Jo Beverley - - Farewell to a Romance Icon

Jo Beverley

This evening, the Word Wenches announced today's death of beloved historical romance author, Jo Beverley. As her Word Wenches sister, Mary Jo Putney wrote: 

Jo had quietly been through a very dangerous bout with cancer about five years ago, and had come through with flying colors.  The cancer was discovered to have returned some weeks ago, and it moved very quickly.  We all hoped for another miracle, but it was not to be.  Jo died very peacefully in a lovely care home in Yorkshire that used to be a convent, with her husband and her pal Charlie,  the Cabbage Patch Kid, by her side.  

Jo Beverley, Cara Elliott, Joanna Bourne

I've been reading Jo Beverley's books for more than 20 years. Her Company of Rogues and Mallorens are among my all-time favorite romance series but, truth be told, I enjoyed every story that ever bloomed from her creative imagination. She's one of romance fiction's superstars with five RITA awards and a place in the prestigious Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. 

Anne Gracie, Jo Beverley, Cara Elliott

Jo Beverley was not only a brilliant writer, she was also a lovely, gracious lady who was unfailingly kind to her readers. I had the pleasure of meeting her at RWA conferences over the years. She always greeted me with a smile, ready to sign a book, pose for a photo or just chat a bit.  

Jo Beverley, Joanna Bourne, PJ

Jo's Word Wenches blogging sisters have shared their memories of her today in a special tribute. Click here to read them and also leave a comment sharing thoughts of your own, if you wish.





Do you have a favorite Jo Beverley book or series?  A favorite memory of one of her characters or of the author herself? 

Today's Special - - Joanna Shupe

Photo by Kathryn Huang Photography

It's my pleasure to welcome Joanna Shupe to the Romance Dish today. I'm so excited about her new The Knickerbocker Club series, set in New York City during the Gilded Age, one of my favorite American historical periods. You can read Janga's reviews of TYCOON (a novella) and MAGNATE (first book in the series) here. 

Joanna Shupe has always loved history, a fact that is clearly evident in her writing. She was the 2013 winner of RWA's Golden Heart® for Best Historical, her first Regency historical, The Courtesan Duchess was nominated as Best First Historical by RT Book Reviews, and The Lady Hellion was named one of the Washington Post's top five romance novels. Joanna can be found online at: Facebook  Twitter.

The Gilded Age vs. The Regency

Thanks for hosting me on The Romance Dish today! I’m excited to be here today to discuss the Gilded Age, which serves as the setting for my new historical romance, MAGNATE.

In Romancelandia, we know all about the Regency. It’s the beloved time in British history of Jane Austen, Byron, and the Prince Regent. Just say the word and we imagine balls, dukes, fancy gowns, and strict social conventions that heroines love to skirt.

Most romance readers are less familiar with the American Gilded Age, a pocket of extreme wealth

and industrialization at the end of the nineteenth century. You might recognize Boss Tweed, Tammany Hall and trust busting from school, which are, in concept, about as interesting as a root canal. But stay with me, because I’m about to blow your mind (I hope).

All that stuff you love about the Regency era? The Gilded Age has it, too. Let’s break it down…

Fashion

In the Regency, English ladies wore elegant gowns with empire waists and long flowing skirts. The Gilded Age had gowns, too, and wealthy American women had oodles of money to spend on the very best, which usually meant dresses designed by the House of Worth, the originators of haute couture as we know it today.

Just search “House of Worth Gowns” on Pinterest. You. Will. Not. Be. Sorry.

 Balls

The Gilded Age had fancy balls, as well as debutantes. And yes, the balls were just as exclusive as the Regency soirees. You might have heard the term “The Four Hundred,” which originated because Mrs. Astor’s ballroom only held four hundred people. Needless to say, this quickly established a list of who’s who in New York society.

With so much money on hand for the Gilded Age’s elite, the balls were extravagant. Want 10,000 butterflies shipped in from Brazil? What about swans floating in a real pond as a centerpiece? Or party favors of gold pencil cases, jewelry, or cash? All of these actually happened.

