Review - - With This Kiss - Part One

With This Kiss
A Serial Romance - Part One
By Eloisa James
Publisher:  Avon Impulse
Release Date:  March 12, 2013




Lady Grace Ryburn has known Colin Barry her entire life.  Their parents are good friends; their fathers, cousins and former pirate partners. Grace, a quiet, intelligent and kind girl, has always held Colin in esteem but as an older brother or good family friend.  Until the summer twenty-year-old Colin returns from two years at sea:

The year Grace turned fourteen, Colin walked through the door in a uniform, and her heart gave one big thump and never beat exactly the same way again.

Colin Barry has always known he would need to earn his way in the world.  Adopted by Griffin and Phoebe Barry, Colin is not his father's heir but has always dreamed of following in Griffin's footsteps with a career at sea.  Four years in the Navy have taught Colin that while he loves the ocean, he has neither the heart nor the stomach for the fighting.  Grace determines to ease his time at sea by writing him letters filled with stories from home, many featuring Lily, Grace's two-years younger sister.  Where Grace prefers to be on the sidelines, Lily is the type of girl who loves being the center of attention, with a sparkling personality that draws people to her like bees to honey.  Her antics provide excellent stories to ease a young man's weary heart, especially when told by Grace, a young woman with a gift for writing and a special talent for drawing the sketches she includes with her letters.

By the time Colin returns home in 1836, Grace, at nineteen, knows exactly how she feels and what she wants.  She's fallen deeply in love with Colin and has convinced herself that he feels the same. While Lily has taken the ton by storm, Grace, quiet and uncomfortable with the whole process, chooses to observe on the fringes, out of the spotlight.  She waits for Colin and is certain that this trip home will change everything.  It does, but not in the way she thinks.

He had been changed by the war, by the deaths he'd seen and the deaths he'd caused.  There was no going back, not when rivers of blood ran through a man's dreams.

Colin's soul is filled with darkness and Grace alone knows the anguish he endures.  When he arrives at the ball the Ryburns are attending, Grace waits in her most attractive dress but when he enters, it's the brightness, the gaiety, the sparkle of Lily that lights the darkness inside him and draws him to her like a moth to a flame.  This time, when Colin returns to sea, he unknowingly, in the way of clueless males everywhere,  leaves behind a heartbroken Grace.  He eventually realizes his stupidity as well as his true feelings for Grace but by that time, Colin is far at sea.  Grace has waited for him all these years and he hopes - prays - that she will continue to do so and that he will continue to remain injury-free to return home to her.  But Grace, whose love for Colin is deep and pure enough to want his happiness above her own, makes a heart-wrenching decision, stepping aside, giving her blessing for what she believes he most wants, and finally moving on.  She meets a Scottish lord who courts her, appreciates her for all her wonderful qualities and who never, ever gives her sister, Lily a second glance...to be continued.

From the very beginning, Eloisa James captivated me with this story.  The characters, Grace in particular, are so richly drawn that I felt as though I was right there at the Barry's summer home and, later, in London, living it with them.  The relationships are complex, with twists and turns that keep the reader engaged and the cliffhanger will have you counting the hours until Part Two is released next week.  I say this almost every time I read an Eloisa James book but it bears repeating.  Ms. James has a command of the English language that flows across the page like the notes of a beautiful song.  I don't so much read her words as feel them, such as in the following excerpt where Colin awakens to the difference between Lily and Grace:

It wasn't Lily's fault that she wasn't as intelligent as her sister.  Nor as witty and kind.  That wasn't fair:  Lily was kind.  But she was shallow compared to Grace.

She was a waltz, and Grace was a hymn.

Will Colin make it home in time to convince Grace she belongs with him?  Will Grace be happier with her Scottish lord?  What will happen with Lily?  We'll find out in Part Two!

With This Kiss is a serial romance, published in three weekly increments beginning March 12 and continuing with Part Two on March 19 and Part Three on March 26.  Each part can be purchased in digital format or readers may wait and purchase a print version of the entire story (all three parts) on March 26.

What do you think of the serial format?  Will you be giving it a try or waiting for the complete story in a print version?  Have you read Part One of With This Kiss?  What do you think will happen next?  I'm giving away three copies of With This Kiss, Part One to random commenters.  (If you already have Part One, I'll substitute Part Two when it releases on March 19.)

~PJ

Review copy received from Avon via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Elizabeth Hoyt winner!

