Coming Attractions

I don’t know about you but after this brutal winter, I am welcoming March and some warmer weather. Since March typically indicates the beginning of spring (here in the U.S.), we at the Romance Dish are “blooming” with an exciting list of coming attractions! Please help us celebrate March by stopping by often. We have a lot of wonderful guest authors lined up along with some great reviews, regular monthly blogs, and, as always, many prizes up for grabs!

Make sure to stop by on Monday, March 3^rd, as we will post an exclusive excerpt from the second book in Vanessa Kelly’s Renegade Royals series, Confessions of a Royal Bridegroom. And there might just be an ARC giveaway….

On Wednesday, March 5^th, we welcome New York Times bestselling historical author Cara Elliott to the blog! Cara’s latest, Scandalously Yours and Sinfully Yours, will be joined by Passionately Yours in March!

Grab a pen and paper to jot down your favorite March books from Andrea’s New Releases list on Friday, March 7^th!

Tuesday, March 11^th brings Donna Thorland’s Rebel Pirate Review Tour our way! Stop by to see what PJ thinks of the second book of Donna’s Renegades of the Revolution series.

Drop by on Wednesday, March 12^th, as PJ interviews a rising star in romantic suspense, Carey Baldwin! Her latest book, Confession, releases March 4^th!

Make Your Reservations on Thursday, March 13^th, as we let you know which books we are most looking forward to in April.

Stop by on Friday, March 14^th, when PJ does a Q&A with historical author Rebecca Paisley! Two of Rebecca’s most loved books, Diamonds and Dreams and The Barefoot Bride,  have been reissued in e-book format by Amber House Books.

On Tuesday, March 18^th, we are excited to welcome New York Times bestselling author Barbara O’Neal to the Romance Dish! Her upcoming book, The All You Can Dream Buffet releases March 4^th.  

Please join us on Wednesday, March 19th, when we host a book reveal for historical author Katharine Ashe! Should be exciting!!

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Marie Force joins us on Thursday, March 20^th! Fatal Jeopardy, the seventh book in her award-winning Fatal series, releases March 24^th!

Monday, March 24^th, is when the always witty and glamorous Anna Campbell will bring us her Second Helping of a book or books that we may have missed the first time around.

Historical author Delilah Marvelle is interviewed by PJ on Tuesday, March 25^th! Delilah’s upcoming, Night of Pleasure, is the fourth book in her popular Gallantry series and hits shelves on March 28^th.

On Wednesday, March 26^th, PJ will be celebrating the RITA and Golden Heart nominations as they are announced! Join us to dish on the books that are nominated, which ones you think will win, and who you think was robbed of a deserved nomination!

Be sure to stop by on Thursday, March 27^th when we host the Great Scots Tour and are joined by Scottish historical authors Paula Quinn and Sue-Ellen Wolfonder. Paula’s upcoming book, The Seduction of Miss Amelia Bell, releases March 25^th, and Sue-Ellen’s upcoming book, To Love a Highlander, releases April 29^th!

Spotlight - - The Bride Says Maybe

What happens when a bride says maybe?

She'd once been the toast of London, but now scandal has brought her down. Still, pretty, petted Lady Tara Davidson can't believe her new fate. She had wanted to marry for love . . . but her profligate father has promised her hand to none other than Breccan Campbell, the "Beast of Aberfeldy" and laird of the valley's most despised clan! Well, Tara may have to marry him, but Breccan can't make her love him—can he?

What happens when the groom insists?

Breccan Campbell is nobody's fool. He knows that Tara is trouble. Yet he's determined to reform the Campbell name even if it means forging an alliance with the arrogant beauty. There's no doubt that Tara is a challenge, and Breccan loves nothing more. For he's vowed to thoroughly seduce Tara—and make her his in more than name alone.

Castle Campbell
By Kim in Baltimore
SOS Aloha Book Blog


I once mentioned to my English mother that I wanted to visit castles.  She replied, “Go to Scotland.  It has more castles than any other country.”   Indeed, I have visited Scotland twice, hunting for castles.   The crumbling castles ignite my imagination.

