New Releases for September

Hello, all! Can you believe that it is already September?! Where has the year gone? Fall is on the way as evidenced by the slightly cooler weather here in the South. While I will miss the summer, I do enjoy curling up on the couch under a blanket with a cup of coffee and a good book. J It’s also time for the new releases! I haven’t had the chance to read too many September releases, but I highly recommend The Last Renegade by Jo Goodman. It is a terrific book! Right now I’m reading Playing to Win by Jaci Burton. So far, so good! A few I’m looking forward to are: The Ugly Duchess by Eloisa James, A Lady by Midnight by Tessa Dare, and A Study in Seduction by Nina Rowan.

 

Which September releases have you read? Of those, which ones do you recommend? Which ones are you most looking forward to reading? Tell us and one lucky commenter will win a random book from my prize stash!

 

Until October, happy reading!

 

Historical 

The Highlander’s Stolen Touch – Terri Brisbin

A Place Beyond Courage – Elizabeth Chadwick (Historical Fiction)

Beautiful Lies – Clare Clark (Historical Fiction)

Forbidden – Nicola Cornick

Whirlwind Cowboy – Debra Cowan

A Lady by Midnight – Tessa Dare

A Lady and Her Magic – Tammy Falkner (Paranormal)

The Map of Lost Memories – Kim Fay (Historical Fiction)

When You Give a Duke a Diamond – Shana Galen

The Last Renegade – Jo Goodman

A Perfect Knight for Love – Jackie Ivie

The Ugly Duchess – Eloisa James

Not Proper Enough – Carolyn Jewel

Loving Lady Marcia – Kieran Kramer

The Way to a Duke’s Heart – Caroline Linden

His Very Own Girl – Carrie Lofty (e-book)

Tallie’s Hero – Sara Luck

His Mask of Retribution – Margaret McPhee

Dragon’s Moon – Lucy Monroe (Paranormal)

Sins of a Virgin – Anna Randol

Temptation in a Kilt – Victoria Roberts

Hemingway’s Girl – Erika Robuck (Historical Fiction)

A Study in Seduction – Nina Rowan

How to Disgrace a Lady – Bronwyn Scott

Lady Gone Bad – Sabine Starr

A Dangerous Liaison with Detective Lewis – Jillian Stone

Ruined by Moonlight – Emma Wildes

Born to Bite – Hannah Howell, Diana Cosby, Erica Ridley (Paranormal) 

Contemporary 

Her Amish Man – Erin Bates

Red Hot – Niobia Bryant

Courting Carolina – Janet Chapman

Bella Fortuna – Rosanna Chiofalo (Women’s Fiction)

Fool for Love – Beth Ciotta

Blame it on Texas – Christie Craig

Close Enough to Touch – Victoria Dahl

Stranger in the Moonlight – Jude Deveraux

Undone by Moonlight – Wendy Etherington

Kept in the Dark – Penny Hancock (Women’s Fiction)

The Mighty Quinns: Kieran – Kate Hoffman

Watch Me – Lisa Renee Jones

Northern Renegade – Jennifer LaBrecque

How Lucky You Are – Kristyn Kusek Lewis (Women’s Fiction)

The Inn at Rose Harbor – Debbie Macomber (Women’s Fiction)

Nightingale Way – Emily March

The Glass Butterfly – Louise Marley (Women’s Fiction)

Pitch Perfect – LuAnn McLane

Life Drawing for Beginners – Roisin Meaney (Women’s Fiction)

The Lovesick Cure – Pamela Morsi (Women’s Fiction)

When Lightning Strikes – Brenda Novak

Another Man Will – Daaimah S. Poole (Women’s Fiction)

The Good Woman – Jane Porter (Women’s Fiction)

Full Surrender – Joanne Rock

The Roots of the Olive Tree – Courtney Miller Santo (Women’s Fiction)

All He Ever Needed – Shannon Stacey (e-book)

Just One Night – Nancy Warren

The Unfinished Garden – Barbara Claypole White (Women’s Fiction)

Almost Doesn’t Count – Angela Winters (Women’s Fiction)