 

 

The random winner of the complete set (first five books) of the Maiden Lane series by Elizabeth Hoyt is:
 

librarypat

 

Congratulations, librarypat! Please send your full name and address to theromancedish (at)gmail (dot) com with "Hoyt winner" as the subject and I will forward your info. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to comment!

New Releases winner!

 

 

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

 

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna

 

Congratulations, Dianna! 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!

The Turncoat Winner

The randomly chosen winner of a copy of The Turncoat by Donna Thorland is

MsHellion

Congratulations!  Please send your full name and 

mailing address to us at

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Tina Leonard Winner

Thanks to everyone who commented on Tina Leonard's blog.  The randomly chosen winner of a 

$15.00 Amazon e-cert is

KIM SWIDERSKI

Congratulations, Kim!  Please send your email address to us at

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Marriage with Benefits

Marriage with Benefits
By Kat Cantrell
Publisher:  Harlequin Desire
Release Date:  February 5, 2013

Cia Allende has a flawless plan.  In order to honor her late mother's dedication to the abused women and children of their city, Cia needs access to her trust fund.  Only with the money can she build a new shelter but her very traditional grandfather has the money tied up with restrictions.  Cia can only gain access when she turns thirty-five or marries.  Fortunately, Cia convinced her grandfather to add one more stipulation to the trust.  If her husband divorces her after six months of marriage, all the money goes to Cia.  So now, all she needs is a man who is willing to be a husband in name only, divorce her after six months and go his merry way.  Enter the perfect candidate:  Lucas Wheeler.

Businessman Lucas Wheeler is feeling the effects of some bad decisions.  Known as the carefree playboy of the family, a recent public affair with a woman who turned out to be married has severely damaged his business reputation and that of his family's commercial real estate company.  It has also made Lucas start to question his lifestyle and what he wants from life.  What he does not want is anything to do with the crazy proposition Cia, a woman he's never met, brings to him even though he's attracted to her beauty, intelligence and sass.  But then she dangles the perfect carrot:  exclusive rights to the property her grandfather wants to sell and a chance to repair his tarnished reputation with a stable marriage.  For six months.

I like marriage of convenience stories and Cantrell has written a good one.  Both Cia and Lucas enter their "business" marriage with a firm idea of how it will go and, of course, neither one is exactly right.  Cia, who has lived with her successful, no-nonsense grandfather since her parents were killed when she was a teen has outstanding business acumen but no good role models for a happy marriage.  Most of the marriages with which she's acquainted are those of the women she helps at the shelter; marriages broken by abuse.  She's determined to have a non-romantic relationship with Lucas and walk away unscathed at the end with her heart untouched.  Lucas has other ideas.  He figures they're going to be married for six months.  Why not have some fun along the way?  What they both discover is that they are each more than they realized and, together, they are a perfect fit.  Of course, that realization does not come quickly or easily but in Cantrell's skilled hands, it comes with humor, romance and plenty of heart.

Judging from this debut, I'd say Kat Cantrell has a bright future writing romance.  The second book from the 2011 Harlequin "So You Think You Can Write" winner and 2012 Golden Heart finalist, The Things She Says from Harlequin Desire was released March 5th.  I look forward to reading it.

~PJ

Review - - The Turncoat

The Turncoat
Renegades of the Revolution - Book 1
By Donna Thorland
Publisher:  NAL
Release Date:  March 5, 2013



1777 Philadelphia

Kate Grey is a sheltered young Quaker woman with no taste for war.  Well educated, she enjoys debating strategy with her father and stays informed of the facts surrounding the fight for freedom but all that is far from her county home...until the night Peter Tremayne and his British troops show up at her front door.  Smitten with the handsome young officer, Kate feels the first stirrings of desire and is on the verge of succumbing to his seduction when a Rebel raiding party sends Peter and his troops back into the night.  Unbeknownst to Kate, "Aunt Angela," a master spy in whose care her father left her when he re-joined Washington's Army, has stolen military plans that Peter was carrying, sending Angela and a reluctant Kate fleeing into the night as well.  Events that follow open Kate's eyes to some harsh realities and by the time they reach General Washington, Kate is ready to offer her services to the cause.

Narrowly escaping a court martial and hanging after the theft of the military dispatches he was carrying, Major Peter Tremayne, Lord Sancreed, returns to Philadelphia after several months with orders to find the woman who betrayed him.  It's the only way he can redeem himself with his British superiors.  He never named Kate while being interrogated, focusing instead on Angela even though he believes both women guilty.    Still, he's sickened by the idea that he could be the cause of either woman being captured, almost undoubtedly tortured and ultimately hanged, especially Kate, the young woman who still lingers in his mind.  At least she is safe on her father's country farm.  Or so he thinks.  When he attends a ball given by General Howe, he's shocked to come face to face with Lydia Dare, a glamorous, sophisticated woman who is engaged to his cruel cousin; a woman Peter knows as sweet, unassuming Kate Grey.

