Review - - Last One Home

Last One Home

By Debbie Macomber

Publisher: Ballantine

Release Date: March 10, 2015

Cassie Carter grew up in a middle-class home with parents who loved one another and their three daughters and with an older and younger sister with whom she shared close ties despite sibling rivalry fueled by Cassie’s status as her father’s favorite. But at eighteen, with college on a four-year scholarship the next step in her life, a pregnant Cassie ran away to marry a man her father had forbidden her to see. Her husband insisted his job opportunities were better in Florida, about as far from her family’s home in Spokane, Washington as one could get. Instead of the happily-ever-after life of which she had dreamed, Cassie found herself trapped in a nightmare. Estranged from her family and isolated from her new community, she was left with no support system when her husband became physically abusive. Her daughter Amiee was seven when Cassie realized that her very life was at stake. Escaping with Amiee through the window of a locked bedroom, she found sanctuary in a shelter for women.

After testifying against her husband and seeing him sentenced to prison, Cassie began to build a new life for herself and her child. Rejected by her family who knew nothing of all she had endured, she depended upon food stamps and government housing while she earned a certificate in cosmetology. Five years later, she has created a home for her and Amiee in a modest apartment in Seattle where Cassie works as a hairstylist and volunteers as a victim advocate at a local shelter. She still struggles to make ends meet, but she dreams of going to college and getting a degree in social work.

Cassie’s life takes a turn for the better when she is approved for a Habitat for Humanity home and her older sister Karen contacts her. Although Karen is far from effusive when the sisters talk, Cassie is overjoyed with even a tenuous connection. Except for news of her parents’ deaths, Cassie has had almost no contact with her family since she left home more than a dozen years ago. Missing them has been a constant ache, and the possibility of providing her daughter not only with a new home but also the family Amiee hungers for seems to Cassie almost too good to be true.

Reestablishing a relationship with her sisters is not easy. Old resentments and guilt linger. Cassie, who thinks her sisters have near perfect lives, has told them nothing about the reasons for her split from her husband, but they too are struggling with problems. Karen, happily married with two children, discovers that her husband has lost his job but is too ashamed to tell her, and Nichole, mother of a toddler, finds out that her husband is following the example of his chronically unfaithful father. Cassie is also forced to admit that her first impression of Steve Brody, a successful contractor who is her supervisor as she puts in her sweat equity for the Habitat for Humanity program, is wrong. Rather than the judgmental jerk he seems to be initially, he is a still grieving widower who proves himself a friend when Cassie needs one. Steve is interested in becoming more than Cassie’s friend, but even though the attraction is strong and Amiee approves of the match, Cassie’s past has left her fearful and determined to protect her independence.

Last One Home is a rare standalone from Debbie Macomber whose popular series have made her a perennial on bestseller lists, but Ms. Macomber’s fans will find this story just as rewarding as her more usual fare. Cassie is a compelling character, and although the abused wife as heroine is a staple in romance and women’s fiction, Cassie’s lack of family and friends as well as her socio-economic status make her an exception.

She stayed because she didn’t feel it was an option to leave. She had no job, no money, no friends, no connections. She was completely dependent on Duke, and for more than her and Amiee’s physical well-being. Emotionally she was tied to Duke, but those ties were like barbed-wire fencing, ties that brought her nothing but pain. Still, she hadn’t been able to find the courage to leave, not until it became a life-or-death situation.

Her hard work, her love for her daughter, and her refusal to be defeated by her own bad choices in the past make Cassie an easy character to admire.  Although her relationship with Steve gives the novel a strong romantic thread, Cassie’s struggle to give her daughter a safe and happy life and the renewal of sisterly bonds lie at the center of this story.  Amiee with her eagerness to know more about her aunts and cousins, her enthusiasm for KFC, and her chatter about her BFF is an endearing and believable character, and the confining and defining family roles of childhood that complicate the reunion of Cassie and her sisters as much as their years of separation also has the ring of truth.

If you are a Macomber fan, you will be happy with this book. Readers who like women’s fiction stories that focus on the triumph of a female protagonist over obstacles that would have defeated a lesser spirit will enjoy Cassie’s story. Last One Home is likely to add another title to Debbie’s Macomber’s long list of beloved books.

~Janga

Review - - Four Nights with the Duke

Four Nights with the Duke

By Eloisa James

Desperate Duchesses by the Numbers, Book 2

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: March 31, 2015

I have been a big fan of Eloisa James ever since I first heard of her and started reading her books.  In fact, I joined the Bulletin Board she started with Julia Quinn, and had a wonderful time there chatting and interacting with Eloisa, JQ, and all of the other wonderful ladies who posted there. In fact, I owe Eloisa a big thank you for all of the friendships I established as part of being on the BB-including Andrea and PJ here at The Romance Dish!  My favorite Eloisa books would no doubt be her Desperate Duchesses series. I was so happy that she revisited that world with Three Weeks with Lady X last year. With her latest book, Four Nights with the Duke, Eloisa deftly shows once again why she’s considered one of the biggest stars in the romance genre.

