Spotlight on Naughty Brits

Naughty Brits

An Anthology

by Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan, 

Louisa Edwards, Tessa Gratton and Sierra Simone, 

Release Date: September 15, 2020

Everything is hotter with a British accent...

Sarah MacLean - A Duke Worth Falling For:

Her career in tatters, celebrity photographer Lilah Rose retreats to the British countryside, complete with fluffy sheep, rolling hills...and Max, the stern, sexy farmer who tends to them. But their lazy days and lush nights aren't as far from the spotlight as Lilah thinks, and Max will have to reveal the truth if he is going to convince Lilah that some dukes are worth the risk.

Sophie Jordan - Better with You:

When the author of a controversial self-help book starts receiving threats, she has no choice but to accept a bodyguard on her UK book tour. Vee Mathers is famous for asserting that women don't need men--especially for sex!--but at security specialist Luca Moretti's first, burning touch, she starts to think she might need to revise her theory...

Louisa Edwards - Not a Bad Boy:

Writer Mallory Pritchard moved to London for research--and to get over a bad breakup. When she (literally) runs into Hollywood's hottest action hero, Ian Hale, at a dog park, she realizes her heart isn't as broken as she thought! Ian is even more devastatingly sexy in person, which makes Mallory wonder...is there room for a regular girl in his glamorous movie-star world?

Tessa Gratton - Songbird:

Former American soldier Daniel Kelly's mission is simple: close the deal to buy a Welsh pub on behalf of his family's corporation, and survive another anniversary of the worst day of his service. Too bad that from the moment he sees the pub's owner, Elspeth Gwenlan is the only thing Daniel wants to conquer--even if it means lying to her about his agenda.

Sierra Simone - Supplicant:

After being left at the altar by her cold and brilliant professor, Church Cason, Charlotte Tenpenny had to leave school to take care of her younger brother. But a fateful night brings Church--and his delicious, drugging kisses--back into Charlotte's life. And it stirs up a reckoning years in the making . . .

PJ's Thoughts:

Naughty Brits brought to the page by some of my favorite authors? I couldn't dive into this delicious new anthology fast enough. First up was Sarah MacLean's story, "A Duke Worth Falling For" and, wow, did I ever fall. MacLean may be one of my favorite historical romance authors but this contemporary page-turner between an English farmer (who is also a billionaire duke) and an American photographer proves she's outstanding in any era. Filled with laughter (and darts) at the village pub, deep emotion, baby lambs, and sexy times on ramparts (sigh), it checked all of my reader happy boxes. I'd be happy for MacLean to dip her writing toes into present-day romance anytime, possibly for a couple intriguing secondary characters from "A Duke Worth Falling For?" 

Sophie Jordan is one of my favorite authors writing in both historical and contemporary romance. I'm an easy sell for bodyguard stories and Jordan's had me sighing with delight. Filled with emotion and sizzle, it had me eagerly flipping pages from start to finish. 

Welcome back, Louisa Edwards! After taking time away from writing for motherhood, Edwards returns with a sweet and sexy story that had me falling hard for both of her main characters. There's a lot more to Ian than his movie star image and I love that he falls for a curvy woman who is more at home in the stacks at the British Museum than on a red carpet. Plus, dogs! 

Tessa Gratton (a new to me author) takes readers to Wales for her story between a Welsh woman and American man. I'm not a big fan of the "let's get it on while I'm keeping my real reason for being here a secret" trope but Gratton manages to make it work. 

Sierra Simone wraps things up with a scorcher. If you've read her, you'll already know to be prepared for an intense, deeply emotional, red-hot story. Fans will not be disappointed. 

So, if you're in the mood for some naughty Brits, pick up a copy of this anthology. The stories are meaty (580 pages of romance!) and there's something for everyone. I highly recommend Naughty Brits! 

Louisa Edwards Winner

The winner of the prize package from Louisa Edwards' blog is

LSU READER

Congratulations!  To claim your prize, please send your full name and mailing address, with "Louisa Edwards Winner" in the subject line, to theromancedish AT gmail DOT com.

Today's Special - - Louisa Edwards

Like many of us, Louisa Edwards discovered romance at a young age.  In her case, by sneaking Harlequins out of her visiting grandmother's suitcase!  A cum laude graduate of Bryn Mawr, she never outgrew her love of romance and, following college, landed a job as an editorial assistant with Penguin Group (USA) in New York City.  After marriage to her journalist husband, Louisa left the bright lights of the big city behind and settled into life in Ohio.  While there, she began reviewing books, took a job with the Culinary Vegetable Institute and started cooking her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It's our good fortune that she decided to marry her interests by writing culinary romance novels of her own.  Her current release, Just One Taste, is the third book in her Recipe for Love series and will have you ready to cook up a little romance with your favorite hero!  Please give Louisa a warm welcome as she blogs about "The Unbearable Hotness of Chefs."



The Unbearable Hotness of Chefs
By Louisa Edwards

When I first decided to write a culinary romance, it was mostly out of a desire to explore the fascinating, secret world behind the restaurant scenes. Not because I love food, although I do, or because I find cooking endlessly interesting, although that’s true, too.

No. The real inspiration behind the Recipe for Love series is my undying attraction to professional chefs. Guys like Eric Ripert, Anthony Bourdain, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay, Curtis Stone, Todd English . . . men from all over the world, all different walks of life, who cook many and varied styles of food. So what do they all have in common? What makes them such perfect romantic heroes?

Let’s break it down. A restaurant chef is indisputably the master of his domain. He’s the definition of “alpha”—everything in the kitchen happens under his watchful eye. His subordinates might love him or hate him, but either way, they respect him.

But a chef is also a craftsman. Cooking is a craft, more creative than business or accounting, but not so free-flowing as pure art. There are techniques to master; there is training to complete. Chefs are professionals, but the best of them are also imaginative, intuitive, and a little playful.

And one thing every chef has in common is passion for his work. To be a chef, you have to love what you do, because if you don’t, the crazy hours and back-breaking physicality of the job will do you in.

My chef heroes are all alpha males, who demand and deserve the respect of their peers. To varying degrees, they all possess active imaginations, which they use in the kitchen—and in the bedroom! And each and every one of them is passionate, both in his work, and with his heroine.

Wes Murphy, the hero of Just One Taste, is no exception! Still working his way up the restaurant ladder, he’s ambitious, determined to be the best in his field, and unwilling to be sidetracked by anything—except his lovely food chemistry professor, Dr. Rosemary Wilkins. When a seductive experiment with aphrodisiacs sparks real chemistry between them, however, Wes has to make a choice between his passion for cooking, and his desire for Rosemary . . .





So tell me—who’s your favorite chef? Could be a celebrity with his own show, could be the 85-year-old guy with the beard down at your corner Italian joint, could be your husband rustling up breakfast! But whose passion for food and ability to imagine new flavor combinations makes your mouth water? One of you who takes the time to comment will receive a signature Recipe for Love collection of goodies!

Okay, readers!  Let's hear all about your favorite chef.  One of you lucky commenters will be ready to cook up a little romance in your own kitchen with Louisa's terrific Recipe for Love prize package of two champagne flutes, two spatulas and a "Can't Stand the Heat" apron!

To learn more about Louisa and her books, please visit her website, join her facebook fan page and follow her at twitter.