Where Azaleas Bloom – Sherryl Woods 

YA/Teen 

Outpost – Ann Aguirre (Futuristic)

The Diviners – Libba Bray (Historical, Paranormal)

Sweet Shadows – Tera Lynn Childs (Paranormal)

The Blood Keeper – Tessa Gratton (Paranormal)

Speechless – Hannah Harrington

Erasing Time – C.J. Hill (Futuristic)

Tiger’s Destiny – Colleen Houck (Paranormal)

Hidden – Sophie Jordan (Paranormal)

Spark – Brigid Kemmerer (Paranormal)

Origin – Jessica Khoury (Paranormal)

Charly’s Epic Fiascos – Kelli London

Carnival of Souls – Melissa Marr (Fantasy)

Reaper – K.D. McEntire (Paranormal)

Ten – Gretchen McNeil (Horror)

Two or Three Things I Forgot to Tell You – Joyce Carol Oates

Betrayal – Gregg Olsen (Mystery)

Defiance – C.J. Redwine (Futuristic)

Entice – Jessica Shirvington (Paranormal)

The Raven Boys – Maggie Stiefvater (Paranormal)

If I Told You So – Timothy Woodward

Because It Is My Blood – Gabrielle Zevin (Futuristic)

Beneath the Glitter – Elle & Blair Fowler

Over You – Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus

Confessions of a Murder Suspect – James Patterson & Maxine Paetro 

Romantic Suspense 

Low Pressure – Sandra Brown

Nowhere to Hide – Nancy Bush

Scene of the Crime: Black Creek – Carla Cassidy

Colton Destiny – Justine Davis

Intuition – Carol Ericson

Mason – Delores Fossen

Secret Keeper – Paula Graves

Midnight Exposure – Melinda Leigh

Guardian – Catherine Mann

Forged in Fire – Trish McCallan

Hiding His Witness – C.J. Miller

Delusion in Death – J.D. Robb

The Other Woman – Hank Phillippi Ryan

Relentless Protector – Colleen Thompson

In Rides Trouble – Julie Ann Walker

The Cop’s Missing Child – Karen Whiddon

Surgeon Sheik’s Rescue – Loreth Anne White

Every Breath She Takes – Norah Wilson

Her Baby’s Father – Rebecca York 

Paranormal 

How to Drive a Dragon Crazy – G.A. Aiken

Silver Mine – Vivian Arend (e-book)

Desire the Night – Amanda Ashley

Riveted – Meljean Brook

The Lost Night – Jayne Castle

The Demoness of Waking Dreams – Stephanie Chong

Broken Promises – J.K. Coi (e-book)

How to Lose a Demon in 10 Days – Saranna DeWylde

Immortally Yours – Angie Fox

The Uninvited – Heather Graham

Charming Blue – Kristine Grayson

Fear the Darkness – Alexandra Ivy

Fair Game – Taylor Keating

Where There’s a Will – Karen Kelley

Shifter’s Destiny – Anna Leonard

A Tale of Two Vampires – Katie MacAlister

Kiss of Steel – Bec McMaster

Savage Redemption – Alexis Morgan

Primal Possession – Katie Reus

Archangel’s Storm – Nalini Singh

Howl For It – Shelly Laurenston & Cynthia Eden 

Urban Fantasy 

Endgame – Ann Aguirre

Blades of Winter – G.T. Almasi

Death Warmed Over – Kevin J. Anderson

The Guardian of Bastet – Jacqueline M. Battisti (e-book)

This Case is Gonna Kill Me – Philipa Bornikova

Full Blooded – Amanda Carlson

Widow’s Web – Jennifer Estep

Chosen – Sable Grace

Ghost of a Dream – Simon R. Green

In a Fix – Linda Grimes

Soul Trade – Caitlin Kittredge

Ashes of Honor – Seanan McGuire

Haunted – Jeanne C. Stein

The Dirty Streets of Heaven – Tad Williams

The Kingmakers – Clay Griffith & Susan Griffith

An Apple for the Creature – Multi-author anthology 

Erotica/Erotic Romance 

Playing to Win – Jaci Burton

The Dirty Girls Book Club – Savanna Fox

The Space Between Us – Megan Hart

Erica’s Choice – Sami Lee (e-book)