Lady Tara Davidson, the pampered heroine in Cathy Maxwell’s THE BRIDE SAYS MAYBE, does not share my perspective.    When she marries Laird Breccan Campbell, “Beast of Aberfeldy”, she accompanies him to his home, Wolfstone Castle, “at the shadow of Schiehallion, the mountain that was also known as The Constant Storm.”  As Tara would soon learn, Wolfstone Castle did not offer the comforts of the Regency Era.  Tara’s adventures in the castle, and her interactions with Breccan’s clansmen, are a highlight of THE BRIDE SAYS MAYBE.

The Clan Campbell rose to prominence in Scottish History with Robert I.   Sir Neil Campbell (Niall ma Caile) supported The Bruce and married his sister Mary.   Their descendents became the Earls, Marquesses, and Dukes of Argyll for their battlefield prowess and royal alliances.   To the victor go the spoils, including picturesque castles that capture the spirit of Scotland:

-       Castle Campbell, nicknamed Castle Gloom, was the seat of the chief of Clan Campbell until 1654.

-       Inverary Castle in Argyll is the current seat of the Chief of Clan Campbell.

-       Kilchurn Castle was the seat of the Campbell of Glenorchy and Breadalbane branch of the clan

My family visited Castle Campbell during our first trip to Scotland.   The imposing ruin sparked my imagination as I heard whispers of glory from a time past.    Cathy’s books continue to feed my imagination of Scotland. I invite you to join Tara, Breccan, and the Clan Campbell in THE BRIDE SAYS MAYBE.  

Thanks, Kim!

Readers, have you ever been inspired by a place you've visited? Heard the whispers of glory from a time gone by?  One randomly chosen person who leaves a comment will win a copy of THE BRIDE SAYS MAYBE ( winner's choice of format)

Marilyn Baron Winner

The winner of a PDF copy of Homecoming Homicides by Marilyn Baron is:

Cathy P

Congratulations!  To claim your book, please send your full name and mailing address to

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Review - - The Trouble with Honor

The Trouble with Honor

By Julia London

Publisher: Harlequin HQN

Release Date: February 25, 2014

Honor Cabot and her three sisters benefited socially and financially from their widowed mother’s marriage to the wealthy and indulgent Earl of Beckington. But the earl is near death, her mother is showing alarming signs of mental illness, and the earl’s heir will soon marry Monica Hargrove, Honor’s former friend and present enemy. Augustine may be fond of his step-sisters, but Honor knows that once he is the earl and Monica is his countess, there will be no room in the Beckington London house or at Longmeadow, the family’s country estate for a madwoman and her four daughters. As the eldest, Honor feels compelled to take care of her family. But she needs time, time to find a husband that she can love and who will also be wealthy enough to provide for her mother and sisters. In order to gain time, she must stop Augustine’s wedding, and a recent acquaintance is just the person she needs to help her.

George Easton is the illegitimate son of a maid and a royal duke. Although the duke never acknowledged George, George’s mother, by means unknown to George, secured a stipend from his father that provided an upper-class education for her son, but George remains on the fringes of polite society, ignored by the sticklers and tolerated within limits by the more liberal. His own efforts and skill in speculation won him a fortune, but he has a habit of losing fortunes more easily than he gains them. He also has a reputation for his way with women and his skill with games of chance. George bears some scars from his bastard status, but he harbors no illusions about his social status.  

In the ordinary course of events, Honor and George would never have met, but Honor enjoys flouting society’s rules. One winter evening, in the company of a few other daring debutantes and young gentlemen, Honor visits the latest fashionable gaming hell and wins a hundred pounds from George, to everyone’s amazement but her own. Honor remembers George’s looks, his fortune, and his reputation for charming the ladies when she hits upon the idea of Monica’s being seduced away from Augustine. George has no intention of agreeing to take part in the scheme, but he finds it impossible to resist Honor’s unique combination of beauty and daring. He also understands her desire to take care of her mother. Neither Honor nor George is prepared for the spark of attraction between them to become a conflagration that threatens life as they know it and promises something of which they have barely dreamed.

I’ve been reading Julia London’s books, historicals and contemporaries, with pleasure for the past decade, and I was pleased when I learned that she was introducing a new historical series with The Trouble with Honor. When I read a London historical romance, I expect a combination of the traditional and the unconventional. Often the unconventional is a primary character who is less than likeable but whose clear motivation and intriguing complexities win me over even when I begin by disliking him/her.  The Trouble with Honor has the unconventional character, but this time the character never fully overcame my initial reservations.