High Society

In Regency romance, we adore our dukes. And little wonder: the British aristocracy is an exclusive club not many could join. The high society of New York, however, operated in much the same way. No matter how wealthy you were, if your roots couldn’t be traced all the way back to the Dutch settlers of Manhattan, you were too gauche for this crowd.

This was why many of the nouveau riche in America married their daughters off to English noblemen; they couldn’t buy acceptance in society, so they hoped to gain it through a British title.

There are more similarities—from stately mansions and scandals, to class struggles and social upheaval—but one major difference between the two eras are the industrial advances.

The Technology

The Gilded Age had more modern toys, including railroads, the telegraph, and telephones. Even the automobile comes in at the tail end. Thankfully, there were still carriages and horses for those quick romantic rides across town. Have you watched The Age of Innocence, when Daniel Day-Lewis seduces Michelle Pfeiffer in the carriage? Gilded Age hotness!

If you like historical romance, I hope you will give the Gilded Age a try. It’s a fascinating era, and my very favorite.

What’s your favorite historical movie? Comment below with your answer for the chance to win a signed paperback copy of MAGNATE!

******

New York City’s Gilded Age shimmers with unimaginable wealth and glittering power. The men of the Knickerbocker Club know this more than anyone else. But for one millionaire, the business of love is not what he expected…

Born in the slums of Five Points, Emmett Cavanaugh climbed his way to the top of a booming steel empire and now holds court in an opulent Fifth Avenue mansion. His rise in stations, however, has done little to elevate his taste in women. He loathes the city’s “high society” types, but a rebellious and beautiful blue-blood just might change all that.

Elizabeth Sloane’s mind is filled with more than the latest parlor room gossip. Lizzie can play the Stock Exchange as deftly as New York’s most accomplished brokers—but she needs a man to put her skills to use. Emmett reluctantly agrees when the stunning socialite asks him to back her trades and split the profits. But love and business make strange bedfellows, and as their fragile partnership begins to crack, they’ll discover a passion more frenzied than the trading room floor…

Review - - TYCOON and MAGNATE

Tycoon

By Joanna Schupe

Publisher: Zebra

Release Date: February 23, 2016

Joanna Shupe introduced her Knickerbocker Club series set in New York City during the Gilded Age with the novella Tycoon, the story of Clara Dobson, a shop girl, and Theodore Harper, president of one of the nation’s largest banks. Clara witnesses a crime and is on the run from the perpetrators. With no money and only the clothes she is wearing, she is headed home to Missouri. Ted is in Grand Central Station about to board his private car for business meetings on the train with a St. Louis brewer. When Clara spots her pursuers, she randomly attaches herself to Ted, unaware of who he is. Ted can’t decide if Clara is crazy, involved in a scam, or actually in danger, but he agrees to let her share his car. She, in turn, agrees to help distract the wife of the brewer while the men discuss business. Clara’s presence proves an unexpected boon.

Over the next few days, Clara and Ted come to know each other better. The attraction that sparked with that first kiss between strangers grows exponentially. But trust grows more slowly, and Clara remains in danger. Can love really conquer all?

If I were evaluating this as a standalone, I would award it 3.5 stars. I love the characters, and the premise, but the novella format allows for development for both that is too thin for my taste. However, as a teaser for a new series, this novella is highly effective. It certainly captured my attention and left me eager to read the first novel in the series. For this reason, I gave Tycoon five stars.

Magnate

By Joanna Schupe

Publisher: Zebra

Release date: April 26, 2016

  

Elizabeth Sloane belongs to elite New York society, old money with connections to the original Dutch settlers and low tolerance for the nouveau riche who were increasing in numbers and in personal wealth in the late nineteenth century. The queen bee of Old New York was Caroline Schermerhorn Astor, creator of the famed “Four Hundred,” a list of socially acceptable upper-class families. Known as Knickerbockers (a term sarcastically coined by author Washington Irving) by outsiders, old New York limited the power of its women to the social scene. It is this rigidly defined role that Elizabeth resists. She wants a life that consists of more than parties, opera, and gossip. An interest in stock trading fostered early in her life through time spent with her father has increased with her awareness that she is intelligent and particularly skilled in picking the right stocks. Growing concerns about the family business headed by her brother William heighten her interest in opening her own brokerage firm and adding to the family coffers. Her brother refuses to entertain the thought of his sister in business. Knowing that she needs to be publicly connected with a man powerful in the business community, Elizabeth approaches Emmett Cavanaugh, hoping that a man who belongs to the city’s new wealth will be less conservative than her brother. Elizabeth erroneously believes that her brother and Cavanaugh are friends because they, along with Theodore Harper (The Tycoon) and Calvin Cabot, owner of three large newspapers, belong to a four-member secret group who use their power and money for purposes that require their joint efforts.