Thorland has captured a tumultuous time in the history of the United States when ordinary citizens risked their safety, their reputations, their very lives by spying for the Rebels in America's fight for independence.   By the time Peter returns to Philadelphia, Kate has been trained, socially polished and is firmly entrenched as one of General Washington's most effective spies.  The initial attraction between them remains and feelings grow as they spend time in each other's company yet they remain firmly on opposite sides of the war with duty and desire battling for supremacy. It's a dangerous game they play, both politically and privately, with high stakes and the potential for deadly consequences around every corner.

I'm fascinated by this period in my country's history.  In my opinion, there aren't nearly enough books set during the American Revolution. Thorland has created a fascinating heroine who, while not a real person, is based on female spies who were instrumental in gathering information for the American side during the Revolution.  Kate, who at first seems a straight-forward, intelligent but naive young woman, is slowly revealed to be a complex, extraordinary patriot who gives her all for her country, at times with devastating consequences.  While there is definitely a romance and an eventual happy ending, it's Kate who kept me riveted to the pages rather than the couple of Kate and Peter.  The actions of the villains are true to time and place and Thorland, to her credit, presents realistic (though sometimes difficult to read) scenes rather than a modern, sanitized version of events.  Thorland also skillfully weaves her main fictional characters with real people (George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, British spymaster John André and more) and a richly detailed secondary cast to bring us a fast-paced story filled with historically accurate intrigue, betrayal and heart-stopping suspense.

I received a copy of The Turncoat from NAL in exchange for an honest review.  One person leaving a comment will be randomly chosen to receive that copy.  

Do you enjoy books set during the American Revolution?  In what location / period of time would you like to see more romances set?

~PJ

Today's Special - - Tina Leonard

USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Tina Leonard likes books that make her laugh, cry, or get up off her fanny.  She enjoys writing about smart women who always get the hot hero.  With over seventy books either published or contracted, Tina stays busy watching her heroes and heroines win each other’s hearts.
   
It's my pleasure to welcome Tina to her first visit with us at The Romance Dish.  I've been a fan of her books for about fifteen years and am looking forward to reading her new book, Hotter than Texas. Take it away, Tina!  

  

STAYING POWER IS HOT

In Hotter than Texas we meet a favorite town son who is trying hard to avoid the commitments his town is trying to foist on him, only to find himself falling for the woman the town certainly does not want in their opinionated Southern-bred society!  But Jake Bentley knows Sugar Cassavechia is just right for him, and that’s all that matters to him.

Jake definitely has Sugar’s back!  And he has “staying power”—he’s not about to let Sugar go if he can help it.  I fell in love with Jake as I saw how committed he was to fitting Sugar and her family into a community that really doesn’t welcome them to their tight-knit little town.  That’s romantic!

Have you ever asked the man in your life what he thinks you do that is romantic?  Sexy?  We all know our guys have some annoying habits, but what’s your favorite thing he’s ever done for you (or what is it about him), that makes your heart sing He’s so romantic! 

I hope you’ll join me in Pecan Creek for the first book of my new series, Hotter than Texas.  A $15 Amazon e-cert will be given away to one randomly selected commenter on this blog!  Good luck!

HOTTER THAN TEXAS excerpt

Sugar found herself sitting in Jake’s truck the next evening, picked up almost as if they were going on a date. They weren’t. He’d called it “dinner to make amends for being a dumbass,” so she’d accepted. “This is not necessary.”

“Don’t want my renter ticked at me.” Jake pulled in to a tiny bar and grill with a small white-gravel parking lot. “Pecan Fanny’s” flashed in pink neon above the black roof. “This is the place you never hear about if you’re a tourist.”

“Does Pecan Creek have many tourists?” Sugar asked.

“Not enough,” Jake said. “Only at Christmas for the small-town parade bullcrap we put on. We get a few antiquers in the summers. Occasionally someone on the road back from Louisiana when the highway’s jammed up. We’re an out-of-the-way side road, but folks stumble on us that way.”

Sugar smiled. “You love this place, don’t you?”

“I’m pretty sure I don’t love anything except my mother in a maternal sense. Maybe my buddies, in a fraternal sense.” He shook his head. “The military had my loyalty and my gut. I loved it until I realized I was too lazy to be a lifer.”