I did like George. The dissolute hero with an unfair share of charm and his own sense of honor is a familiar type to romance readers, but London gives George the dimensions to make him a strikingly individual character. He won my heart, as I want the hero to do.  Readers who like their romances with abundant sizzle will be delighted with the passion between George and Honor. But Honor inspired mixed reactions in me. On the one hand, her plight effectively demonstrates the limited options open to women, and I fully sympathize with her frustration over those limitations. But at times she came across as just silly and shallow. Frankly, in the battle with Monica, my sympathies were often with Monica. Because London allows her reader access to Monica’s point of view, it is difficult to ever see her as the manipulative bitch she is in Honor’s estimation.

I also never understood why the earl’s death leaves Honor and her family in such straits. He is a man of great wealth. I’m no expert on nineteenth-century British history, but I thought the widow was provided for according to law and that the provision usually included a dower house. It also seemed logical to me that so loving and indulgent a parent as the earl would have provided for his stepdaughters.  Also, one of the key scenes that some readers may find romantic just made me cringe. (I’m being vague to avoid spoilers.)

Final analysis: The Trouble with Honor is an interesting book, one that I found difficult to put down once I began it. I love George, and the relationship among the four sisters was realistic and endearing. The concerns about their mother’s disintegration added particular poignancy in an era when mental illness was feared and treatment was inhumane. However, the trouble I had with Honor and her situation was not resolved by the HEA, and this book will not be one of my favorite Julia London titles. Nevertheless, I am captivated enough to return for The Fall of Grace, Book 2 in the series set for release on July 29, 2014.

~Janga
http://justjanga.blogspot.com

Review - - The Bride Says Maybe

The Bride Says Maybe

By Cathy Maxwell

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: February 25, 2014

Lady Tara Davidson was once one of the London season’s most brightly shining diamonds. Now she is one of its most titillating scandals. Furthermore, she believes that she has lost the love of her life, the man for whom she forfeited her reputation and marriage to a wealthy, highly connected man. Tara is feeling sorry for herself when things get even worse. Her profligate father has gambled away the small fortune he gained from his new son-in-law (The Bride Says No) and is heavily in debt. All his debts have been bought up by Breccan Campbell, the Beast of Aberfeld, who has demanded marriage to Tara in exchange. Leaving Tara little time to protest, her father has arranged for the wedding to take place in an hour. But Tara refuses to accept her fate. She reverts to type, disguises herself as a boy, and runs away.

Breccan Campbell may be the powerful laird within his clan, but in the larger community, he is viewed as a big, dumb, graceless beast, the very opposite of his polished, gentlemanly cousin, Owen Campbell, and the last man expected to win the hand of an acclaimed beauty. But Breccan is far smarter and more determined than his critics can imagine. Fascinated by Tara from his first glimpse of her when she rode into his stables looking for Ruary Jamerson, he refuses to recognize obstacles. He is not only stirred by Tara’s beauty, but he also sees marriage to her as a way of assuring that his children will not share his awkwardness and become targets of mockery. When Tara runs away, he pursues her and persuades her to accept his bargain: marry him, give him a child or two, and he will fund her escape to London where she will be just another married woman living a life separate from her husband’s.

And so the two are married. What comes next is predictable, of course. After all, this is romance. But the journey to the HEA is filled with conflict, machinations of those with evil intent, sage advice from loyal relatives, advances and retreats, and surprising sweetness. In other words, it is one fine story.

I confess that I approached The Bride Says Maybe with some trepidation. I actively disliked Tara in the first Brides of Wishmore book, and I harbored doubts that she could be redeemed in my eyes. I should have trusted Cathy Maxwell. Not only did she reveal unexpected depths to Tara, but she also showed Tara’s growth into a person who truly loved and thus lost her self-centered modus operandi. To my surprise, I found Tara a sympathetic character, one whose HEA left me sighing blissfully.

Breccan had me from the beginning. I love variations of the Beauty and the Beast tale, and gentle giants are among my favorite heroes. I particularly loved the heart of Breccan, the man he was behind his rough exterior, a man with dreams, intelligence, and an underlying morality. The fact that Tara came to appreciate all that he was and to love him devotedly certainly raised my estimation of her.