Cavanaugh rose from brutal poverty and an early childhood spent in the squalor of the infamous Five Points. Ruthless and driven, from the age of twelve, he devoted himself to ensuring that he and his three siblings escaped the hunger and violence of life in America’s first urban ghetto.  He started working in a steel mill, and he ended up owning it and much more. Cavanaugh is first amused and then intrigued by Elizabeth. He consents not to her initial proposal but to a wager with her shares in her family’s company as her stake. He is conscious, as is Elizabeth, of the strong attraction that sizzles between them, but each thinks the social gulf between them cannot be bridged.

The scandal that began with their first dinner meeting intensifies with their business association. The result is a forced marriage and two unhappy partners. The conflicts between these two strong characters are real, and misunderstandings abound. But even Mother Nature appears to know that Elizabeth and Emmett belong together and helps them reach their HEA. (I do love a snowstorm in a romance.)

I have long wished for the return of the non-Western American historical romance, and I am delighted to see more in this subgenre being offered in recent months. I find the Gilded Age a fascinating period. I even briefly considered making Edith Wharton the focus of my dissertation. You can then imagine how pleased I was to learn that Schupe was setting a series in 1880s New York City. My expectations were high, and Schupe met them beautifully. She does a wonderful job of world building, from her descriptions of the opulent homes of the wealthy to the backroom meetings of the powerful who are not overly particular about using ethical means to achieve their goals. Lest some reader complain that Elizabeth’s triumph is unrealistic, Schupe provides an author’s note that briefly recounts her real life model.

Elizabeth and Emmett are complex, layered characters who held my interest from the first pages. I found her likeable and sympathetic. Although Emmett is not always likeable, he is always compelling, and, given what readers know of him, he remains true to his character. My one reservation is that I would like to have seen his character explored a bit more fully.  The secondary characters add depth to the story. I especially loved Emmett’s family, and I eagerly await Baron, the third novel in the series, which will feature William Sloane, Elizabeth’s brother, and a fake medium.

If you are a fan of cross-class romances or the forced marriage trope, if you are captivated by Gilded Age tales, or if you like historical romance that combines the tried and true with the fresh and new, I highly recommend Magnate. I liked it so well that I have pre-ordered Baron (October 25, 2016). It has a political element! I can’t wait!

~Janga

Review -- Burned By a Kiss

Burned by a Kiss
The Star Canyon Series - Book One
By Tina Leonard
Publisher: Diversion Books
Release Date: May 3, 2016

Former Navy SEAL Santana Dark never quite forgot that graduation kiss with shy, nerdy Emma Glass. Now he's home, ready to help his siblings work the family ranch following their father's mysterious death and wondering if there's still a spark between him and Emma. It doesn't take long to discover that there is but before they can explore it, a meeting with his father's lawyer delivers devastating news that leaves the Dark siblings reeling...and homeless. How can Santana explore any type of a relationship with Emma when he no longer has anything to offer her?

Veterinarian Emma Glass worried and wondered about her best friend's brother during his years abroad. She'd always had a crush on him and that unexpected graduation kiss gave her plenty to think about during the years he was gone from Star Canyon, New Mexico. Emma has a good life taking care of the animals of Star Canyon but it sure would be nice to have someone to share the lonely nights. Now that Santana's back, it's clear there's plenty of sizzle between them and she's more than ready to explore it. Feelings between them grow but between the tortured nightmares of his time in Afghanistan and everything he thought he knew about his family shattered, does he have anything left to give sweet Emma beyond fun between the sheets?

