Hi, everyone! This month I'm turning my Coastal Magic spotlight on a new-to-me author: Amalie Howard. I met Amalie at a book conference earlier this year but hadn't read any of her books until her newest, The Beast of Beswick, hit my Kindle. Oh my gosh, how have I not read this author before? I loved this story! It was everything I hope for in a historical romance with its brooding, scarred hero and damn-the-torpedoes-full-speed-ahead, heroine. Historical romance purists may take issue with some modern themes in this book (feminist heroines who take on the patriarchy) but I'm not among them. Astrid is brilliantly portrayed, wholly believable, and had my support the entire way. Then there's Thane. Oh, what that man has suffered. He could only be brought out of hiding by a woman as strong as he and I loved being there to watch it all unfold. Surrounding our couple, Howard has assembled a wonderful cast of secondary characters who provide humor, compassion, and conflict. I adored Thane's Aunt Mable and enjoyed watching Astrid's younger sister coming into her own. The rapid-fire dialogue, rich sensuality, cheeky servants, and impeccable storytelling kept me engaged from beginning to end. I laughed, cheered, cringed, and shed a few tears before reaching the immensely satisfying conclusion. Then, I wanted to go right back to the beginning and read the story all over again. So, you know what? I did! Now, I'll be downloading Amalie Howard's historical back list along with eagerly anticipating whatever she has in store for readers next. I can't wait!
The Beast of Beswick
by Amalie Howard
Publisher: Entangled:Amara
Release Date: November 26, 2019
Reviewed by PJ
Beauty and the Beast meets Taming of the Shrew in this laugh-out-loud and heartfelt Regency romance.
Lord Nathaniel Harte, the disagreeable Duke of Beswick, spends his days smashing porcelain, antagonizing his servants, and snarling at anyone who gets too close. With a ruined face like his, it's hard to like much about the world. Especially smart-mouthed harpies—with lips better suited to kissing than speaking—who brave his castle with indecent proposals.
But Lady Astrid Everleigh will stop at nothing to see her younger sister safe from a notorious scoundrel, even if it means offering herself up on a silver platter to the forbidding Beast of Beswick himself. And by offer, she means what no highborn lady of sound and sensible mind would ever dream of—a tender of marriage with her as his bride.
Q&A with Amalie Howard
Welcome Amalie! Thanks for visiting with me today. I’m so
excited to see you at the Coastal Magic Convention in February!
Thanks for having me! I’m super
excited to be a guest at Coastal Magic as well, and I can’t wait to chat with
you in person!
Your newest book, THE BEAST OF BESWICK was released
yesterday. What should readers expect in this story?
Yes! I’m so excited about this
book. It’s Beauty and the Beast meets
Taming of the Shrew, and I’m so proud
to say that it received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.
Readers should expect a sexy enemies-to-lovers
romance with a smart heroine who has learned how to be resilient and
independent, and a grouchy, war-scarred hero who doesn’t want anything to do
with anyone. These two have not had the easiest of lives, and in their own way,
each feels blocked off from love. When circumstances throw them together, sparks
fly, and the shrew whose only passion is her books finds it in real life, and
the beast who has hidden himself away opens up to someone new. I loved writing
Astrid and Thane’s story and getting them to their hard-won HEA.
I also really enjoyed writing a clever, feminist
heroine who wasn’t afraid to use her brain (intelligence is sexy!) or hide how
well-read she was. In Astrid’s case, I wanted to show that being put in a box
didn’t mean that she had to accept it or be stuck there forever—her choices mattered. And likewise, I wanted
to write a hero who valued that kind of intelligence and who relished matching
wits with her. I loved the verbal sparring (hello, foreplay!) in this romance,
and hope readers will too.
I’m always up for a midnight snack and I like to imagine
characters I’m reading about might be as well. What would Thane and Astrid
sneak down to the kitchens to snack on after some late-night sexy times?
Haha, great question! I have a
sexy scene at the end of the book that will definitely answer this question. So
how about a sneak peek:
“I’m
ravenous,” Astrid said, reaching for a piece of crusty bread and some cheese as
Thane lowered the tray to the table. They didn’t talk as she filled a small
plate with the offerings on the tray—some cold chicken, along with fresh fruit and a warm meat pie. He wasn’t
hungry, but he watched her eat her fill.
“I was
famished,” she said, licking her fingers clean with a sigh. He forced himself
to behave at the sight of those elegant fingers disappearing into her mouth,
but his body had other ideas. Time had not dulled his infatuation with her
hands. “I only had a bit of Aunt Mabel’s whiskey on the way to North Stifford
after luncheon at Harte House.”