There were so many things I loved about this book. I loved the conversations, sometimes beginning in contentiousness, that Tara and Breccan shared, conversations that resulted in revelations that allowed them to know one another beyond their preconceptions. I also loved the flashes of humor in this book. The incident with the broken bed and the erroneous conclusions left me laughing out loud, as did Tara’s relationship with Daphne, one of Breccan’s beloved dogs.

The result was that I liked this book even better than the first one. So if, like me, after book one, you have reservations about the redemption of the heroine, know that Cathy Maxwell proves fully capable of transforming Lady Tara into a heroine readers will understand, like, and root for. If you did not read the first book, Maxwell gives enough of the backstory early on that The Bride Says Maybe can effortlessly be read as a standalone. For readers who love Beauty and the Beast stories, this one offers a new twist. For readers whose hearts beat faster when the hero is a Scotsman, Breccan is a delight. For readers who enjoy historical romance that evokes a few laughs, inspires ample sighs, and reminds that characters are not always what they seem, I think you will love this book as much as I did.

~Janga
http://justjanga.blogspot.com

Harlequin Roundup

by Anna Campbell

I haven't done a Harlequin roundup for ages and given we've just had Valentine's Day, it seemed like a nice opportunity to review a couple of category romances that I've recently really enjoyed. 

The first one is a real charmer from an author I hadn't read before. Nikki Logan happens to be the current president of Romance Writers of Australia and I've met her many times. I even did a crit on the start of a romantic suspense that she'd written before she was published. But I'd never read one of her Harlequins until I picked up HOW TO GET OVER YOUR EX (January 2013), one of the new Harlequin Kiss line. 

Poor Georgia Stone! She proposes to long-time boyfriend Daniel over the air as part of a radio station's Valentine's Day promotion. And he knocks her back. Ouch! Station manager Zander Rush decides to rescue this stunt gone wrong by instituting something called "The Year of Georgia" where he escorts Georgia to a whole range of new experiences including a makeover and a trip to Turkey. Georgia gradually comes to realize that, despite Daniel's rejection, there actually wasn't anything wrong with her in the first place and she doesn't need to become a new person. Through sharing all these experiences and getting to know Georgia, Zander realizes that he has taken a few wrong turns in his life. I love a romance where the hero and heroine grow into more fulfilled, better people at the end, and that's the case here. I smiled the whole way through this lovely book!

My next selection is also by an Aussie author, the fabulous Sarah Mayberry. THE OTHER SIDE OF US (SuperRomance, January 2013) revisits a familiar theme from Sarah's work about how sometimes life's unexpected turns can at first seem a catastrophe but in the end, become opportunities for growth and fulfillment.

Mackenzie Williams is the sort of woman who makes most workaholics look like complete slackers. She's achieved major success as the producer of a television drama when she has a horrific car crash on the way to a location shoot. When we meet her, Mackenzie is holed up in her beach house on the Mornington Peninsula near Melbourne after a 12 month convalescence. She's angry and bitter and worried that she might lose her place in the dog eat dog world of television production. She's also pushing her body beyond where she should in her attempt to return to the woman she was before her accident.

Oliver Barrett, ex rock muso and current music producer, has just discovered that his wife of six years has been cheating on him the whole time with her ex. Devastated, angry, confused, he retreats to a beach house he inherited with the idea of taking a few weeks to sort through his late aunt's possessions and preparing the house for sale. Guess who's next door? Yup, prickly, difficult, intriguing Mackenzie. These two have a rocky road to romance, with quite a few hairpin bends relating to their baggage. But in typical Sarah Mayberry style, they're wonderful, complex, interesting characters who leap breathing and arguing and loving from the pages. Highly recommended!

My last book for this roundup is prodigious talent Sarah Morgan's sexy and intense LOST TO THE DESERT WARRIOR (Harlequin Presents, September 2013). I love Sarah's books - don't miss her first single title SLEIGH BELLS IN THE SNOW that came out last October. I love how Sarah takes the classic Presents style - the alpha hero, the glamor, the drama, the high stakes emotions - and makes it completely her own. It's no accident that she's won the RITA award two years in a row for best short category romance!

Princess Layla's only hope of escaping an odious arranged marriage is to flee into the desert in search of the true heir to Tazkhan's throne, Sheikh Raz Al Zahki, and propose herself as his bride. The problem is that Raz has lost a beloved wife to Layla's evil family's machinations and he's sworn never to wed again. Not to mention he's convinced that Layla is just a chip off the old rotten block of her father and cousin.