I always enjoy a Tina Leonard story and Burned by a Kiss is no exception, with its western setting, family dynamics, and touch of magic. I like the Dark family and am looking forward to getting to know them better in future books. There's also the mystery of their father's death that, apparently, will play out over the course of the series. Burned by a Kiss is the first book in the series and a lot of time is devoted to world building and setting foundations for the main characters of the series. While it's important to the overall story arc for the series, there were times when I felt the main romance of this book was sacrificed in favor of "setting the stage" for the series. I really liked Santana and Emma and wanted more time with just the two of them. But that complaint aside, I'm intrigued by all of the main characters as well as the mystery and am looking forward to more visits to Star Canyon.

~PJ

Review - - My One and Only

My One and Only
Ardent Springs - Book 3
By Terri Osburn
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: May 18, 2016

  


Terri Osburn does not create simple, non-dimensional characters. They are multi-layered, complicated, and flawed, making them infinitely more interesting. Take Haleigh, the heroine of My One and Only. Here is a woman who has regrets, who carries guilt and shame. A respected doctor, she has the outward appearance of a successful woman who has her life in order but, inside? Inside, she's one hot mess - a recovering alcoholic battling issues of self-esteem, and enough parental baggage to sink a boat. Returning home to Ardent Springs six months ago after the failure of her third engagement, she's working as an OBGYN at the local hospital, renting a room from her best friend, and trying to establish a healthy relationship with her impossible-to-please mother, an almost impossible task. There's no time in her life for a man, especially not her best friend's twin brother and all-around good guy, Cooper Ridgeway who most certainly deserves someone much better than Haleigh.

Cooper Ridgeway feels like he's spent his whole life loving Haleigh Rae Mitchner but he's never felt worthy of her. His mean, drunk of a father did a number on Cooper's self-esteem that far outlasted the man's life. Even though Coop runs a successful business, he can't imagine what an educated, confident, doctor would ever see in a small-town mechanic so he keeps his distance. When a pregnant teen searching for her biological father brings Cooper and Haleigh together, Haleigh begins to view him as more than her friend's brother and when things begin to sizzle, Coop sees an opportunity to finally go after the woman he's always wanted. But when complications arise and truths begin to surface, will it bring them together or tear them apart?

There were times in this book when I was angry with Haleigh's behavior, when I wanted her to stand up for herself and for Cooper. But when you've spent most of your life being told you're not good enough by the person who should love you the most, it plays with your mind, your heart, your very soul. It creates patterns of behavior and belief that are not overcome quickly or easily, at least not in real life. Kudos to Osburn for keeping it real with this character and not taking the easy path. It may make it harder for some readers to like Haleigh but, for me, it makes this a more interesting, realistic, and, ultimately, satisfying story.

Then there's Cooper. Oh, my. Terri Osburn writes some terrific book boyfriends and Cooper, for my taste, is the best of the bunch. Much of the time I wasn't sure if I wanted to hug him, jump him, or give him a stern talking to but from the first page to the last, I never wavered in my adoration of this character as I cheered him on in his quest for a happy ending with his one and only. I do hope we'll be seeing more of him in future books. A community of secondary characters rounds out the cast, including the main couples from the first two books, whose relationships are progressing, and new characters who I'm hoping will figure prominently as the series moves forward.

If you enjoy small-town, contemporary romance with a rich depth of emotion, realistically flawed characters, humor, sizzle and a whole lot of heart, look no further than Terri Osburn's Ardent Springs series. My One and Only can easily be read as a stand-alone but for a more complete understanding of the characters, both primary and secondary, I recommend reading the books in order: His First and Last, Our Now and Forever, and My One and Only.

~PJ

Review - - The Duke of Sin

Duke of Sin

By Elizabeth Hoyt

Publisher: Grand Central

Release Date: May 31, 2016

  

Six Reasons to Sin with the DUKE OF SIN

1.)   Val is frightfully gorgeous, deliciously immoral, and delightfully broken—does he have a heart? Does he have a soul even? Who knows? For those of us who love a good fixer-upper, Val has great bones and glorious potential, but clearly just needs some “rehab” work. Massive, massive rehab work.

