Review - - Carolina Blues

Carolina Blues
Dare Island - Book 4
By Virginia Kantra
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: October 7, 2014

Psychology grad student Lauren Patterson had no idea that a simple stop at the bank would change her life forever. Caught in a robbery that turned into a three-day hostage event, Lauren bonded with her captors, convincing them to free the rest of the hostages and eventually surrender to police but not everyone escaped unscathed, especially not Lauren. Struggling with the emotional fallout and notoriety of the publicity surrounding both the robbery and her bestselling book about the experience while up against a deadline for her second follow-up book and battling writer's block, Lauren's new publicist, Meg Fletcher convinces her to come to Meg's parents' inn on Dare Island, North Carolina. There, Lauren hopes to escape from those making demands on "Hostage Girl," finally finish her book and return to school to reclaim her life. There's no room in those plans for a relationship with a hot local cop.

New Dare Island police chief, Jack Rossi is settling into island life, enjoying the slower pace and not missing the chaos and complications he left behind in Philly. Sure, he misses his close-knit Italian family but when his wife, also on the force, cheated on him with his partner Jack knew there was no way he could stay. Now divorced, he has no interest in a new relationship with a high-profile woman but that doesn't stop every nerve in his body from jumping for joy when he meets the mysterious Lauren.

Ignoring the attraction between them doesn't work for either Lauren or Jack as they gradually become better acquainted.  Eventually, they give in to the sizzling desire with the understanding that it comes with an expiration date: the end of summer when Lauren's book tour begins followed by her return to school. Sounds good in theory but when hearts become involved, all bets are off. However, both Lauren and Jack have significant baggage, not the least of which is Lauren's continuing struggle with PTSD. And when the past comes calling, the strength of the bond forming between them may not be enough to overcome the obstacles.

This is the fourth book in Virginia Kantra's Dare Island series and the first time the book has not centered around members of the Fletcher Family. While the Fletchers are still on the periphery, their page time is limited with the central focus on Lauren and Jack as well as well as new characters who, I presume, will play more significant roles in future books. While I missed my time with the Fletchers, their smaller roles in no way diminished the strength of this book.

I fell hard for Jack Rossi with his tough guy exterior and soft heart but it's Lauren, and her PTSD struggles, with which I most identified. Kantra doesn't sugar coat the trauma suffered by our heroine nor its lingering effects. I don't know what kind of research she did to develop this facet of the character but she was spot on in her depiction: the panic attacks, flashbacks, guilt, being startled by loud noises, inability to enter a bank, empathy for the perpetrators. I know these symptoms well. It's been thirty-nine years since I suffered them but there were times in this book when I was transported right back there to 1976; when I started to sweat, my heart raced and I not only understood, but experienced exactly what Lauren was feeling. That, dear readers, is superb writing.

I also enjoy the pace of the Dare Island books. Like the island on which they are set, the stories flow gently, like waves lapping at the shore, neither rushed nor stagnant but just right. The characters are true to their surroundings as well as the experiences that have shaped them. There are disruptive forces that keep things exciting and move the plot along but, in the end, it's the characters, their growth and their journey, that make these books so special.

If you have not yet visited Virginia Kantra's Dare Island, I enthusiastically encourage you to do so. It's fine to start with Carolina Blues. It stands on its own perfectly well or start at the beginning and learn why many readers, myself included, have fallen in love with these wonderful characters and the island they call home.

~PJ


Readers, are you reading the Dare Island series?

Do you have a favorite book or characters from this series?

What's your favorite beach?  If you don't go to the beach, where's your favorite getaway to relax and renew?

We have a signed copy of Carolina Man and Carolina Blues to give to one randomly chosen person who leaves a comment on this post. (U.S. only)

Today's Special - - Suzanne Ferrell

PJ here. I love a small-town contemporary romance series with a strong cast of characters and an intriguing thread of suspense.  Suzanne Ferrell's Westen series fits that description and with each of the three books in the series published thus far, I have become more invested in this town, these characters and their heart-stopping, heartwarming stories. I just finished reading the wonderful CLOSE TO THE FIRE and, already, I can't wait to see what Suzanne Ferrell brings us next!

Suzanne discovered romance novels in her aunt's hidden stash one summer as a teenager. From that moment on she knew two things: she loved romance stories and someday she'd be writing her own. Her love for romances has only grown over the years. It took her a number of years and a secondary career as a nurse to finally start writing her own stories.

Currently there are two main series she’s actively writing in: The Westen Series, a contemporary small town series based in a fictional Ohio town where “things aren’t always what they seem”, and features Close To Home, Close To The Edge and Close To The Fire.  The second series is the  Romantic Suspense books KIDNAPPED, HUNTED, SEIZED and VANISHED, featuring the Edgars family as they fight for justice, even if it means stepping slightly outside the rulebook.