I love marriage of convenience stories and this one's a doozy! Raz is wonderful: brooding and grieving, but passionate, wise and kind. Sigh. Layla is a fantastic character. She's spent her life learning things from books so she's got all this arcane knowledge rattling around in her head, knowledge that proves of very little use when it comes to managing the man she rapidly falls head over heels in love with. This one's very much a fairytale, romantic and fun and steamy.

So have you read any good Harlequins lately?

Today's Special - - Marilyn Baron

We had server problems Thursday when this was originally posted and several people were not able to access the site. Because of that we are re-posting Marilyn's blog post today. The comments from both posts will be combined to randomly choose the winner of Marilyn's giveaway.  


It's always a pleasure to host award-winning novelist Marilyn Baron here at The Romance Dish.  I've had the pleasure of getting to know Marilyn at conferences over the years.  She's a lovely lady who just happens to write wonderful books!  A native of Miami, Florida and a graduate of the University of Florida, Marilyn currently lives in the Atlanta, Georgia area.  You can find more information about Marilyn and her books at her website and connect online at the following locations. 

Web site at www.marilynbaron.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marilyn-Baron/286807714666748?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/favorites

Blog: www.petitfoursandhottamales.com

Thank you for joining us today, Marilyn.  The floor is yours!

Write “Where” You Know

By Marilyn Baron

We’ve all heard the expression, “Write what you know.” But how many authors write “where” they know? If you’re writing fantasy or historical you’re most likely using your imagination because your “real” world doesn’t exist or it existed centuries earlier. Chances are the same is true if you’re writing paranormal.  I went back and reviewed my books to see where I stood on the “Write Where You Know-O-Meter.”

Turns out that in every one of my eight books, my setting was a place I’d either lived or had visited. That wasn’t intentional. It just worked out that way. Am I the type who likes to stick close to home? Not really. I love to travel and I tend to set my novels in places where I’ve been.  

The only exception was my WW II historical, Under the Moon Gate, where the story was set in contemporary and WW II Bermuda. I have been to Bermuda 10 times but never to 1940s Bermuda, so I had to do research for that part of the novel. However, it still counts, since I am pretty familiar with the setting. The prequel, Destiny: A Bermuda Love Story, was set at the time of Bermuda’s discovery in the 17^th century, so I had to do research on that book, but it was still a location I had been to, even if at a much later date.

The Edger, the humorous women’s fiction I wrote with my artist sister, was set in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, her hometown. Murder at the Outlet Mall, a shopping suspense tale, was set in St. Augustine, Florida, a place I’m very familiar with. Memory Lane, the musical about Alzheimer’s I co-wrote with my sister, is set in South Beach and since I’m from Miami, I’m also familiar with that location.

Significant Others, a humorous women’s fiction set in a retirement community in Boca Raton Florida, was really patterned after a retirement community where my mother lives in Pembroke Pines, Florida, so, other than interview some of her contemporaries about finding love a second time around, I didn’t have to do much research.

Sixth Sense, Book One in my Psychic Crystal Mystery series, takes place in Atlanta, Sydney, Australia, and a fictional seaside community called Casa Spirito. However, it was patterned after a real psychic community in Florida, which I’ve visited. I live in Atlanta, and I got the idea for this book when I sat next to a psychic on the long plane ride to Sydney.

Book Two in the series, Homecoming Homicides, my latest book, a dark romantic suspense with a humorous twist,  is set in a small college town in North Florida I called Graysville, but it was patterned after the city where I went to college—Gainesville, Florida.

Book Three in the series, Murder on the Repositioning Cruise, will take place on a cruise ship on a transatlantic voyage. I’ve been on many cruises. In fact, last year when my husband and I took a Mediterranean cruise, I took a behind-the-scenes tour of the ship specifically to do research for the book.

The book I just sold to The Wild Rose Press, Stones, perhaps most exemplifies the “Write Where You Know,” axiom.  It starts out in Atlanta and goes to Palm Coast, Florida, where I own a beach condo; alternates to Miami and Coral Gables; and flashes back to Florence, Italy, where I studied for six months in my junior year of college.

Another book I’m working on, a humorous women’s fiction, also starts on a cruise ship and is set in a small island community in Florida, much like Palm Coast.