Hidden Paradise – Janet Mullany

Inside Bet – Katie Porter (e-book)

Darkest Desire – Tawny Taylor

Guest Review - - Not Proper Enough

Not Proper Enough

By Carolyn Jewel

Publisher: Berkley/Penguin

Release Date: September 4, 2012

Lady Eugenia Bryant has returned to London to guide her younger friend, Hester Rendell, through her first season. She has left formal mourning and is happy to be wearing colors again, but she never expects to find again the kind of love she shared with her late husband, Robert Bryant. Her focus is seeing that Hester has a successful season. Since Hester is far from the typical debutante, helping her find her way among the cats and cads of society is not without challenges. Complicating the picture is Grenville Foxman Talbot, Marquess of Fenris, once her husband’s best friend, whose insults aimed at Eugenia led to an estrangement between the two men. But however strongly she dislikes Fenris, Lady Eugenia cannot ignore him.

Fenris is not now the man he was when he believed Eugenia was not good enough for Robert. He is his own man; he makes his decisions uninfluenced by others, including his father. He fought the attraction he felt for Eugenia years ago, but now that she’s free he determines that he will possess her in fact as well as in his dreams. He uses the considerable powers of his personality, his physical presence, and his disregard for propriety to seduce her. His touch and his wit prove irresistible, and the two are soon involved in a passionate affair. But Fenris is not content with Ginny’s body alone, and claiming her heart and mind proves a far more formidable task.

Fenris is not the only seducer in this tale. Jewel’s writing and characterization seduce even the reluctant reader. I had never read a book by this author when I agreed to review this book, and I confess I groaned when I realized it was an I-can’t-stand-him-but-I-can’t-resist-him story. That’s a trope I try to avoid. But I soon found myself captivated by Eugenia and Fenris, unable to resist their dialogue, their intelligence, and their physical and emotional connection. For readers who like their romances hot, Jewel creates superlatively steamy scenes, but I was more impressed, because I find it a rarer gift, that she builds sexual tension with equal skill.  A touch, a look, an entry into a room—all these are used to heighten the tension between the heroine and the hero. The sensuousness of the writing increases the sensuality. I was particularly struck by Eugenia’s response to Fenris’s voice and his words since I think these are underused elements in romance fiction.

She’d never heard a man speak as if the words themselves were made of passion, but that was what she felt as Fenris spoke to her now, and that, that shocked her to her toes.

I also liked that Eugenia’s love for Robert was deep and genuine. They were happy together in every way, and falling in love with Fenris does not diminish her love for Robert. Although the chemistry between Eugenia and Fenris is strong from the beginning, their relationship develops through shared conversations and laughter. I have a weakness for lovers who share laughter since I can’t believe in an intimacy that doesn’t include laughing together. I also like books that are shot through with humor when the novel is anything but light. Not Proper Enough satisfied on all these counts.

The story includes a secondary romance between Hester and the Duke of Camber who bond over their interest in botany. Hester is an appealing character, and a love match between the two is unusual enough to make it interesting. I wanted to see more of the relationship between these two. The other thing that kept Not Proper Enough from being a five-star read for me is that I’m not certain how it works as a standalone. I stopped about a third of the way into the novel, frustrated because I felt I was missing the back story between Eugenia and Fenris, and read Not Wicked Enough before returning to NPE. Readers less anal than I about understanding nuances and details may not be bothered as I was. I do recommend Not Proper Enough, but with the warning that you may want to read Not Wicked Enough first. It also is well worth reading. And I’m hoping there will be at least one more book in the series. There’s definitely hero material in a secondary character in need of an HEA.