“You aren’t lazy.” She looked at Jake as he got out of the truck. He came around to her side, helping her out. “You talk about being lazy like it’s a goal. But I don’t think you’ve quite succeeded yet.”

“I’m working my ass off on it, though.” He walked her inside, and they took a table by a sparkly clean window that looked out over an open field. “Can I get you a drink, Sugar?”

She looked at him. “I’d love a beer.”

“Good woman. Two longnecks, Suzy,” he told the waitress, who looked pleased to see Jake in the tiny eatery. “So, Sugar, I’m sorry about the other day.”

“Why?” She was curious to know exactly what Jake was apologizing for.

“For saying I’d like to get you naked. I would, of course, but don’t let it worry you. I know how to keep my inner animal locked away.”

“Good.” Sugar looked at him. “I shouldn’t have dumped you in the pond. I have a short fuse for jerks. And I think I’m pretty much not ready for men who are probably nice guys but say something jerky.”

“Understood.” He raised a longneck to her when Suzy put them on the table. “Apology accepted?”

She nodded. “The thing is, I think my basic frustration with you is Maggie. I feel like you have an opportunistic side, and I don’t want you using my mom.”

“I get it.” He nodded. “You think I’m playing the whole Cassavechia family .”

“Well, not Lucy. Lucy’s too clever to let some guy use her.”

He sighed, and Sugar wondered what was on his mind. But he drank his beer and pretended to study the menu, not broaching whatever he was thinking. Sugar did likewise, almost too jittery to select something to eat, until she realized she was jittery because she actually forgave Jake for jumping the gun with the naked comment, and maybe she even kind of liked him, and then she felt a little ill.

It was far too soon to fall a little bit in like with someone, especially a sexy, handsome guy like Jake who had a tiny blonde that would make her feel like a basketball player standing next to her.

A huge truck painted with camouflage pulled up on the gravel next to Jake’s truck, and Jake sighed. “Here comes excitement. Do you mind company?”

Sugar looked at the door in time to see three big guys come in with two women. “Friends of yours?”

“Lifelong.” Jake grimaced when his buddies filtered over to their table, crowding around and pulling up chairs. “Everybody, this is Sugar. Sugar, in case you don’t recall, this is Bobby German, Evert Carmichael and Kel Underwood. They own the Bait and Burgers. This is Cat Jenkins, who works at the coffee shop, and Sandy Goody, the sheriff’s daughter. They’ve got a farm that keeps Sandy busy.”

“Hi, everyone.” Sugar nodded, smiling.

They pulled up a table, connecting the two together, and sat down in a noisy flock of fun. Evert sat Cat next to him, tagging them as a couple, and Sandy took the chair on the other side of Cat, obviously unattached. “I’ll call Lucy to round out the group,” Sugar said, and Jake said, “No!”

She put her phone back in her purse. “O-kay.”
He put a hand over hers, leaned close. “I’ll tell you later.”
His hand was warm; he smelled great. Sugar blinked, feeling something snap inside her. She gazed into Jake’s dark eyes, just four inches from hers, and felt herself gripping hard on to the edge of the side of sanity.

If she let go, if she slipped and let herself fall into the pit of love again, she knew she would regret it. It was a dark, foul pit full of heated emotions and sharp ups and downs, the roller-coaster ride from hell.

No roller coaster of love for her.

Please join Tina at www.tinaleonard.com, www.twitter.com/Tina_Leonard, www.facebook.com/tinaleonardbooks, and “like” her at www.facebook.com/authortinaleonard!

The Teen Menu

I'm guessing everyone is dragging a bit today with that lost hour of sleep last night. Why not take it easy today and kick back with a good book? Later in this post, I'll talk about this month's featured young adult book, but first up...the news.

YA News

A new image from the upcoming movie version of Ender's Game has been released. It features actress Hailee Steinfeld, who plays Ender's Battle School companion Petra Arkanian.

A new featurette about the upcoming movie The Host was recently released. It features commentary by author Stephenie Meyer and actress Saorise Ronan. The Host opens March 29. 

Did anyone see the movie version of Beautiful Creatures? I haven't had the opportunity yet, though I want to despite its poor showing at the box office. I'm wondering if there is beginning to be fatigue for paranormal YA-based movies. I still love them, but I'm curious what you all think.