Four Nights with the Duke  is the story of Evander “Vander” Septimus Brody, the Duke of Pindar, and Miss Emilia “Mia” Carrington.  Right off the bat, we see that Vander and Mia have a complicated and tumultuous history. Mia’s father and Vander’s mother had been carrying on a long sordid affaire for years that made them scandalous in the eyes of the ton, a fact which Vander bitterly resents. Making matters worse, at the start of the book, Mia essentially blackmails Vander into marrying her.  One can only wonder how Mia and Vander could possibly overcome all of these obstacles and end up happily together.

Mia has been in love with Vander since she was fifteen years old. However a horrible incident left Mia completely humiliated and determined to never have anything to do with him ever again. But desperate circumstances force Mia to confront Vander and compel him to marry her, by whatever means necessary.  While the idea of blackmailing someone into marriage is no doubt distasteful, Mia has a good reason. According to her brother’s will, she must be married in order to keep guardianship of her beloved nephew, Charles Wallace.  I really loved Mia as a heroine, despite the inauspicious start to her and Vander’s marriage. I loved how devoted she was to Charles Wallace, her strength and determination, her willingness to accept her share of blame and responsibility for the state of her marriage, and her refusal to settle for a marriage between the sheets, no matter how irresistible she and Vander find each other. I cheered for her when she demands Vander not just lust after her, but respect and trust her too.

We first met Vander in Three Weeks with Lady X. Even then, it was obvious that Vander had some deep inner demons he was wrestling with.  At first, I totally sympathized with Vander’s anger and resentment at being manipulated and blackmailed by Mia, but in true Eloisa fashion, we see how she chips away at that wall and has Vander come to see and embrace that Mia is his once in a lifetime love. His gesture to Mia at the end was heartwarming and endearing.  I absolutely fell in love with him for many reasons, but especially because of how great he was with Charles Wallace.

One of my favorite aspects of the book is how Eloisa expertly weaves in elements of their history, their parents’ history , and how that affected how Mia and Vander think and act today.  What I loved most about this book is that Eloisa deals with real obstacles that all couples confront, and not so over the top contrived scenarios that push a reader’s suspension of disbelief. Mia and Vander struggle with communication, trust, respect, and understanding each other.   These are issues that are at the core of every relationship, and things everyone can relate to. Vander and Mia often misinterpret the other’s meanings and motives.

There are so many great secondary characters in this book. Charles Wallace definitely stole my heart, and as always, it was great to see cameos from the hero and heroines from previous novels. I loved seeing Villiers in particular, though naturally he dominated and stole every scene he was in.

I  definitely recommend Four Nights with the Duke for anyone who enjoys a wonderfully written romance with complex realistic characters who will win your heart. I am looking forward to seeing what comes next from Eloisa. I have a feeling that Edward Reeves may be the hero of her next book!

~Lisa

Joan Kayse Winner

The winner of a copy of

Ruarc:Bound by Stone is:

Glenda

Congratulations, Glenda! 

Please send us an email with the following information:

Choice of Kindle, Nook or print copy of the book and the appropriate

e-mail or snail mail address.

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Wendy LaCapra Winners

The randomly chosen winners of a Kindle copy of 

LADY VICE by Wendy LaCapra are:

Kim

and

MsAwesome (JoannaM)

Congratulations!

Please send your email address to us at:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Today's Special - - Spotlight on Kate Meader

Today we're shining the spotlight on contemporary romance author Kate Meader.  Originally from Ireland, Kate cut her romance reader teeth on Maeve Binchy and Jilly Cooper novels, with some Mills & Boon thrown in for variety. Give her tales about brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron or a fire hose, and she's there. Now based in Chicago, she writes sexy contemporary romance with alpha heroes and strong heroines who can match their men quip for quip. Visit her at KateMeader.com.

In Kate Meader's first trilogy her characters were heating things up in the kitchen. This time around, she's bringing us the Dempsey's, a family of firefighting foster siblings in her Hot in Chicago series. Check out the excerpt from the first book in the series, FLIRTING WITH FIRE, below. But first, Kate chats about her favorite book boyfriends. So who makes your list, Kate?

My Favorite Book Boyfriends

So many fictional boyfriends, so little time. Here are a few of my favorites, in no particular order (okay, I’d cut you to get with Hardy Cates):

1.  Rowdy Yates from Getting Rowdy by Lori Foster.

With his sketchy past, and his penchant for hitting first and asking questions later, Rowdy is a great protective alpha. And the cover for this book is perfection.

2.   Flynn from Willing Victim by Cara McKenna.

Construction worker-boxer with a taste for rough role-playing, and while we never get inside his head, McKenna lays it all out there. A Boston bruiser I wouldn’t mind meeting in a dark alley. 

3.   Hardy Cates from Blue Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas.

Rich, Texan, from the wrong side of the tracks, and so caring of the heroine. LK writes the caretaker alpha so well, and Hardy is my favorite of her heroes.

4.  Joey Miller from Collision Course by K.A. Mitchell.

This is an M/M romance and while some people probably prefer the brooding Aaron of this pairing, I love, love, love the manipulative, puppy-eyed, totally grounded Joey. A surfing social worker, he’s the perfect match for a guy who’s been screwed over by the social services system.