~Janga
http://justjanga.blogspot..com

Today's Special -- Carrie Lofty

We are happy to welcome multi-talented author Carrie Lofty back to the blog! When she was here a couple months ago, she was talking about her latest Christie family book, Starlight. This time she is dishing about her new digital historical novel from Pocket Star, His Very Own Girl. It's out NOW! From Carrie's website: it’s a WWII romance featuring a female British civilian pilot and the American paratrooper medic who opens her heart. Sounds wonderful! Welcome, Carrie!

 

 

Swingin' Tunes

By Carrie Lofty 

Except for Bing Crosy at Christmastime, I didn't know very much about 1940s music until I started research His Very Own Girl. Then… Well, I love music! I started listening to it all the time. Music from the 40s became the best, most enjoyable way of tapping into the era. 

Bing Crosby
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Bing Crosby was huge. During the war, one out of every four songs played on the wireless was one of Bing's tunes. Can you even imagine?? Until the arrival of a young Frank Sinatra on the scene very late in the war years, Bing was the crooner. He ran the gamut between love songs and rousing songs about supporting the troops. Some were even cheekier, such as "There'll Be a Hot Time in the Town of Berlin", which he sang with the Andrews Sisters. 

There's never been a jauntier tune about overtaking a city. The 40s…they were strange times. 

The other facet of WWII-era music was swing. Bandleaders were like producers and DJs today. No matter the guest singers and musicians, top billing went to the bandleader. Benny Goodman, Harry James and the ever-popular Glenn Miller were the superstars of swing. "In the Mood" was probably Miller's most famous tune, which has transcended the decades. 

Here Lulu Davies, a British civilian pilot, and Joe Weber, an American paratrooper and medic, share a dance. Everyone was living on borrowed time, which meant grabbing a partner right quick!

 

Stuff in Joe held a pilot named Lulu Davies. He held her and he danced with her.

Their bodies moved in time to the orchestra's fair version of "As Time Goes By." Her easy, graceful rhythm offset her crisp posture. Everything about her was ladylike and proper—everything except her slacks and that wild glint in her eye. But she wore even the slacks with feminine bravado.

He wanted to dance for a year. Dance . . . and take her to bed. She was going to his head like 180-proof alcohol.

"Private?" Lulu was looking up at him.

"Call me Joe," he said. "'Private' makes me think I've done something wrong."

"Well, that won't suit. Joe it is, then."

They only touched with arms and hands—their bodies still a frustrating, respectful distance apart—but Joe absorbed the contact like sunshine on a lazy summer afternoon. "I never would've taken you for a pilot," he heard himself saying.

She smiled so deeply that a dimple appeared on her left cheek. "And I never would've taken you for a medic."

A couple bumped Joe from behind. He tightened a protective hand along Lulu's upper back. Her breasts brushed his chest. Joe's muscles snapped to attention. Their eyes caught and held as an electrical current did the jitterbug up his spine.

Lulu giggled. "Crowded in here."

"Sorry," he muttered.

"I wouldn't be dancing with you if I didn't want to be close."

Her smile, her body, her bold demeanor . . . she wanted to be with him. A sudden surge of confidence walled his doubts behind a brick wall.

Slow it down, Web. Pull it together.

"So why don't I seem like a medic?"

Lulu blushed and lowered her eyes. This wild woman was capable of something as girlish as blushing? "Forget I mentioned it."

The orchestra wound down and he prayed for another slow song. C'mon, boys. One more. They were under some sort of spell, which might be broken if they left the dance floor. Lulu seemed to hold her breath as well. When the slow, clean clarinet and swaying rhythm of "Moonlight Serenade" started, they both exhaled.

Lulu threw back her head, laughing. "It won't end unless we want it to, Joe."

"I like the sound of that." He touched her chin. "Now spill it."

Shrugging, she rested her gaze on the hollow at the base of his throat. "It's just that when I think medic, I think doctor. And when I think doctor, I think spectacles and books and studying—not, well, not . . . muscles."

 

Glenn Miller
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

The hope these entertainers provided trickled down to everyone with access to a radio or a dance hall. As Glenn Miller said, "America means freedom and there's no expression of freedom quite so sincere as music." 