YA Review

Next month will see the release of Inferno, the fourth book in Sherrilyn Kenyon's Chronicles of Nick series. This series is different than many YA series because its main character, Nick Gautier, first appeared as an adult in Kenyon's popular Dark-Hunters adult paranormal series. He was a fan favorite and has a lot of interesting backstory, so Kenyon began Nick's story in the Infinity, book 1 of the Chronicles of Nick. She plans several books in this series, starting when Nick is 14 and culminating when the Chronicles of Nick storyline meets up with the Dark-Hunters storyline. At that point, Nick will have his own book as an adult in the Dark-Hunter series.

Nick Gautier is a snarky Cajun boy living in New Orleans' Ninth Ward pre-Hurricane Katrina when we first meet him. He lives with his mom Cherise, who had him when she was a teenager, and who has done whatever necessary to give her boy a better future than what's she's had as an adult. Nick is smart, so smart that he's on scholarship at a prestigious school. But as a scholarship kid who obviously doesn't have much money, he's the victim of bullying, and not just from the students. One night while he's out with some "friends," he makes a fateful decision that changes his life forever, catapulting him into a paranormal world he couldn't have ever imagined existed. One day he's worrying about being hungry and having to wear gosh-awful ugly shirts his mom gets him from a thrift store. The next, suddenly his world is full of vampires, demons and all manner of things that go bump in the night.

Nick is an awesome character, and readers love him because of his snarky attitude and his devotion to his mom. There have been times when I've been listening to the series on my iPod while out walking when I've started laughing out loud. I'm sure my neighbors think I'm unhinged. So I'm really looking forward to Inferno, which releases April 9. To learn more about the series and all the titles that have been released as well as Inferno, check out the Chronicles of Nick page on Kenyon's website.

Today's Special -- Q&A with Elizabeth Hoyt

I am thrilled to welcome back New York Times and USA Today best selling historical romance author, Elizabeth Hoyt! Elizabeth is the author of the popular Maiden Lane series from Grand Central. If you haven't read her books, you should! You can check out my review of her latest NY Times best seller, Lord of Darkness, here. Also, did you know that Elizabeth has a BA in anthropology? Indeed, she does! You can find out more about her and her interesting life at www.elizabethhoyt.com. Elizabeth was kind enough to take the time to answer a few (or more) of my many questions! :)

Hello and welcome back to The Romance Dish, Elizabeth! We are thrilled to have you join us today.

 

Thank you for having me! ;-)

 

Congratulations on your newest release, Lord of Darkness! Can you please share a little bit about the book with our readers? 

Lord of Darkness is the fifth Maiden Lane book and features reader favorite, Lady Margaret Reading who in the last book found herself pregnant by her murdered lover. A marriage was hastily arranged for her with Godric St. John, a widower grieving the loss of his beloved wife. Fast forward two years. Lady Margaret lost the baby on her wedding day and has spent the years since recovering in the country. Now she’s come to London to seduce her husband and have a baby. But Godric is hiding a rather important secret… 

He is, indeed. Lord of Darkness is the fifth book in your popular Maiden Lane series, set in London during the 1730s. What drew you to that time period? 

It’s a very visceral, dynamic time period. London was the biggest city in Europe and it was growing exponentially. The aristocracy was living in gilded splendor while at the same time the very poor were literally starving on the streets. And then, to add fire to the mix, England discovered distilled alcohol in the form of gin, which was both readily available and cheap.  

And you are so brilliant at mixing the aristocracy and the poor!

 

**SPOILER ALERT!** If you’ve not read the Maiden Lane series, you may want to skip to the next question!** The infamous Ghost of St. Giles is a key character throughout this series. Did you know from the very beginning that there was going to be more than one Ghost?  

Yup. When I started thinking about a masked crusader, I thought of the vicar in Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow (a Disney movie no one but me seems to have seen with a mild mannered minister by day who turns into an avenging masked scarecrow by night.) And then I thought about all the other tropes/themes I’d love to explore, and very soon thereafter I realized I had too many ideas for just one character. Thus was born three Ghosts of St. Giles. 

As you know, I love your books and especially this series. While each of your Maiden Lane books features an unforgettable hero and heroine, your secondary characters are hard to forget as well. Several of my previous favorite secondary characters have gotten—or will get—their own story (thank you!), so now I’m curious about a few more, such as: Lady Phoebe Batten…Adam Rutledge, Viscount d’Arque…Captain James Trevillion…and most recently, Sarah St. John. Will any (or all) of these characters get their own story someday?  

The brief answer is yes, I do plan something for each of these characters—whether or not I’ll get around to them is of course another matter. A lot is up in the air at the moment because I just finished out a contract. We’ll have to see what gets negotiated into my next contract. ;-) 

Oh, I pray you get to tell their stories! Okay, I know from your Faceboook posts that you own dogs and your books have dogs in them, too. Do your fictional dogs share any characteristics with your real life dogs? 

