccable and her well-formed characters come to life through the pages of the book. She brings 1893 New York City to life in this intriguing look into the lives of the independent, working women known as the Tiffany Girls.  

Second Chance Summer by Jill Shalvis (June 30)

Second Chance Summer has everything I look for in a contemporary romance: spot-on dialog, a rich and real depth of emotion, laughter and tears, a sizzling romance, and a patchwork family that has captured my heart. Lily and Aidan are complex characters who have been given a second chance but only by overcoming fear and guilt, and finding forgiveness and acceptance will they have a shot at a happy ending together. This is Shalvis at her best!

The Legend of Lyon Redmond by Julie Anne Long (September 29)

I waited a long time for this book. A long time. The final story in Long's Pennyroyal Green series, this brings us the highly anticipated journey of Lyon Redmond and Olivia Eversea. When expectations are as high as they were for this story, the fear of disappointment is always lurking. I'm delighted to say that Long not only met my expectations, she blew them them straight out of the water. The best way to describe my feelings for The Legend of Lyon Redmond, my top book of 2015, is through the final paragraph of my 5-Star, Top Dish review of the book: "Like a beautiful symphony, The Legend of Lyon Redmond hits every note perfectly, creating a masterpiece that brought me to tears and filled my heart with joy. It's my favorite book of 2015. Years from now, when people are asked to list their all-time favorite books, I fully expect Lyon and Olivia's enduring love story to be among those at the top. It really is that good."

Forever Your Earl by Eva Leigh (September 29)

Smart writing, an intelligent, independent heroine, fast-paced action, a rich secondary cast and a worthy hero who captured my heart highlight this outstanding historical romance by Eva Leigh. Leigh, who also writes historical adventure and historical paranormal romances as Zoe Archer has been a favorite of mine for years but I think she's hit a new high with this first book in her The Wicked Quills of London series.

Sweetest Scoundrel by Elizabeth Hoyt (November 24)

My favorite book in an outstanding series of favorites, Sweetest Scoundrel is lush, sizzling, deeply emotional, and endearingly romantic. I adore an earthy, rough-around-the-edges hero with a vulnerable heart and Asa Makepeace is one of the best. Pair him with a repressed spinster who has never known desire or love and who carries a dark secret in her heart and I'm there. Asa and Eve are among my all-time favorite heroes and heroines and their story is a keeper. 

Obsession Falls by Christina Dodd (September 8)

I love a good suspense thriller that engages all my senses and keeps me glued to the pages. Obsession Falls grabbed me from the get-go and took me on a roller-coaster ride of emotions from the shocking beginning to the OMG twist at the end. Fast-paced, intense, and filled with more twists and turns than a mountain road, this is a story that refused to let go. I read the entire book - 401 pages - in one day, forgetting about everything but these characters and their gripping story. 

Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare (December 30, 2014)

I've been a Tessa Dare fan since her debut. She never fails to delight me with the charm and humor of her books. Though both of her 2015 releases were 5-star reads for me, this one edged out When a Scot Ties the Knot for "best of" honors. Rafe and Clio captured my heart with their determination to make their mark despite the vulnerability they hid from the world and delighted me with their banter. I may never look at wedding cakes the same way again. 

Behind the Mask by Carolyn Crane (May 18)

Carolyn Crane blew me away with this intense, gritty, romantic suspense thriller that pairs deeply flawed characters fighting for their lives. This is not my usual type of reading but I couldn't turn away from the book and I'm still thinking about the main characters more than six months after reading their story. Crane's writing is exquisite, with multi-layered, complex, supremely flawed characters within a world that is painted in such perfect detail that I was right there with them every step of their non-stop, action-packed journey. 

There were many exceptional books published in 2015. A few that didn't make my top ten cut but deserve honorable mention are: Home by Morning by Kaki Warner, The Striker by Monica McCarty, It Started with a Scandal by Julie Anne Long, Playing with Fire by Kate Meader, The Spring Bride by Anne Gracie, Good Earl Gone Bad by Manda Collins, Four Nights with the Duke by Eloisa James, Rogue Spy by Joanna Bourne and The Match of the Century by Cathy Maxwell. As Janga mentioned above, it was a very good year for romance! 

There were also many outstanding novellas published this year. A few of my favorites were Lord Dashwood Missed Out by Tessa Dare, A Pirate for Christmas by Anna Campbell, Her Pirate from the Past by Caro Carson, and Melting Point by Kate Meader


What books made your Best of 2015 list? 

Three lucky people who leave comments will be winners. I'm giving away a print copy of The Legend of Lyon Redmond (US only), a print copy of Forever Your Earl (US only) and a Kindle copy of The Legend of Lyon Redmond (open to all). Winners will be drawn from all comments left before 9:00 pm, December 30, 2015 (EST).