One anthology to which I contributed a short story, was called Aspen Exposé. At the time I wrote the story, I had never been to Aspen, but because I had a story in that anthology, and I had researched Aspen, I decided to visit and really enjoyed it.   

I’ve also written four short stories (about angels and demons) for TWB Press, and although I did have to use my imagination when crafting the paranormal elements of the story, they were all set in places I’d either lived or visited: the Atlanta area; Palm Coast, Florida, and New York City; Las Vegas and Roswell, Georgia. 

So I guess I’m a hometown girl at heart. I’m going to have to think about where I set my next book. Maybe I should break tradition and set it somewhere I’ve never been.

What about you? If you’re a writer, do you set your books in familiar locations? If you’re a reader, do you like to read about places you’ve been or travel to new worlds?

Marilyn is giving away one PDF copy of her new book, Homecoming Homicides, to a randomly chosen person who leaves a comment on today’s post.

Homecoming Homicides: Psycho Meets Miss Congeniality

Professional crisis manager Philippa Tannenbaum is spokesperson for the law enforcement task force charged with solving a high-profile case. She never dreams her position as Homecoming Pageant Director and her second-place finish in the previous year’s competition has placed her on a serial killer’s hit list. Always a runner-up in life, she wants to finally come in first at finding the killer targeting the current crop of beauties.

Her friend Luke Slaughter, a Graysville city cop, shows up at Philippa’s office, assigned to partner with her in solving the case and to protect her 24/7 for the duration. Unfortunately, he’s also the man she hooked up with for a one-night stand when she broke up with her fiancé. Working with her is going to be less than easy, for a number of reasons...

http://amzn.com/B00I27AS2I

New Releases winner!

The winner of a random book from my prize stash is:

deerdoe69

Congrats, deerdoe69! Please send your full name and address to theromancedish AT gmail DOT com with "Andrea's winner" as the subject and I'll get your book in the mail. Thanks to everyone who stopped by!

Review -- Melting the Ice

Melting the Ice

Play-By-Play—Book 7

By: Jaci Burton

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: February 3, 2014

Jaci Burton’s Play-By-Play books have quickly become one of my favorite contemporary series. They feature gorgeous, sports-playing heroes and strong, self-reliant heroines who enjoy lots of hot lovemaking. And let’s face it; these books have some of the best covers in romance! But they are more than just drool-worthy covers...they have a lot of heart.

Carolina Preston and Drew Hogan share a past—the two had a hot one-night stand in college. Carolina finally got up the nerve to act on her long-time crush on her brother’s best friend at the time of his graduation...and then she didn’t hear from Drew for a very long time. Feeling hurt and embarrassed, Carolina held a grudge for years. Now, she is about to embark on her life-long dream of launching her own design company. She enlists the help of her brother, Gray (One Sweet Ride), a top-rated race car driver and owner of Preston Racing, to model some of her designs for the upcoming Fashion Week. Naturally, Gray agrees and suggests she recruit Drew, too. Because of their history, Carolina is reluctant to ask Drew but is desperate to make her budding company a success. Ultimately, desperation wins out over reluctance.

Drew Hogan does not hesitate when Gray and Carolina ask him to help. Despite what Carolina thinks of him, Drew had not forgotten that long ago night they shared in college. At the time, he wasn’t ready for anything serious. He wasn’t ready to deal with the strong feelings she evoked in him. He had a promising hockey career ahead of him and had to concentrate on that. But now that he has stability in his life and is a successful pro hockey player, he is ready to try to win Carolina’s heart. She proves to be difficult in that respect but Drew is nothing if not persistent.

I love Melting the Ice! I adore stories where the hero is in love with his best friend’s sister (and vice versa) and Drew and Carolina are so likable, so engaging, and so perfect for each other. They both work hard in their respective vocations (I would even go as far as calling Carolina a workaholic), so it’s no surprise that they work hard to overcome their rocky history and take a second chance at love. This passage from when they visit Carolina’s family during Christmas and attend church on Christmas Day sums it up wonderfully.

...they listened to the minister talk about new beginnings.

A lot like Carolina and him. Their relationship had started out as a disaster, and she’s harbored a grudge for a long time. But the ice between then had slowly been melting. So maybe this was a new beginning for them.