5.  Lord Vere from His at Night by Sherry Thomas.

He’s a secret agent posing as a society idiot! What’s not to love?

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

FLIRTING WITH FIRE (Pocket Books; On-sale: March 24, 2015) is the first book in Kate Meader's new contemporary romance series, Hot in Chicago.  The series features a group of firefighting foster siblings and their blazing hot love interests. Here's the back cover blurb:

Savvy PR guru Kinsey Taylor has always defined herself by her career, not her gender. That is, until she moved from San Francisco to Chicago to be with her fiancé who thought she wasn’t taking her “job” of supporting him in his high-powered career seriously enough—and promptly dumped her for a more supportive and “feminine” nurse. Now, as the new assistant press secretary to Chicago’s dynamic mayor, she’s determined to keep her eye on the prize: no time to feel inferior because she’s a strong, kick-ass woman, and certainly no time for men.

But that all changes when she meets Luke Almeida, a firefighter as searingly sexy as he is quick-tempered. He’s also the second oldest of the Firefightin’ Dempseys, a family of foster siblings who have committed their lives to the service—if Luke’s antics don’t get him fired first. When Luke goes one step too far and gets into a bar brawl with the Chicago Police Department, Kinsey marches into Luke’s firehouse and lays down the law on orders from the mayor. But at Engine Co. 6, Luke Almeida is the law. And he’s not about to let Kinsey make the rules.

AMAZON | B&N | GOODREADS

Excerpt #3

Stunned senseless, she plowed aimlessly over the hot sand, its burn on her feet a match to the scorch marks over her heart. She flexed the hand she had used to strike her gutless ex. It hurt—all of it. Her head, her chest, her knuckles, which looked as raw as she felt. Her throat was thick with unshed tears, which she desperately staved off by making each step more deliberately forceful than the last. Walk it off, Taylor.

Walk. It. Off.

“Hey, watch it,” an aggrieved voice called out. She might have trod on the voice’s towel. Or his sand castle. Or his stupid face.

Fury fueled her off-kilter pivot. She refused to let one more man walk all over her today. “Watch what, asshole?”

Any forthcoming answer was lost on the lake breeze as a strong arm circled her waist and gathered her to a solid chest.

Luke.

The comfort she took in his body was more shocking than the events that had led to this moment. For too long, she had been starved of a man’s affectionate touch. For too long, she had relied on her own resources. It felt so good to rely on someone else for a little while.

Stiffness in every part of her gradually gave way to Luke’s strength, a muscularity that was as much mental as it was physical. It must have taken sincere mental strength not to want to comment on the scene he had just witnessed. Make her feel better with murmured platitudes. Fill the gnawing silence. Instead, he was just there for her, his hold tight and sure and a touch rougher than she was used to.

It was perfect.

Peeking up from where her head was burrowed into his left pec, she found those lake-blue eyes holding her prisoner. While the competitor in her was tempted to see how long this stare down could last, the woman in her needed something else. Something only this man could give.

“I’ve got you,” he whispered.

With strong hands on her butt, he raised her body, her lips to his, and the resulting union streaked through her like fire. Their mouths might be made for sniping, but mostly they were made for this. Better they should be used for this. A perfect melding of lips and tongues, the tangle so sweet, the chemistry so right.

I’ve got you. For the first time in what seemed like forever, someone had her.


Readers, who are your favorite book boyfriends? Do you love firefighter heroes as much as I do? Have you read Kate's books yet? 

We have a copy of FLIRTING WITH FIRE for one randomly chosen person who leaves a comment on today's post. (U.S. only)

Review - - His Wicked Reputation

His Wicked Reputation

By Madeline Hunter

Publisher: Jove

Release Date: March 3, 2015

 

Gareth Fitzallen feels no guilt when the news of his brother Percy’s death reaches him. Percy, fourth Duke of Aylesbury, was not a man who left many mourning his death, certainly not Gareth, an illegitimate half-brother whose existence Percy had always resented. Gareth has reason to be grateful that he was not in England when Percy died since there is some evidence that Aylesbury was poisoned and he and Gareth were at odds, most recently over the Warwickshire hunting lodge near Langdon's End left to Gareth in their father’s will. Because Gareth’s relationship with his other half-brothers, Lance, the new duke, and Ywain, who insists on being called Ives, is congenial, he has high hopes that he will be able to claim his legacy soon. His hopes are reinforced when Ives assures him that Lance will see that the case in Chancery involving Gareth’s inheritance is dropped. Ives, a Crown Prosecutor, also asks for Gareth’s help in investigating the disappearance of a large number of valuable works of art, property of some of England’s most powerful aristocrats. Gareth’s experience as an art broker gives him the necessary expertise, and the location of his lodge in the area where the investigation leads gives him a reason for being on the scene.