“She’s a
terrible influence.”
“She’s
wonderful,” Astrid declared loyally, but then she giggled again. “Do you know
she embroiders…”
Alas,
(evil author laugh), to find out what the terrible
and utterly unapologetic Aunt Mabel embroiders, you’ll have to read the book!
Trust me, it’s quite scandalous!
I’m currently adventuring overseas and scouring the shops
for quirky souvenirs. What’s the craziest souvenir you’ve ever brought home
from a trip? Do you still have it?
Oh, very cool. I hope you have a
fantastic trip! I love to travel and have been all over the world (29 countries
so far). I usually collect postcards, small jewelry, art, books, and
knick-knacks. The best souvenirs I’ve ever brought home were a gorgeous piece
of golden art from Singapore and a beautiful statue of two lovers made of
Murano glass from Venice. The craziest souvenir, however, has to go to the pair
of battle swords I brought from New York Comic Con when my young adult science
fiction book, THE ALMOST GIRL, came out. Still have them and I think they’re
still pretty sharp.
The blurb for THE BEAST OF BESWICK calls this book “Beauty
and the Beast meets Taming of the Shrew,” which makes me even more eager to
read it! If you were cast in a fairy tale (modern or otherwise), which
character would you want to be? Which character would your friends and family
say you’re actually most like?
Suddenly, the Slytherin in me
wants to answer—which means I’d want to be cast as Maleficent. She’s smart, she
has magic, and she can change into a DRAGON! Deep down, she has a heart
somewhere…right? RIGHT??
As far as family and friends, my
daughter says I’m most like Belle because, and I quote, “you’re always so sweet
and kind and nice. And you make books, which also kind of counts as reading,
and because you look like her and you’re pretty.” Don’t worry, I’ll pay her $20
later, lol.
Thanksgiving is tomorrow and the winter holidays are just around the corner. It’s the time of the year when those culinary
wizards among us begin whipping up delicious cookies, breads, and other holiday
goodies. So, tell me, what’s your favorite holiday kitchen disaster (yours or
someone else’s)?
Favorite holiday kitchen
disaster? Wow—so let’s go with the time that I moved to Colorado from New York
and attempted to make my long-perfected, famous disappearing chocolate cake,
only to find that when it came out of the oven, it was soup. Yes, you read that
right…chocolate freaking soup.
Altitude, you guys, it’s a real
thing. Who knew? Obviously, not me. Anyway, I learned after mourning the watery
death of my beautiful cake. I went online and quickly learned (reading and
self-education is the best, isn’t it?) that high-altitude baking is a THING. So
if you’re like me and find yourself in mile-high territory, you’re going to need
to add more liquid and more flour, lessen the sugar, and then increase baking
temperature and decrease baking time. You’re welcome.
You’ve had a pretty adventurous life. Is there anything you
haven’t done yet that’s on your must-experience list?
I have done a lot of cool
things, including eating rocky mountain oysters (Google it, I dare you),
skydiving, scuba diving, bungee-jumping, being on a TV show, riding a
motorcycle, traveling the world, among other interesting bucket-listy things.
But one day, I really want to learn how to fly a plane and get my pilot’s
license.
What’s on your writing horizon? Are you able to share any
information about it?
I’m super excited for my first
interracial historical romance coming out with Sourcebooks in late 2020/early
2021. It was announced a few months ago in Publishers Weekly: “Own-voices
author Amalie Howard’s two interracial historical romances, starting with an
epic love story spanning the pre-British Raj period in India to the glittering
ballrooms of London, about an English duke and a fearless Anglo-Indian
princess, who will defy all odds—culture, countries, and oceans—to be
together.”
Thanks for visiting with us today, Amalie! Is there anything
you’d like to add? Would you like to ask my readers a question?
Thank you so much for having me!
To your readers, I just want to say a huge thank you for reading and supporting
authors like me. Without you, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do, so thanks
from the bottom of my heart. I hope you enjoy Astrid and Thane’s story!
As far as a question, next year
is kind of a cool milestone year, so if you could complete one thing on your bucket list in 2020, what would it
be? (Also, DO IT!!! I’ll be cheering you on from the sidelines!!)
I want to share the fun I had reading Thane and Astrid's story so TWO randomly chosen readers who comment on this post before 11:00 PM, November 28, will receive their choice of a Kindle copy or print copy of THE BEAST OF BESWICK.
Winners must be 18 or older.
Print copy available to any address serviced by bookdepository.com
For more information about Amalie and her books, visit her website and connect with her online at Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, and Amazon.