Summer has been a blast! Available now from Pocket Books are three Christie Family romances. FLAWLESS kicked it off with a tale of an estranged couple's search for love. The 99¢ tie-in novella, "A LITTLE MORE SCANDAL" follows two aspiring lovers to London. And the Scottish-set second novel, STARLIGHT, was an RT BookReviews 4½ Star Top Pick. "Richly nuanced characters and a superbly realized Victorian setting come together brilliantly." ~ The Chicago Tribune 

I've also launched a co-written pseudonym, Katie Porter, with my long-time friend and critique partner, Lorelie Brown. Our "Vegas Top Guns" series of contemporary erotic romances launched from Samhain with DOUBLE DOWN and INSIDE BET, both of which were RT BookReviews 4½ Star Top Picks: "This racy, raunchy, hella good read…will move Fifty Shades of Grey to the children's section of the bookstore."  

Where to find me: 

http://www.carrielofty.com

Twitter: @carrielofty

I'd like to give away a digital copy of HIS VERY OWN GIRL in any format. Just answer: Do you have a favorite musician from the 1940s, or a favorite crooner from today—Harry Connick, Jr. or Michael Boublé, for example?

 

Thanks again to The Romance Dish for featuring His Very Own Girl!

Review -- The Last Renegade

The Last Renegade

By Jo Goodman
Publisher: Berkley Sensation

Release Date: September 4, 2012


 

On a train bound for Salt Lake City, Kellen Coltrane is more curious than annoyed at the stranger sitting cross from him disturbing his reading. Kellen quickly learns that the man, who is on his way to Bitter Springs, Wyoming Territory, has been stabbed and offers his paperback book to help him staunch the blood. The stranger identifies himself as Nat Church, though Kellen doesn’t believe him since that’s the name of a popular character in dime novels. Kellen goes in search of a doctor and comes back to see Nat closing up Kellen’s valise. Before he dies, Nat tells Kellen, “Pennyroyal. Should find her...tell her...she’s waiting.” Kellen assumes he is speaking of a person named Penny Royal, but finds out differently when he arrives in Bitter Springs. After Kellen discovers what Nat put in his valise, he decides to stay and get to the bottom of Nat’s cryptic words.

Lorraine Berry owns the Pennyroyal Saloon and Hotel in Bitter Springs. After several months of secretive correspondence, she anticipates Mr. Nat Church’s arrival on the latest train. What she doesn’t expect is the man who arrives in his place. Raine is upset after Mr. Coltrane explains what happened to Nat on the train and she holds herself partly responsible. After all, he was coming there to help put an end to the recent murders in Bitter Springs. After speaking with Kellen, Raine asks him for help, but is still skeptical. 

“You’re hiring me?” 

“Yes.”

“The same arrangement you offered Mr. Church?” 

“I don’t know your experience. Perhaps you aren’t as practiced.” 

Kellen refrained from pointing out that he was alive while Nat Church was very much not. 

Raine and most of the town have good reason to suspect the Burdicks of the murders, though they would never say so out loud. Uriah Burdick and his sons own most of the property in the area and consider themselves the “law of the land”. When more killings occur, Kellen and Raine know that time is of the essence; especially when the people who end up dead share a connection. 

I know I sound like a broken record, but Jo Goodman is a master storyteller and one of the reasons I love historical romance so much. She has an adroit way of drawing me in from the first page and holding my attention to the very end. And I know I’m not alone in this sentiment. Every time I had to put this one down to make dinner or help my kids with homework, I thought about the story and found myself wondering what was going to happen next. In my opinion, that’s a clear definition of a really great book. 

In The Last Renegade, Goodman pairs together two people who harbor secrets, but find solace and an unexpected measure of contentment with the other. Kellen is a man who thinks before he acts and speaks, so he isn’t spending fruitless energy or wasting his breath. He is pensive and sizes up others by observing them, which makes him an excellent judge of character. In Raine, he sees a woman who has been through a great deal and still remains strong. 