Eva Russell and her younger sister, Rebecca, have been living in genteel poverty in Langdon's End since the death of their brother. Having sold everything in their home that is saleable, including most of the furniture, Eva is supporting herself and eighteen-year-old Rebecca by copying paintings by masters such as Gainsborough and Cuyp which she has found packed away in an attic of Gareth’s lodge. A stationer in nearby Birmingham sells the copies for a few shillings. Eva has refused offers to buy her home because even though the property is much smaller than that which her profligate father inherited, it is enough to maintain a connection with her family history and to see that she and her sister, despite their poverty, still belong to the landed gentry. She believes that status and Rebecca’s beauty will help her find a suitable husband for her sister and that she can then devote herself to her art. Eva’s own best chance for happiness was supposedly lost when she refused to leave her dying brother to go with her betrothed to America.

Gareth’s reputation as a legendary lover whose looks, charm and skill have kept countless women enthralled follows him to Langdon's End. The wealthy Neville sisters, Jasmine and Ophelia, who look upon Rebecca with her bluestocking tendencies as a protégé, warn Eva that she must protect her lovely sister from this Lothario. No one ever imagines that it is Eva who has captured Gareth’s attention, that it is Eva who is teaching Gareth, who does not believe in romantic love, that it is possible to desire and respect and have too much of one’s thoughts taken over by one woman.

The friends-to-lovers trope is a popular choice for romance authors, but Hunter offers a fresh take on it in His Wicked Reputation, the first book in her Wicked Trilogy about three brothers, each with his own brand of wickedness. The chemistry between Gareth and Eva is almost palpable from their first meeting, and few readers will doubt that the two will become lovers. More remarkable to me was the friendship that began before their physical relationship was consummated and continued to develop while they were lovers. They share confidences and they laugh together. At one point, Gareth says to Eva, “I am your friend Gareth, who has seen you half-naked.” This is true not only literally but also metaphorically because he has seen her both partially unclothed and emotionally exposed. Gareth sees in her a beauty more subtle but no less real that Rebecca’s more conventional beauty. He values Eva’s strength and her tenacity, and when circumstances encourage him to doubt her integrity, he trusts her. Eva instinctively knows that Gareth is trustworthy. She turns to him when she feels physically threatened, and he is the only one who understands what her art means to her. My favorite line is this one from Eva: “Whoever would have guessed that in seeking a few moments of wicked pleasure, I would find such a good friend.”

His Wicked Reputation is also an intelligent romance. I don’t know if the art theft Ives and Gareth investigate is based on historical fact, but it feels real. The mystery is engaging without detracting from the romance. Enough of it is resolved to give the reader a satisfying sense of questions answered and justice administered, and yet sufficient pieces of the puzzle remain missing to propel the reader into the next book.

Hunter also shows the reader the role property played in the English social system of the period. The fact that Gareth’s father left his bastard son property in a codicil to his will beyond the provision required by his arrangement with Gareth’s mother reveals much about the relationship between the two. The value the lodge holds for Gareth is far more than its actual monetary worth or even its sentimental value. Inheriting land from his father gives him and his descendants a new standing. It is interesting that Gareth gives the lodge his mother’s name even though his mother, a butler’s daughter with no aspiration to own land, has no understanding of what the lodge means to her son. Eva, on the other hand, with her attachment to her family home, fully understands what Albany Lodge represents to Gareth. Property even plays into the characterization of very minor characters, from the Duke of Devonshire with his vast holdings to the newly wealthy industrialists who are buying land in Langdon’s End.

If you like smart, sexy historical romance novels, I definitely recommend this one. I’ve added it to a keeper shelf, and I’m saving space for Ives’s story, Tall, Dark, and Wicked, which is scheduled for release on October 6. 

~Janga

Today's Special - - Joan Kayse

It's St. Patrick's Day so who better to visit us today than our favorite Irish (by way of Kentucky) lass, Joan Kayse! You may know Joan from Romance Bandits or from her ancient Rome romances but she's here today to chat with us about a new direction in her writing. She's moved forward a few centuries and taken her talents to the magical, mystical Emerald Isle with a terrific new series. Let's find out more about it!

Hi Joan! It’s a pleasure to welcome you today to talk about your new Guardian Isle series. These books represent a new direction in your writing. Please tell us about the premise of the series and how many books there will be.

Hi Dishes! PJ, thanks for having me. Have you ever wondered how much gold was in the pot at the end of the rainbow? Turns out that pot of treasure contains more than precious metal, it contains the essences of life itself….foundation, resilience, knowledge and more. The gifts that comprise life. Each treasure is aligned with a warrior of the Leithprachaun clan, the solitary Fae assigned to protect them. As long as the treasures are contained, all is well. But what happens if they are lost or stolen?  The Guardian Isle series answers that when the curse of a Dark Banshee Queen separates the Leithprachauns from their essence. The time for renewing is upon them and if they can't find them and take them back, then darkness will destroy life as we know it.

There are nine books in this series.

Ruarc: Bound by Stone kicked off the series on February 21^st. What can readers expect from this first Guardian Isle book?