Fans of the series will love catching up with Gray and Evelyn, and if the excerpt from the next book (Straddling the Line) is any indication, we will be in for a treat with Trevor’s story! It releases in July and promises to be an emotional one. Melting the Ice is a great addition to Burton’s Play-By-Play series and a super spicy contemporary that I highly recommend!

~Andrea

Make Your Reservations!

Well, it's time again to mark your calendars and Make Your Reservations for March! There are some great books coming out this month. Here are just a few of the ones we are anticipating. Are any of these books on your list? If so, which ones? If not, which books are on your list?





The Bride Says Maybe

By Cathy Maxwell

What happens when a bride says maybe?

She'd once been the toast of London, but now scandal has brought her down. Still, pretty, petted Lady Tara Davidson can't believe her new fate. She had wanted to marry for love . . . but her profligate father has promised her hand to none other than Breccan Campbell, the "Beast of Aberfeldy" and laird of the valley's most despised clan! Well, Tara may have to marry him, but Breccan can't make her love him—can he?

What happens when the groom insists?

Breccan Campbell is nobody's fool. He knows that Tara is trouble. Yet he's determined to reform the Campbell name even if it means forging an alliance with the arrogant beauty. There's no doubt that Tara is a challenge, and Breccan loves nothing more. For he's vowed to thoroughly seduce Tara—and make her his in more than name alone.

(Avon)

*******

The Raider

By Monica McCarty

After consolidating his gains against the enemy English, King Robert the Bruce of Scotland sends his best soldiers to fortify the lawless borders. These legendary warriors of the Highland Guard let nothing come before king and country—except the calling of their heart.
 
Of all Bruce’s elite warriors, Robert “Raider” Boyd is the most formidable. A true patriot whose bare hands are a deadly weapon, Robbie is the fierce enforcer of the Guard, and his hatred of the English has been honed to a razor-sharp edge. But vengeance proves bittersweet when his enemy’s beautiful sister falls into his hands and he finds himself fighting temptation—a battle he badly wants to lose.

Lady Rosalin Clifford barely recognizes the rebel prisoner she saved from execution six years ago. Though her girlish ideals for fairness have matured into a passion for justice, Rosalin believes she betrayed her brother when she helped this dangerous man escape.  Now her traitorous act has come back to haunt her. But she can’t deny the longing this tormented warrior ignites in her, or deny the passion that turns sworn enemies into lovers. Is the gentle love of a true English Rose enough to free Scotland’s most brutal warrior from a path of vengeance—before it’s too late?

(Ballantine)

*******

The Chance

By Robyn Carr

With its breathtaking vistas and down-to-earth people, Thunder Point is the perfect place for FBI agent Laine Carrington to recuperate from a gunshot wound and contemplate her future. The locals embraced Laine as one of their own after she risked her life to save a young girl from a dangerous cult. Knowing her wounds go beyond the physical, Laine hopes she'll fit in for a while and find her true self in a town that feels safe. She may even learn to open her heart to others, something an undercover agent has little time to indulge. 

Eric Gentry is also new to Thunder Point. Although he's a man with a dark past, he's determined to put down roots and get to know the daughter he only recently discovered. When Laine and Eric meet, their attraction is obvious to everyone. But while the law enforcement agent and the reformed criminal want to make things work, their differences may run too deep…unless they take a chance on each other and find that deep and mysterious bond that belongs to those who choose love over fear.

(Mira)

*******

The Trouble with Honor

By Julia London 

Desperate times call for daring measures as Honor Cabot, the eldest stepdaughter of the wealthy Earl of Beckington, awaits her family's ruin. Upon the earl's death she and her sisters stand to lose the luxury of their grand home—and their place on the pedestal of society—to their stepbrother and his social-climbing fiancée. Forced to act quickly, Honor makes a devil's bargain with the only rogue in London who can seduce her stepbrother's fiancée out of the Cabots' lives for good.

An illegitimate son of a duke, George Easton was born of scandal and grows his fortune through dangerous risks. But now he and Honor are dabbling in a perilous dance of seduction that puts her reputation and his jaded heart on the line. And as unexpected desire threatens to change the rules of their secret game, the stakes may become too high even for a notorious gambler and a determined, free-spirited debutante to handle.