2.)   Villains are the new heroes. First there was the Earl of Mayne. Then there was the Duke of Villiers and the Viscount St. Vincent. And then Elizabeth Hoyt laughed and said, “Oh, honey, if you want to meet a villain….” And the Duke of Montgomery was born. I admit it. Elizabeth Hoyt terrifies me a little. How does this woman sleep at night? There were things that made me go, “My god, who thinks of stuff like this” and my next immediate thought was, “Elizabeth Hoyt—that lovely sweet looking woman—thinks of this stuff.”

3.)   None of that “social barrier” baloney for Val. No, no, when it comes time to entertain the thought of marrying his housekeeper, it’s not the fact she’s only a housekeeper that’s the problem. Plus he’s a duke and can do whatever the hell he wants. Then again, considering reason #2, that would have been gilding the lily where “issues keeping the couple apart” was concerned. (Where does Elizabeth Hoyt get this stuff?)

4.)   Even the worst, filthiest, most sinful sinner has a moral code. I grant you, you have to dig deep most of the time to see Val’s, but rest assured, it’s there. As he proclaims, he might be the villain of this piece, but when it counts, he’s there. I had my doubts. I was halfway through the book going, “How is Elizabeth Hoyt going to make us love this man? I want to strangle him!”—and she does it. She’s magic like that.

5.)   Every bit of dialogue Val speaks sounds exactly like Tom Hiddleston—so if you have heard Tom Hiddleston speak (and Tom Hiddleston can even make complex mathematical equations sound extremely sexy), you’ll understand why you’ll put up with a little bit of bad behavior—blackmailing, kidnapping, excessive debauchery—to be with him. I also freely admit that knowing Tom Hiddleston was her inspiration for Val is a huge reason I kept going when I thought, “There is no way she’s going to pull a HEA out of this. No. Way.”

6.)   The Duke of Montgomery has a flair for the dramatic. And I do mean dramatic. Whether he’s making a point to his housekeeper about how he’s a villain and not a hero or saving the heroine from being a bacchanal sacrifice at a Lords of Chaos ceremony or even announcing he’s been tupping his housekeeper to the said housekeeper’s brother, well, he certainly knows how to put on a good show and deal with the subsequent fallout. Val is like a fictional character mix of Lestat from An Interview with a Vampire and the diabolical, chaotic mischief and self-destruction of Loki—as I said, dramatic.

I would rate this book a 4 ½ for me—maybe a 5 (though I find myself comparing this story to Sweetest Scoundrel—and I did love Asa better)—I love all the Maiden Lane series and will read them and re-read them. Lord Caire…the Ghosts of St. Giles…Smiling Mickey…and all the heroes of the series are just swooningly, heart-throbbingly delicious. Val is no exception—he is swooningly, heart-throbbingly delicious, but he scares me a bit, even when tamed. There is no doubt that though Val has been “saved” by the love of the right woman who understands him and reminds him of his good self, beneath he’s still very much a wild animal not to be trifled with.

And the darkness that creates such a villain and makes him leap from the page comes from the kind of darkness that cannot be forgotten or wished away. I’ve always admired and respected Hoyt’s dark complexity of her settings, from where we met Lord Caire and that whole horrible gin enterprise and all the dark, seedy underbelly of London during this period, but the Lords of Chaos and the history that created Val make Lord Caire look like a Care Bear in comparison.

All the things one loves about Hoyt’s romances are there, in spades, but I do feel this book is her darkest yet. Wonderful, but dark.

~Hellie

Review - - Temptations of a Wallflower

Temptations of a Wallflower

By Eva Leigh

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: April 26, 2016

Lady Sarah Frampton is not a social success, despite her status as daughter of the Duke of Wakefield. In fact, after five seasons, her tendency to observe rather than participate in society’s rituals has earned her the sobriquet the “Watching Wallflower.” In Sarah’s case, appearances are quite deceptive. Not only does Sarah enjoy an active interior life, but she is also the anonymous author of erotic novels that have proved satisfyingly successful. Of course, her authorship is a closely guarded secret because revealing that she is the “Lady of Dubious Quality” would provoke a scandal that would ruin her and damage her family.