Well, my big dog, Darla—a lab-basset hound mix—is very silly and loves her tummy rubs, but she’s not nearly as scary looking as Jock from The Raven Prince or Lad from Scandalous Desires. Mouse from To Seduce a Sinner was modeled on our late rat terrier, Pickle, who loved beyond reason her family and was pretty snotty to anyone else. I think only a terrier lover would understand the attraction of a small, snarly dog. ;-) 

So funny. And speaking of funny, you have also written humorous contemporary romances under the pseudonym Julia Harper. I adored both Hot and For the Love of Pete. Do you have any plans to write more contemporaries in the future? 

Not at the moment, but I do have a book fully outlined—I’d love to write it someday! ;-) 

I really hope you get to. *g* Your characters and their storylines are so intriguing. Which comes first for you—the characters or the story? 

Oh, definitely the characters, though I usually have an idea of their situation or the thing that they’ll have to face, so that’s a nice start on the story. 

If your life was a romance novel, what would be the title? 

LOL! “Clueless Middle-Aged Woman Somehow Makes Good Writing Romance” 

Oh my goodness, that's awesome! So, what activities do you like to do in your spare time? 

I read, garden, and play with my dogs. 

Aww! Can you give us a hint about what is up next for you? 

Yup! Duke of Midnight is coming out in October this year (the release date got moved up a month) and will feature Maximus Batton, the Duke of Wakefield and Artemis Greaves.

 

I can't wait!!!!

 

 

Quick Six time! 

Alpha or Beta? Alpha  

Coffee or tea? Both! 

Early bird or night owl? Early bird

Mountains or beach? Mountain 

Diamonds or pearls? Pearls 

Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate

 

Thank you so much for answering my questions, Elizabeth! Now it’s your turn—is there a question you would like to ask our readers? 

Thank you for having me on The Romance Dish! Readers can learn more about my Maiden Lane series and Lord of Darkness at my website: www.elizabethhoyt.com. You can also chat with me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/ElizabethHoyt), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/ElizabethHoytBooks?ref=search&sid=1033016156.428653851), Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16202.Elizabeth_Hoyt), and Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/elizabethhoyt/)

Now here’s my question for you: I’m leaving for Florida in two weeks for a writing retreat, but of course I’ll be bringing something to read. What have you read recently that you absolutely loved?

ONE lucky commenter (living within the United States, no PO Box, please) will win a complete set of the Maiden Lane books! That's all five books: Wicked Intentions, Notorious Pleasures, Scandalous Desires, Thief of Shadows, and Lord of Darkness!

Make Your Reservations!

It's time again to mark your calendars and Make Your Reservations for April! Here are a few of the romances we are looking forward to next month. Are any of these upcoming books on your list? If so, which ones? If not, which books are on your list?

Love Irresistibly
By Julie James

HE’S USED TO GETTING WHAT HE WANTS…

A former football star and one of Chicago’s top prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cade Morgan will do anything to nail a corrupt state senator, which means he needs Brooke Parker’s help. As general counsel for a restaurant company, she can get a bug to the senator’s table at one of her five-star restaurants so the FBI can eavesdrop on him. All Cade has to do is convince Brooke to cooperate—and he’s not afraid to use a little charm, or the power of his office, to do just that.

AND WHAT HE WANTS IS HER

A savvy businesswoman, Brooke knows she needs to play ball with the U.S. Attorney’s office—even if it means working with Cade. No doubt there’s a sizzling attraction beneath all their sarcastic quips, but Brooke is determined to keep things casual. Cade agrees—until a surprising turn of events throws his life into turmoil, and he realizes that he wants more than just a good time from the one woman with whom he could fall terrifyingly, irresistibly in love. . .

(Berkley)


*******

And Then She Fell
By Stephanie Laurens

The only thing more troublesome than a Cynster man . . .

. . . is a Cynster lady who believes love is not her destiny. Famously known in London society as "The Matchbreaker," Henrietta Cynster's uncanny skill lies in preventing ill-fated nuptials—not in falling victim to Cupid's spell.

But then she disrupts one match too many and feels honor-bound to assist dashing James Glossup in finding a suitable bride for a marriage-of-convenience.

A task infernally complicated by the undeniable, unquenchable attraction that flares between James and Henrietta, who continues to believe she will never fall . . .