This book  introduces lovers of paranormal romance to a different take on the magical beings.  An alternate Irish mythology. Sure you've heard of Leprechauns, but that's just bad press from a ticked off Fae hierarchy. The Leithprachaun are proud, solitary Fae who must face the consequences of their father's mistakes and recover their treasures and save the world. Save existence.  In Ruarc: Bound By Stone, you meet Ruarc whose treasure portion is that of foundation . He's been feeling anything but stable as his treasure continues to elude him. His magic's going wonky and his High King, his brother Patric's not pleased. But neither are his brothers and sister who look to him to lead the way to redemption.  Being solitary in nature, used to being alone, he's stunned to find out the only way to ground himself is through the connection with a Cheile, a soulmate destined for only him. 

Ruarc and his clan have some pretty cool magical powers. If you were granted a magical power for yourself, what would you choose and why?

Well, there's fun magical powers and then the ones to save humankind. I guess I'll go with the fun choice and choose levitation.  That way, I wouldn't have to dislodge Cricket or Grayson the Monkey Cat from my lap when I want a snack :D

I think Rachel would probably approve of that power too! 

What inspired you to create this new series and why Ireland?

My inspiration came from my first trip to Ireland in 2002. It sounds SO cliché but I can say without a doubt that as soon as I touched down, I felt at home. My heritage is ¾ Irish and there was such a connection! I truly felt one with the world around me. Ireland is beyond description gorgeous even on those rainy days.  Creation occurred there and in my mind, that's where our world started…IN Ireland :D That's the why to the setting. This storyline was inspired by watching a REALLY handsome Irish stone mason working on…you guessed it…a stone wall! Yum. O.

Will these books be digital only or will they also be available in paperback?

Yes and yes. It will be available on Kindle, iTunes, Nook, GooglePlay and trade paperback.

After reading this book, I’ve decided I need to add breakfast at an Irish B&B to my bucket list. I know you enjoy playing in the kitchen, so what are your go-to breakfast dishes to make? Any Irish favorites?

My favorite breakfast to make is at Cracker Barrel or IHOP :D But I love scrambled eggs and bacon and being Southern a good biscuit and gravy would not be amiss. I'm really not sure how they decided what entailed an Irish breakfast on my visits there but two things I came to love. Muesli …though I figured out WHY on my second trip…I was putting Irish MILK/CREAM on that cereal LOL. And I developed a liking for white blood pudding. Very sausage like. Dang…now I'm craving some.

When can we expect the next book in the series (you’ve hooked me!) and are you able to tell us anything about it?

I plan to have the second book out by year's end. It will tell the tale of Brady Sullivan, whose treasure is music. The Irish are very connected to music and song and in that way spirit too. And it doesn't matter which instrument…I saw a guy play the spoons in a pub and he had his eyes closed connecting with the rhythm and the timing. Sigh. Love me some Irish trad music.

Is there anything you’d like to add about Ruarc, Aine or the other Guardians?

Just that I'm thrilled to bring stories with a fresh perspective in terms of paranormal beings. And to showcase the wonder that is Ireland.

Speaking of Ireland, I'm delighted to have you here on the day when everyone celebrates their Irish roots...whether they have them or not! Tell us, how do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day? Any special traditions? If money and time were no object and you could celebrate this holiday anywhere in the world, where would you be and with whom?

I wear green in some manner or fashion on St. Patrick's Day. If I'm off work that day, I will stop by for fish and chips at a local pub Molly Malone's. They have trad musicians that day and the atmosphere is energizing...even without the Guinness. :D I love the primal beat of a bodhran drum.

Oh, you have to know I'd be in Ireland, along the coast of the southwest or in Killarney deep in the National forest, sitting on a rise looking at the lakes. And hmmmm...would would I be with? I'd love to be with Patric, High King of the Leithprachaun. He has a lot on his place besides colcannon and could use a shoulder to lean on...and maybe a back rub...a temple massage...a...a...yeah...a shoulder to lean on. :D 

LOL! Not a bad way to spend the holiday! 

Thanks for visiting with us, Joan! Would you like to ask our readers a question?

You're welcome PJ and thanks again. Hmm…a question. What would you like to find in the pot at the end of the rainbow?

Joan is giving away one copy of Ruarc:Bound by Stone to a randomly chosen person who leaves a comment. Winner's choice of Kindle, Nook or print.

Life is grand—until the fate of the world is laid on your shoulders. Ruarc Dongahue should be used to life's unexpected twists and turns. After all, at age thirteen his own life was turned upside down when a stranger claimed him as his son—and informed him he was a Leithprachaun, a warrior of the Fae. Entrusted with the essences of life, the treasures of both mortal and Fae worlds, Ruarc grew into a man, becoming the warrior his clan expected, living life in the moment. Cue another twist when the wrath of the Dark Banshee queen steals and hides the treasures from the Leithprachaun's hands. Aye, life is feckin' grand. 

After the death of her family, Aine O'Neill stopped believing the stories of the Fae and magical worlds her Irish grandmother thrived on . She went from a dream filled young girl to a woman who lived by logic and common sense meeting the real world head on as an investigative journalist. But logic cannot ease her grief when her grandmother dies and she must travel to Ireland to settle her estate. In, out and she can get back to business. Instead she finds a dilapidated manor house and a hot, sexy Irishman who claims to be—a leprechaun. 