Jeremy Cleland (shades of Fanny Hill!), the third son of the Earl of Hutton, is a vicar in a Devonshire village. Although he followed his dictatorial father’s plans by entering the church, he finds the role of vicar a good fit for him in some ways. However, the limitations of the life have increasingly weighed upon him recently. A lover of harmony by nature and dependent upon his father’s purse to supplement the small stipend of a village vicar, he does not hesitate when his father summons him to London. The earl, who views himself as a guardian of public morals, has an assignment for his vicar son: to discover the identity of the Lady of Dubious Quality, reveal her as the immoral creature she is, and destroy her scandalous writing career. Jeremy, secretly part of the lady’s readership himself, is reluctant to take on the task, but his reservations are no match for his father’s crusading spirit.

When Sarah and Jeremy meet, the attraction between them, physical and emotional, is immediate and powerful. They each instinctively recognize a kindred spirit in the other. For the first time, Sarah encounters a man who awakens in her the intense desire she has heretofore found only in her fictional characters. But even aside from the fact that Jeremy is committed to exposing Sarah’s secret identity, the gulf between a village vicar and a duke’s daughter is enormous. Nevertheless, when Sarah concludes that marriage offers her best means of protecting her secret, Jeremy is the only man she considers. But with the secret of Sarah’s writing identity between them, can they find enduring happiness together?

Temptations of a Wallflower is the third book in Leigh’s Wicked Quills of London series, and like the earlier books (Forever Your Earl and Scandal Takes the Stage), it is a gem of a book that blends feminist themes, engaging characters, and sensual romance that succeeds on multiple levels. Sarah and Jeremy are interesting protagonists whose complexity is far greater than their surface personalities suggest. It doesn’t hurt that I have a decided weakness for stories featuring vicars and wallflowers. To have both in a single novel is joyous indeed. I have grown increasingly weary of heroes and heroines whose libidos control them from their first glimpse of each other, but Sarah and Jeremy restored my faith in instant romance. I also loved that although they are inexperienced (Sarah is a virgin; Jeremy is not far removed from that state), they are not ignorant. On a delightful note, Jeremy gets some useful instruction from a book that he has no idea his wife wrote. Another plus is that both heroine and hero grow during the course of the novel, and their love is central to their growth. It frees them to become more fully themselves.

This novel is also metafiction that offers some wonderful insights into what it means for writing to be a vocation. Sarah is clear about who she is and on the role writing plays in her life. “I wanted everything. To write, and to love you. My books aren't foolish to me. Writing is who I am. I can't not write. If I did, I'd cease to exist.” Writers in any genre should relate to her description of finding her own voice.

 “My early writing efforts strived hard to be significant... I loved to write but hadn't done it well. Not until I penned my own erotic novel. And then I found myself. My voice, at last. Here it was, all this time, but I'd needed to find the right subject.”

I highly recommend this book. If, like me, you have found yourself skimming or even skipping sections or even full chapters of romance novels in which love scenes/sex scenes appear to have no purpose other than to increase the heat level, you will rejoice in reading a book with a high sensuality level in which such scenes are not extraneous but rather integral to who the characters are and to the journeys they make. I have added this one to my Best of 2016 list, and I look forward with great anticipation to seeing what Eva Leigh has next for her readers.

~Janga

Today's Special - - Adrienne Giordano's Dog Collar Couture

Dog Collar Couture
Lucie Rizzo Mysteries - Book 3
By Adrienne Giordano
Publisher: SilverHart Publishing
Release Date: May 10, 2016

Mafia princess turned canine couturier Lucie Rizzo knows dogs are woman's best friend. Thanks to her fashion-forward four-legged clients, Lucie's dog walking/designer pet accessory business is booming. And for once her love life isn't far behind.

Lucie devotes her days to building the Coco Barkness brand, but her nights are all about roguishly sexy Tim O'Brien. At least they will be if she and Detective O'Hottie finally take their relationship to the next level. But bring an Irish cop home to mer mobster father? Fuggetaboutit.