(Avon)


*******

The Wanderer
By Robyn Carr

Nestled on the Oregon coast is a small town of rocky beaches and rugged charm. Locals love the land’s unspoiled beauty. Developers see it as a potential gold mine. When newcomer Hank Cooper learns he’s been left an old friend’s entire beachfront property, he finds himself with a community’s destiny in his hands. 

Cooper has never been a man to settle in one place, and Thunder Point was supposed to be just another quick stop. But Cooper finds himself getting involved with the town. And with Sarah Dupre, a woman as complicated as she is beautiful.

With the whole town watching for his next move, Cooper has to choose between his old life and a place full of new possibilities. A place that just might be home.

(Mira)



*******

Let it be Me
By Kate Noble

London weather is chilly—and the social scene even more so.
Luckily, Bridget Forrester is just getting warmed up…

Bridget longs to meet a gentleman who doesn’t mention her beautiful sister upon shaking her hand. But since being branded a shrew after a disastrous social season, Bridget knows she’s lucky to even have a man come near her. It’s enough to make a lady flee the country…

So Bridget heads to Venice for music lessons with the renowned Italian composer Vincenzo Carpenini, with whom she’s been corresponding. But not only is Carpenini not expecting her, he doesn’t even remember her! His friend, theater owner Oliver Merrick, does, though. And one look into her tantalizing green eyes has him cursing his impulsive letter-writing, which brought her across the continent. Yet before Merrick can apologize, Carpenini has ordered her away.

Little does either man know that they will soon be embroiled in a wager that will require the beautiful Miss Forrester’s help—or that there’ll be far more at stake in this gamble than money…

 

(Berkley)

 

 

*******

 

 

Currant Creek Valley

By RaeAnne Thayne

 

Alexandra McKnight prefers a life of long workdays and If you build it, love will come…short-term relationships, and she's found it in Hope's Crossing. A sous chef at the local ski resort, she's just been offered to Hope's Crossing. her dream job at an exclusive new restaurant being built in town. But when it comes to designing the kitchen, Alex finds herself getting up close and personal with construction foreman Sam Delgado… 

At first glance, Sam seems perfect for Alex. He's big, tough, gorgeous—and in town for only a few weeks. But when Sam suddenly moves into a house down the road, Alex suspects that the devoted single father of a six-year-old boy wants more from her than she's willing to give. Now it's up to Sam to help Alex see that, no matter what happened in her past, together they can build something more meaningful in Hope's Crossing.

(HQN)


*******

The Summer He Came Home
By Juliana Stone

Sometimes the best place to find love is right back where you started...

Falling asleep in a different bed every night has made it easy for Cain Black to forget his past. It's been ten years since he packed his guitar and left Crystal Lake, Michigan, to chase his dreams. Now tragedy has forced him home again. And though Cain relishes the freedom of the road, one stolen moment with Maggie O'Rourke makes him wonder if he's missing out on something bigger than fame.

For Maggie—single mother and newly settled in Crystal Lake—love is a luxury she just can't afford. Sure, she appreciates the tall, dark and handsome looks of prodigal son Cain Black. But how long can she expect the notorious hellion to stay?

The last thing either of them wants is something complicated. But sometimes love has its own plans.

(Sourcebooks)

Proud of Our Honorary Dishes!

Romance Writers of America® today released the names of this years RWA Service Award recipients. Congratulations to Trish Milburn on being named one of the 2013 award winners! Trish has long been an active member of RWA and generous in her service to the organization as noted in the following from today's press release.  

Multipublished author Trish Milburn has been a member of RWA since 1996, and in that time, she has served on the RWA Board of Directors as PRO Liaison and Region 3 Director. Milburn was instrumental in establishing RWA University, the association's education program, and currently serves as Assistant Chair of the Leadership Development Committee. ~ Romance Writers of America®









Anna Campbell has been garnering her share of awards too.  At last weekend's Australian Romance Readers Convention, Anna swept the field with the following awards for her wonderful Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed: (If you haven't read this terrific historical romance yet, check out PJ's 5 star review then pick up a copy of your own!)

Best First Meeting Between a Couple
Best Love Scene
Favourite Cover
Favourite Historical Romance

And for the icing on the awesome awards cake, Anna was named Favourite Australian Romance Author of 2012!

The Dishes congratulate both Trish and Anna on their well-deserved awards.  We're so proud of you both!