(HQN)

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Carolina Man

By Virginia Kantra

Marine Luke Fletcher is determined to do his duty—first to his country and now to his ten-year-old daughter, the unexpected legacy of a high school girlfriend. But his homecoming to Dare Island in North Carolina's Outer Banks challenges his plans for the future and forces him to face everything that's missing in his life. He wasn't prepared to lose his heart to this child he never knew. Or to fall hard for coolly reserved small town lawyer Kate Dolan.

Former military brat Kate knows Marines can make lousy fathers...and she's got the scars to prove it. Giving her heart to a man who's bent on leaving seems one sure way to have it broken.

Now, no matter what it takes, Luke must prove to Kate and to his daughter that Semper Fi is more than a motto—and to himself that there’s more than one way to be a hero.

(Berkley Sensation)

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Passionately Yours

By Cara Elliott

Proper young ladies of the ton-especially ones who have very small dowries-are not encouraged to have an interest in intellectual pursuits. Indeed, the only thing they are encouraged to pursue is an eligible bachelor.

Preferably one with both a title and a fortune.

So, the headstrong, opinionated Sloane sisters must keep their passions a secret.

Ah, but secret passions are wont to lead a lady into trouble . . . 

(Grand Central e-book)

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Loving Lord Ash

By Sally Mackenzie

A Little Misunderstanding. . .

Kit, the Marquis of Ashton, is in a sticky wicket. He married young and for love--how naïve. He discovered his mistake the very day of his wedding, but he is saddled now with a wife he's reluctant to trust. And however much evidence he gathers against faithless Jess, he can't seem to prove her guilt to the final judge--his foolish heart.

Jessica knows she's bobbled her marriage, however innocently. A fairy-tale wedding makes no difference if she hasn't got the marquis charmed to show for it. Well, she's had enough of accidental encounters with naked gentlemen and near misses explaining things to her husband. It's time to buck up and go win her man back--even if she has to fight very dirty indeed.

(Zebra)

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Confession

By Carey Baldwin

They say the Santa Fe Saint comes to save your soul—by taking your life.

Newly minted psychiatrist Faith Clancy gets the shock of her life when her first patient confesses to the grisly Saint murders. By law Faith's compelled to notify the authorities, but is her patient really the Saint? Or will she contribute to more death by turning the wrong man over to the police?

Faith is going to need all her wits and the help of a powerful adversary, Luke Jericho, if she's to unravel the truth. But she doesn't realize she's about to become an unwitting pawn in a serial killer's diabolical game. For once he's finished with Faith, she'll become his next victim.

(Avon e-book)

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The Rebel Pirate

By Donna Thorland

1775, Boston Harbor. James Sparhawk, Master and Commander in the British Navy, knows trouble when he sees it. The ship he’s boarded is carrying ammunition and gold into a country on the knife’s edge of war. Sparhawk’s duty is clear: confiscate the cargo, impound the vessel and seize the crew. But when one of the ship’s boys turns out to be a lovely girl, with a loaded pistol and dead-shot aim, Sparhawk finds himself held hostage aboard a Rebel privateer.

Sarah Ward never set out to break the law. Before Boston became a powder keg, she was poised to escape the stigma of being a notorious pirate’s daughter by wedding Micah Wild, one of Salem’s most successful merchants. Then a Patriot mob destroyed her fortune and Wild played her false by marrying her best friend and smuggling a chest of Rebel gold aboard her family’s ship.

Now branded a pirate herself, Sarah will do what she must to secure her family’s safety and her own future. Even if that means taking part in the cat and mouse game unfolding in Boston Harbor, the desperate naval fight between British and Rebel forces for the materiel of war—and pitting herself against James Sparhawk, the one man she cannot resist.

(NAL)

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Desperately Seeking Suzanna

By Elizabeth Michels

Sue Green just wanted one night to be the pretty one. But a few glasses of champagne and one wild disguise later, she's in some serious trouble. Who knew the devastatingly handsome face of Lord Holden Ellis would get in the way of her foot? And how exactly did all that high-kick dancing start in the first place? At least she blamed it on her new persona—Suzanna—so Society's most eligible bachelor will never find out the truth.

All Holden wants is the truth. Who was that vixen who seduced him so thoroughly, then disappeared? The only one who seems to have any answers about Suzanna is Miss Sue Green. She's promised to help him find his mystery woman, but she's not being all that helpful. And the more time Holden spends with Sue—witty, pretty, and disarmingly honest—the more he realizes he may have found exactly what he's been looking for all along...

(Sourcebooks)