The essences of the world must be gathered together every third era for renewing to prevent the Fae and mortal realms from disintegrating into chaos. A trick that, as neither Ruarc nor his siblings have recovered them. Centuries spent searching have led him to an estate in the Irish countryside and a gorgeous Yank with emerald eyes, luscious curves and fiery spirit that sends the solitary Fae spinning. When he discovers she is the key to locating his essence he attempts to manipulate her into helping him . But its more than access to the property that Aine brings the Leithprachaun warrior. Time is short and with his magic and his heart spinning out of control, Ruarc must come to grips that there is more at stake than the world's existence...his heart and soul. 

The fate of the world lies in the Essences of Life, the treasures of both mortal and Fae realms. Once every third era, the Essences must be assembled together at the sacred stone circle or life will sink into chaos and death. The safeguarding of these treasures has rested in the hands of the Leithprachaun, the warrior clan of the Fae. The Dark Banshee queen has released her wrath on the warrior clan and stolen the precious items, cursing them to give their heart, something the capricious Fae cannot do, to find them. The renewing is rapidly approaching and time is running out. Will dark forces gain the power of life, dooming the world to extinction? 

Tick, tock… 

Today's Special - - Wendy LaCapra

It's my pleasure to welcome debut historical romance author Wendy LaCapra to the Romance Dish today. Wendy has been reading romance since she sneaked into the adult section at the library and discovered Victoria Holt and Jane Aiken Hodge. From that point on, she dreamed of creating fictional worlds with as much richness, intrigue and passion as she found within those books. Her stories have placed in several contests, including the 2012 Golden Heart. She lives in NYC with her husband and loves to hear from readers. Connect with Wendy online at the following locations:  

Site: www.wendylacapra.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/WendyLaCapraAuthor

Twitter: www.twitter.com/wendylacapra

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/wendylacapra

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/13444014.Wendy_LaCapra

Hi, Wendy! We're delighted to have you join us today. Congratulations on the release of your debut book, Lady Vice, the first book in your Furies series. Please give us an overview of the series.

Thank you for having me at the Romance Dish! The Furies series follows three female friends—Lavinia, Lady Vaile; Lady Sophia and Thea, Duchess of Wynchester—who have banded together to survive in late Georgian London. Sophia is a widow and Lavinia and Thea have done the unthinkable and left their marriages. The series begins with the murder of Lavinia’s husband. Though that crime is solved by the end of Lady Vice, details are uncovered that spur the other two furies into crisis. The books are stand-alone romances, but they are intimately connected and all three ladies play significant roles in each other’s stories.

That sounds delicious! What can readers expect from the first book, Lady Vice?

Lady Vice is a second-chance reunion romance set against a high-stakes murder investigation. It’s a story of a woman rediscovering optimism, confidence and love. Though Lady Vice is in some ways the darkest of the three books in the series, I hope I made the heroine’s journey vivid, emotional and cathartic for readers.

Note from PJ: I started reading Lady Vice Saturday evening and didn't put my Kindle down until I turned the final page...whereupon I realized that not only was it well past my bedtime but I had totally forgotten to eat dinner! It was vivid, emotional and, overall, a wonderful read. Now I'm excitedly awaiting book #2!

What would you like readers to understand about Maximilian and Lavinia?

Lavinia is struggling to recover from the effects of her late husband’s depraved behavior as she faces accusations of murder. Maximilian Harrison is a warm, steadfast, honorable hero who has faced his share of dark battles since he last set eyes on Lavinia. He is just the man to champion Lavinia and help her heal, although to do so he has to let go of some cherished aspirations.

Would you like to share a short excerpt from the book?

Max fell against his chamber door with a silent, shuddering sigh.

Tucked into the shell of his bed, and gleaming like a rare pearl, rested the object of his lifelong fascination. His golden bed covering cast a warm glow on her cheek and her light brown hair—finally the natural, unpowdered color he remembered—spread over his pillow in waves of inviting silk. She lay still, protected by sleep’s gentle arms.

He placed his hand on his valet’s shoulder in a thankful pat.

“I appreciate your discretion,” he said. “Geste needn’t be informed. I will resolve the issue.”

“I thought you would know what to do,” his valet replied, without physical sign of the smirk threaded through his tone. “Would you like me to take that to your study?”

Max glanced down at the forgotten parcel beneath his arm. “No.” He placed the package on the floor just inside the door. “You may go.”

His valet bowed before discreetly disappearing.

What do you enjoy reading when you're not busy creating your own stories?

About half the books I’ve listed on Goodreads are shelved in Historical romance, my first love. I also enjoy cozy mysteries, biographies, non-fiction and memoirs-of-discovery like Wild and Eat, Pray, Love.

In what ways have you been surprised during your journey to publication?

I’m in awe on a daily basis, to be honest. But the greatest gift has been the friends I’ve made in the romance writing community. I’ve found ‘home’ and I never expected a competitive industry to be so warm, welcoming and encouraging. Romance writers not only write about hope and love—they live it.