Lucie's knack for finding trouble lands her in the doghouse - and on the six o'clock news. Someone's absconded with a million-dollar piece of cinematic costume history and with Lucie the only witness to the crime. Not to mention the prime suspect. To clear her name, she'll need an assist from her entire wacky crew: friends, family...and future (hopefully) lover.




This was a fun read! Lucie is a very likeable character who tries so hard to walk the straight and narrow. Not always an easy thing to do with a Mafia boss father, a bookie brother who has the hots for her best friend/business partner, and trouble that seems to be waiting around every corner. Explaining to her father that she's a legitimate businesswoman who doesn't need his brand of "help" is bad enough but how will she ever explain the new Irish cop boyfriend who has taken the place of her former Italian mob-connected fiance? 

Giordano has penned a lively, fast-paced story with an engaging cast of characters. I love the dynamic of the Rizzo family. It has the same quirky, humorous feel as Janet Evanovich's character, Stephanie Plum's family. The mystery is well plotted with enough red herrings to keep things interesting and prevent me from figuring it out early on. Tim O'Brien is a great guy; someone solid who Lucie can lean on as well as sexy as all get out. He and Lucie are a great couple. I love how he accepts her for who she is, family and all. I especially like how he supports her, even in the face of all the trouble she manages to attract and how that plays out for him as a Chicago police officer. She keeps him on his toes! A terrific secondary cast adds richness to the story, especially Lucie's brother and her straight-talking best friend, Ro. These two had me chuckling every time they hit the page. 

If you enjoy a fun, contemporary romance with mystery, humor, quirky characters, and a touch of sizzle, I recommend giving Adrienne Giordano's Lucie Rizzo Mysteries a try. Dog Collar Couture is the third book in the series and stands on its own but I'd recommend reading the books in order. Lucie is an evolving character and there were times while reading Dog Collar Couture that I wished I had known more about her background and the events and people in her life that were included in books one and two. I've downloaded both books and am looking forward to more of Lucie Rizzo and her mysteries.

~PJ

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Dog Collar Couture – Excerpt 7 – May 16, 2016

(Follow the tour to read a different part of the excerpt each day, as they are all part of Chapter One and in chronological order. You can find the list of blogs participating here: http://bit.ly/1pTuXGH.)

“Sorry, Dad. Where’s Mom?”

Her father circled his hand. “Ran to the store for bread. She’ll be back.”

Ro, working a tight, black skirt, stilettos and a light-pink cashmere sweater sauntered by; and, pig that he was, Joey cocked his head sideways to watch as she gave Dad a hug.

In a lot of ways, Ro was the female version of Dad. Tough, but with a tender side that popped out when least expected. And, of course, if someone messed with her loved ones, she took them out.

“Hi, Mr. R.,” she said. “It’s so great having you home again.”

Dad grinned and released her. “My wife is fattening me up.”

“Oh, pee-shaw. You were too thin when you first got home.”

Lucie couldn’t argue with that. “She’s right, Dad. You look like your old self now.”

“Luce,” Ro said, “I worked up sketches for some new couture coats. I’ll show them to you tomorrow.”

Wackiest thing ever, but Ro was convinced the market for couture dog clothes was untapped. As crazy as it was, Ro might not be too far off. Some of the high-end clientele usually went for ostentatious when it came to the samples Lucie brought them. Between the two of them, Lucie and Ro had developed an affinity for knowing which client would go for what.

USA Today bestselling author Adrienne Giordano writes romantic suspense and mystery.  She is a Jersey girl at heart, but now lives in the Midwest with her workaholic husband, sports obsessed son and Buddy the Wheaten Terrorist (Terrier). She is a co-founder of Romance University blog and Lady Jane's Salon-Naperville, a reading series dedicated to romantic fiction. 

Connect with Adrienne:  Website / Newsletter / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Street Team

On Second Thought

The Lady with the Black Umbrella

By Mary Balogh

Publisher: Class Ebook Editions Ltd

Release Date: February 8, 2016

(Originally published by Signet, 1989)

 

Life is not treating Giles Fairhaven, Viscount Kincade, well. After a night of gambling losses, he was awakened well before his usual hour by a barmaid demanding payment for amorous services rendered the night before, and then he discovered his purse had been stolen. That news earned him contempt and rudeness unequaled in the viscount’s experience from the suspicious host of the Golden Eagle Inn. Before he can leave the inn, Giles is attacked by three thugs. Rescue comes from an unexpected source, a bare-footed, nightgown-clad lady armed with a gentleman’s black umbrella.