Raine stood outside his experience. She was strong-minded, unafraid to challenge him. She was also willing to listen and allow that she could be wrong. She had a soft heart for rascals and a hard one for people who wronged her. He knew from her letters that her decision to hire a protector was not the judgment of the moment. She carefully considered most of the things she had to confront. She was thoughtful in ways that demonstrated different meanings of the word. She did not shy away from thinking through a problem, and she was clever. 

With Raine, his protective instincts come to the front and he is willing to do whatever it takes to safeguard her. Raine knows that Kellen is only in Bitter Springs to do a job and afterwards will move on. She is determined to help him (for good reason), and despite trying not to, she can’t help allowing her heart to get involved. I absolutely love that about her and I admire her courage and grit through the tough times...and there have been plenty tough times for her. 

Much of the time it’s what Goodman’s characters don’t say that tells a lot. I truly appreciate that she allows her readers to figure things out on their own. She layers in little details that perhaps don’t mean much right away, but later on make perfect sense when the reader works it out. I love this and it is one of the reasons she has been an auto-buy author of mine for so many years. In fact, the only bad thing about Goodman’s books is that we only get one book per year. Though, if that is what it takes for them to be this exceptional, I’m good with that. J 

The Last Renegade is an outstanding historical western. It releases today and I highly recommend it to everyone. Even if American historicals aren’t your cup of tea, Goodman’s writing is brilliant enough to convince you otherwise. I guarantee you will not be disappointed!

 

~Andrea

 

Good news: Jo Goodman is now on Facebook!! You can “like” her page here: https://www.facebook.com/jogoodmanromance

Happy Labor Day!

Since 1894, the first Monday in September has been celebrated by people across the United States as the official Labor Day holiday.  Originated as a tribute to the social and economic contributions of American workers, the holiday has over the years also come to signify the unofficial end of summer.

When I was growing up, Labor Day was one of two "bookend" holidays that signaled the beginning and ending of summer vacation from school as well as the arrival and exit of summer neighbors escaping the cities of Chicago and Detroit for the relaxation of the lake.  Just like clockwork, caravans would start arriving Memorial Day weekend, bringing with them kids, dogs, boats and the promise of a lively, fun summer.  All too soon, the end of August would roll around and, with it, the last hurrah of summer.  Labor Day was always filled with swimming, boating, grilling and partying; as if we all knew we had to pack a whole winter's worth of fun into that one weekend before all the summer families piled into their cars and decamped back to the city for the long, cold days ahead.

This year, I'm celebrating Labor Day weekend with the family of my heart.  We had a cookout last night that brought back fond memories of holiday picnics of my youth.  While we're not on the lake (so no boats), we still had plenty of adults and kids (about 20), dogs (five!), a man-size grill (huge), a big yard and oodles of food.

We, of course, had the holiday essentials:  burgers, brats, hot dogs and watermelon plus a few extras like chocolate chip cookies, chips and salsa, salads, roasted veggies...

...shrimp and an enticing display of adult and kid friendly beverages.

Later in the evening, we capped things off around the fire pit in the back yard with hot, gooey, (what cookout is complete without them?) S'mores!









Smores:

Break a graham cracker into two equal pieces.  Place half of a Hershey chocolate bar on one graham cracker half.  Toast a marshmallow over an open fire until golden brown.  Place toasted marshmallow on top of chocolate bar; cover with other graham cracker and gently squish.  Eat and enjoy!

Laughter was the music of the night and everyone had a wonderful time, including the dogs!










How are you spending this Labor Day weekend?  What dishes are essential for cookouts in your family?  For those of you outside the U.S., does your country have a holiday honoring workers?  Do you have a holiday that signals the end (or beginning) of summer?  What's your favorite goody to make over an open fire?

Labor Day isn't a traditional gift-giving holiday but I'm making it one here at TRD.  One randomly selected person leaving a comment on today's blog will receive a book from our stash!  

~PJ

Virginia Smith Winner

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to visit with Virginia Smith earlier this week.  The winner of a copy of A Plain & Simple Heart, the book she co-authored with Lori Copeland is:

traveler

Congratulations, traveler!  To claim your book, please send your full name and mailing address to us at 

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com