You're quite the world traveler. What's your favorite travel destination? Is there a place on your bucket list that you haven't visited yet?

When my husband and I were discussing marriage, we agreed that travel would be a priority, and it has been. In the 15 years we’ve been together, we’ve visited all 7 continents. Our travels have been thrilling, challenging and inspiring, but my favorite destination is still my Mom’s couch. As for the bucket list: Hanoi, Vietnam.

Thanks for visiting with us, Wendy! Would you like to ask our readers a question?

Thank you for a wonderful interview, PJ & Andrea! I’d like to ask Romance Dish readers—What are the qualities you look for in a romance hero?

PJ popping in again. In addition to the tour giveaway below, TRD is giving away a Kindle copy of Lady Vice to two people who leave a comment on today's post before 11:00 pm EST, March 18th.

Tour Giveaway:




1 Winner – Will win an eBook copy of The Secrets of a Scoundrel by Gaelen Foley and Watch the Wall My Darling by Jane Aiken Hodge

11 Winners – Will win an eBook copy of ONE of the following books from the ladies from www.PastThrills.com:

In Bed With a Spy by Alyssa Alexander, Reckless Wager by Christy Carlyle, Captured Countess by Ann Lethbridge, To Love a Thief by Darcy Burke, My Lady’s Trust by Julia Justiss, Unraveling Secrets by Lana Williams, A Shocking Delight by Jo Bevelery, Why Dukes Say I Do by Manda Collins, Secrets in Scarlet by Erica Monroe, An Improper Aristocrat by Deb Marlowe and Night Storm by Tracey Devlyn

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Not every lady plays by the rules.

Lady Lavinia Vaile knows what happens to a woman who puts her faith in society. For her, it was a disastrous marriage to a depraved man-one she threatened to shoot when she left him. Now Lavinia lives outside of society’s strict conventions, hosting private gambling parties. It’s only when her husband is shot dead that Lavinia finds herself in terrible danger…

A former judge in India’s high court, Maximilian Harrison will do anything he can to help Lavinia. In the darkest of times, he held on to thoughts of her and the love they once shared. Now he risks his own position in society―along with his ambitions―in order to clear her name. Yet as desire reignites between them, Lavinia remains caught up in secrets and shame. Her only salvation is to do the unthinkable…and trust in both Maximilian and love.

Purchase Links:

Amazon:  http://bit.ly/OrderLadyVice

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/BNLadyViceBuy

iTunes: http://bit.ly/LVibooks

Kobo: http://bit.ly/LVicekobo

All Romance: http://bit.ly/AllRmceLV

Review - - Return to Me

Return to Me

By Kelly Moran

Publisher: Berkley (Penguin)

Release Date: March 3, 2015

The bills are stacking up, and Mia Galdon’s tenth interview has just been a repeat of the nine that preceded it since she lost her job in a hospital merger. Despite a much hyped shortage of nurses, no one seems to be hiring RNs in the current economy. Mia is particularly concerned about what will happen to her younger sister Ginny if Mia can no longer bear the expense of keeping the teen with Down syndrome in the private school where she is thriving. Just when Mia’s spirits are at their lowest, she receives a request to call Lacey Covington, a voice from the past, a past that Mia has spent a decade trying to forget. With her instincts telling her to avoid all Covingtons, Mia still finds it impossible to ignore the call. She can’t believe it when Lacey offers her a job. Lacey knows where Mia is most vulnerable. She promises to set up a trust for Ginny that will pay tuition for the two years Ginny can remain at school and provide for Ginny for the rest of her life if Mia will agree to take on the job of private nurse to Lacey’s brother, Cole Covington.

Cole Covington was the only survivor when the Humvee in which he was a passenger drove over an improvised explosive device in Iraq. Retreating to his Wilmington Beach, North Carolina estate after the Army gives him an honorable medical discharge after months in hospitals, including four weeks in a medically induced coma, Cole isolates himself, refusing to see anyone and firing every physical therapist and nurse that Lacey hires. He accepts only the basic help provided by Rose Wendler, the Covingtons’ former maid. Scarred in mind and body, tormented by nightmares and panic attacks, and suffering from a depression so severe that he rarely bothers to shower or shave or to take the medication his doctors have prescribed, Cole punishes himself by refusing anything that will lessen his physical and psychic pain. He does his best to drive Mia away too, but having taken on the job, Mia refuses to give up.

Mia and Cole have a history. Even though Mia was “trailer trash,” the daughter of an alcoholic mother who occasionally worked as a domestic servant in the Covingtons’ summer home, and Cole was the privileged younger son of a wealthy and prominent Charlotte family, the two became friends and, briefly, more than friends. But the love that seemed magical ended in betrayal, tragedy, and humiliation. Neither Mia nor Cole has forgotten what they once shared, and now that they are spending time together, it doesn’t take long for old dreams to revive. But Cole has secrets he has been protecting for ten years, and Mia—regardless of her hard-earned accomplishments—still can’t forget the social chasm that once existed between her and Cole. Can they overcome these obstacles and relentless efforts to keep them apart to claim their happiness?