Guest Review - - The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen

The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen

By Syrie James

Publisher: Berkley Trade (reprint edition)

Release Date: December 31, 2012

 

Samantha McDonough, a Special Collections librarian at a California university, is delighted when her boyfriend’s attendance at a medical conference in London, gives her an excuse to visit England again. Four years earlier, Samantha had been forced to abandon her doctoral studies at Oxford and go home to care for her ailing mother, but the lack of a terminal degree has not dimmed her enthusiasm for English literature, particularly for the works of Jane Austen, whose women characters are the subject of Samantha’s incomplete dissertation. While she is browsing in an Oxford bookstore, Samantha buys an old volume of eighteenth-century British poetry. Hidden within its pages, she discovers the fragment of an unsigned letter dated 3 September 1816 and addressed to Cassandra. The date, the salutation, and the style all convince Samantha that the letter may have been written by Jane Austen to her sister. An online search of Austen’s published letters reinforces this conviction. The letter itself is enough to garner headlines, but even more exciting is the reference to a lost Austen manuscript, one that was misplaced in 1802.

A phone call to her friend Laurel Ann (a nod to Laurel Ann Nattress, editor of Jane Austen Made Me Do It and owner of Austenprose, a blog dedicated to all things Austen) gives Samantha the encouragement she needs to pursue the manuscript. She locates Greenbriar, the estate mentioned in the letter, which is still in the possession of the family who owned it at the time of Austen’s visit. The initial reaction of the current owner, Anthony Whitaker, a lean, blue-eyed venture capitalist whose schoolboy acquaintance with Austen left him unimpressed, is disappointing, but he reconsiders and soon the two are searching all the cabinets and cupboards of the vast estate. First, they find the guest registry that proves Austen did visit Greenbriar at the right time, and then, just as they are about to give up, they find a box filled with forty-two handwritten, hand-sewn booklets. Of course, they begin reading the manuscript, entitled The Stanhopes.

The heroine of the lost manuscript is Rebecca Stanhope, who, like Jane Austen, is the daughter of a clergyman. Rebecca enjoys life in the tiny village of Elm Grove and the duties of mistress of the rectory, which had fallen to Rebecca after her mother’s death. Her contentment vanishes when her father is accused of stealing church funds and forced to resign his office in disgrace, and the two of them must struggle to survive. The Stanhopes must sell everything they can, including the pianoforte and harp dear to music-loving Rebecca.  They live for a time with the older Stanhope daughter, whose husband is also a clergyman, and later with a distant cousin. The changes Rebecca is forced to confront bring a variety of experiences, some pleasant, some hurtful, and some conducive to growth. Austen readers will see similarities to familiar Austen characters in both the hero and the villain.

Samantha and Anthony agree that the ending of The Stanhopes is “perfect,” but they disagree vehemently about what should happen to the manuscript. Samantha believes it should be sold to an institution that will arrange for its publication so that Austen fans the world over will eventually be able to read this seventh novel of Jane Austen. Anthony plans to have Sotheby’s auction the manuscript, which is expected to bring £20,000,000 to £30,000,000. It’s clear that there’s the potential for more between Samantha and Anthony than their shared experience with the lost manuscript, but Anthony’s decision causes Samantha to add him to Austen’s “company of W” that includes the rogue in The Stanhopes along with Willoughby (Sense and Sensibility) and Wickham (Pride and Prejudice). Then, there’s the matter of Samantha’s doctor boyfriend, who is a really nice guy.

Syrie James’s The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen was one of my favorite books of 2007, and I liked The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte almost as much, and so I was delighted when I heard James had written another Austen book. It met all my expectations. My heartbeat increased right along with Samantha’s as she discovered the letter, the guest register, and the lost manuscript. I could easily imagine the excitement such a discovery would generate, given Austen’s status in the literary canon and in popular fiction. James uses Austen’s “Plan of a Novel,” the authentic notes for a book Jane Austen never wrote, to give authenticity to the discovery, and readers familiar with Austen’s novels will find the lost manuscript sufficiently Austenesque in style and content to believe in its authorship and enjoy the story. The frame story of Samantha and Anthony perhaps suffers a bit in comparison, but I somehow felt it was only proper that it should.

This is a book written for a particular audience. If you have not read and delighted in at least some of Jane Austen’s novels, I can’t imagine that you will be tempted to even sample this book. However, if have enjoyed Pride and Prejudice, Emma, or Persuasion, I think I can promise that you will enjoy The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen. If, like me, you can spend hours conversing about the Austen novel that is your favorite (Persuasion here) or defending your choice of the definitive Darcy (Colin Firth for me), this is a book you do not want to miss. Add it to your wish list now.

~Janga
http://justjanga.blogspot.com