The Honorable Daisy Morrison, the older daughter of a baron, is a force to be reckoned with. Accustomed to command, especially after two years of directing her deceased father’s estate and directing the lives of her mother and younger sister, Daisy is confident that she is the only chaperone needed for the trip she and her sister will make to London where Daisy intends to find the younger Rose the kind of husband Daisy believes Rose’s sweetness, beauty, and wealth deserve. She also has no hesitation in rushing to Giles’s aid when the innkeeper refuses to interfere in the brawl. Having routed the thugs and seen the battered Giles on his way, she also silences the innkeeper’s slander of the absent Giles by paying not only his reckoning at the inn but also the barmaid’s charges and his gambling debt. For Daisy, all of these activities are just part of taking care of those who need her help.

Giles is humiliated when the servant he sends to pay his bills at the Golden Eagle returns with the viscount’s money and the news that Miss Daisy Morrison has already paid the viscount’s accounts in full. His humiliation reaches a new level when he learns that his rescue by the small lady with a large umbrella has become common gossip and made Giles the laughingstock of London. He is certain Daisy is the source of the gossip. When he meets her and Rose walking in Hyde Park, he arranges a second meeting during which he plans to leave Daisy reeling from a severe tongue lashing even if he controls his instinct to strangle her. Instead he finds himself agreeing to ask the help of his cousin, Lady Hetty Parkinson, in introducing the Morrison sisters to society.

Daisy wonders if the viscount could be Rose’s perfect match even as she tries to ignore the tendre she herself is developing for him. Convinced that at twenty-five she is a settled spinster, Daisy dreams of romance not for herself but for Rose. However, the docile Rose, although reluctant to disappoint Daisy, proves quite stubborn about ignoring her opportunities and making her own choice. Meanwhile, Daisy continues to turn Giles’s ordered universe chaotic and increasingly to play havoc with his heart. A mock engagement, a kidnapping, and other dangers may present obstacles, but ultimately true love conquers all.

Balogh is probably best known for richly emotional romances rather than for light-hearted romps, but she is equally skilled at giving readers stories that are a delightful mix of sweet romance and screwball comedy. My favorite of her humorous romances—and one of my all-time favorite romance novels—is The Famous Heroine, but Lady with a Black Umbrella is almost as good.

I have had an abiding fondness for the managing heroine since I first read Heyer’s Frederica and The Grand Sophy eons ago, and I also adore stories that pair a stuffy hero with an unconventional miss who shatters his dignity. This story satisfies on both counts. It is irresistibly funny to see Giles losing more and more control.

Lord Kincade’s eyes strayed to Daisy’s smooth slim throat with some regret. He had been so looking forward to having his hands there. Or even if everyday reality kept his hands at his sides, then he had really looked forward to ripping up at the woman, telling her exactly what he thought of her interfering, tattling ways. And yet here he was still clasping her hands—he dropped them in some haste—and allowing himself to be the object of her smile of warm admiration and gratitude.

He is divided between a desire to throttle her and a desire to kiss her, with the latter feeling growing stronger by the day. Daisy, of course, is sublimely unaware of the effects she has on Giles, and she stubbornly persists in her conviction that she is past the age to be courted and too strong-minded not to dominate any man who married her. Watching her proved wrong is a delight.

In addition to likeable, entertaining leads, Balogh uses secondary characters to add interest and appeal to the story. The villains are one-dimensional, but the family members of Giles and Daisy are wonderfully drawn. I particularly like the Reverend Arthur Fairhaven, the younger brother of Giles.

This gem of a book was among four long OOP Balogh romances released in digital format earlier this year. Many of my favorite Balogh novels belong to her traditional Regency period. Rereading this one was a joy, and I highly recommend it to Balogh fans who may have missed this one or to any reader of historical romance looking for a romance that will evoke gentle laughter and sighs of readerly satisfaction.

 ~Janga