In this first book in a promising new series, Moran offers readers a moving, intense story of reunited lovers. A series of flashbacks reveals the events that drew Mia and Cole together and then split them asunder, and in the present Mia’s tough love helps Cole heal physically and psychologically and Cole’s truths heal wounds Mia has ignored. The leads are both sympathetic characters, and secondary characters including Mia’s sister and Cole’s sister are also engaging. The reader wants to see all of them achieve a deserved happiness. My only complaint is that the villain of the piece is a one-dimensional character, a Bad Mother who is an arrant snob without an iota of compassion or self-awareness. I would like to have seen more complexity in this character.

But this disappointment was not enough to prevent my enjoying the book. Return to Me is a poignant story, one that repeatedly tugs at the heartstrings. I particularly liked the fact that both the hero and heroine are agents in creating their eventual happiness rather than one or both being mere recipients of a happy conclusion. This was my first book by this author, but I will definitely keep an eye out for other books in this series.

~Janga

Review - - And I Love Her

And I Love Her

By Marie Force

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: March 3, 2015

Megan Kane was a senior in high school when her parents were killed in an automobile accident. Her older sister Nina left college to return to tiny Butler, Vermont to be there for Megan. When Nina married a Brett, a teacher, they used part of the elder Kanes’ insurance money to buy a diner. With Nina as manager, Megan as waitress, and the irascible Butch as cook, they soon formed a family of sorts along with their regulars, especially those who showed up at the diner on holidays because they had no family with whom to celebrate. After ten years of this life, Megan feels as if she has lost her moorings when Nina and Brett announce that they are selling the diner and moving to France where Brett has accepted a teaching position. Even though Nina and Brett both encourage Megan to accompany them, Megan is convinced that she needs to create a life of her own; she just doesn’t know where to begin.

Hunter Abbott, the eldest of the ten Abbott siblings and chief financial officer for the Green Mountain Country Store and other Abbott enterprises, is the family fixer who sees that all the family is taken care of, their wounds bandaged, their stories heard, and their problems solved. When he finds a teary Megan hiding behind the family store, he feels the same compulsion to take care of her that he feels for his sisters, except there is nothing fraternal in his feelings for Megan. Hunter has been casting longing looks at Megan as long as Megan has had an unrequited interest in Hunter’s brother Will—about a decade. Now that Will and Cameron are in a committed relationship and Megan has indicated she has accepted Will’s choice, it seems the perfect time for Hunter to make a move, especially since Megan is talking about leaving Butler once the diner is sold.

Megan has never really noticed Hunter, but his kindness makes her take a closer look. She likes what she sees, and she can’t forget Will’s comment that she has been focusing on the wrong brother. But Hunter deserves someone who can give him the kind of promises he is willing to make, and Megan is determined to protect her heart and never give anyone else the chance to leave her as her parents did.

And I Love Her is the fourth book in Marie Force’s Green Mountain series, a series I fell in love with when I read the first book, All You Need Is Love.  But this most recent installment was a disappointment, an ok book rather than one that had me clearing space on a keeper shelf. I have read some excellent books recently with seriously flawed heroines who eventually earned my understanding and sympathy. This was not the case with Megan Kane. Readers are told repeatedly that she has repented of her bitchy behavior in earlier books, but I had trouble forgetting her rudeness and immaturity that bordered on the unbalanced. It’s not as if Will ever reciprocated her feelings. And while her parents’ deaths were certainly a tragedy and losing both parents at once a double devastation and seventeen a particularly vulnerable age, Megan had her sister for love and support, a town that cared about her, and no financial concerns. I guess my mother’s count-your-blessings philosophy is too deeply ingrained for me to ignore it even in a fictional world.

And while Hunter is endearing, I did want to see his apparently inexhaustible patience wear thin. Even when he is injured and his mother and his twin are angry that Megan can’t forget herself and be there when Hunter needs her, Hunter understands and defends her. The Abbott women forgive more easily than I do. I accept that Hunter wants only Megan, but I never understand why and I never feel that she deserves him.

On the other hand, I do love the Abbotts, and the best parts of the book for me were the family scenes. I adore Grandfather Elmer Stillman and smile at the matchmaking antics he and his son-in-law conceive. Molly’s observation about her father and husband made me laugh: “You can’t argue with their results though. A wedding, an engagement, and a shack-up all in one year. Not bad.”

I thought Will’s proposal scene was perfect for him and Cameron. And I am eager to see their wedding, to find out what happens with Ella Abbott and Gavin Guthrie, still grieving his brother’s death (It’s Only Love, November 3, 2015), and to learn the denouement of the story of baby brother Max and his pregnant girlfriend. I’m invested in the series, and I highly recommend it. But I’m less enthusiastic about this particular book. Fans of the series will want to read it to keep up-to-date with the Abbotts, and some readers will be pleased that this one has a higher sizzle factor. I still consider Force a power hitter, but even the best can’t hit a homer every time. (I hear the groans that I resorted to a sports metaphor, but it’s March and spring practice has begun.)

~Janga