KIDNAPPED and HUNTED were both Golden Heart finalist, and SEIZED, book #3 in the Edgars Family Novels, was a finalist in the novella category of the OKRWA’s National Reader’s Choice Awards contest.

Suzanne's sexy stories, whether they be her on the edge of your seat romantic suspense or the small town romantic suspense stories they’ll keep you thinking about her characters long after their Happy Ever After is achieved. 

Please give Suzanne a warm welcome!

Close To The Fire is the third book I set in the fictional town of Westen, Ohio. When I started the Westen series I wanted to write about life and love in a small town. Why? Because I was raised in a small town? Nope. I was raised in a medium-to-large sized city, (Columbus, Ohio), but I’d visited many of the smaller towns scattered all over the central-northeast Ohio area. My parents also came from a small town in the Blue Ridge area of eastern Tennessee. Small towns can be close-knit. You know your neighbors and they know you. That can be a good thing and it can also lend itself to all kinds of problems.

The first thing I wanted to do with Westen was establish a central gathering place. Now, this could’ve been the local church or school, but I wanted something more natural where everyone is treated as an equal and didn’t have to worry about their status in the town. What could be more communal than food? And what would be more fun than a 1950’s style diner? So the Peaches ‘N Cream Café became the lynch pin and gossip hub of my town.

With a name like the Peaches ‘N Cream Café the owner had to be a bit on the unusual side, don’t you think? Her name is Lorna Doone, just like the cookie, and she’s run the café since coming to town nearly thirty years ago. She’s a good-hearted soul who loves her town and neighbors deeply, but puts up with very little crap out of anyone. Her food is home-style and the best deal in town. She gives jobs to the homeless or those in need, raises her daughter to be as no-nonsense as she is and dispenses advice—wanted or not—when she thinks it’s needed. (I see my mom a lot in Lorna.)

Another character in the town is Harriett. For some reason she hasn’t got a last name, or at least no one in town has told me what it is, yet. (I’m thinking there’s a story there, don’t you?) Harriett is a nurse. She only uses enough words to get her point across. Taciturn is the best way to describe her. I rarely base a character on any one person I know, but in Harriett’s case I did use a former nursing friend as her model. That Harriett only said STAT twice in seven years of working together and she meant it both times. I let her read the scenes where Harriett drives Doc Clint a little crazy in CLOSE TO HOME, book 1 of the series, and she said, “Yep, that’s me.” (Nailed it!) She liked being in a book.  My Harriett’s a no-nonsense woman, gives orders to the patients and expects people to do what she tells them. Very few people in Westen argue with her…well, maybe Doc Clint.

Every small town has its local law enforcement, mostly an elected position. In CLOSE TO THE EDGE, I introduced the sheriff, Gage Justice. Yes, that’s his name and the heroine, Bobby Roberts gets a kick out of it. Bobby’s an outsider who literally drops into town and opens up a whole can of trouble. I’d tell you more, but you’ll have more fun reading the book.

If you’ve ever lived in or been to a small town frequently, you know that another big hub of activity is often the beauty salon. I decided it was time to introduce my readers to Westen’s salon in CLOSE TO THE FIRE. It’s a place where social worker Libby Wilson takes one of her older clients to have her hair done. A town like Westen needed a salon with a cute name, so I asked my FB fans to help name it. We had tons of suggestions, but I finally chose the Dye Right Salon. It’s run by Twylla and all the ladies in town, young and old, come there for their hair care, pedicures, manicures and extra gossip.

Speaking of Libby, she’s been in love with Deke Reynolds, the county fire chief, for more than ten years, but the death of her brother in a fire that injured Deke and another secret have kept them apart. Even in Westen there’s a time limit to stubbornness, as Lorna would say. It’s been a hot, dry summer. Things have begun to smolder.  All it takes is a little kindling to get things burning.

Readers, do you like a thread of suspense in your contemporary romances?

Do you enjoy small town romance?

What's the hub of activity (or gossip) in your town?

Do you like a hero in uniform? Fireman? Police Officer? Military? Something else? 

Close To The Fire  Buy Links:

Amazon http://amzn.com/B00NYAGL2Y

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/close-to-the-fire/id923761060?mt=11&uo=4

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/close-to-the-fire-suzanne-ferrell/1120420341?ean=2940150519312&itm=1&usri=2940150519312

Website URL: http://suzanneferrell.com/

FB URL: https://www.facebook.com/suzanneferrell.author

Twitter: @SuzFerrell

Review - - An American Duchess

An American Duchess

By Sharon Page

Publisher: Harlequin HQN

Release Date: September 30, 2014

 

Zoe Gifford, American heiress and “new woman,” is still grieving the deaths of her brother and her fiancé when a foolish mistake by her mother makes it imperative for Zoe to marry in order to have access to her trust fund. Sebastian Hazelton, younger brother of the Duke of Langford, seems to be the perfect partner for a marriage of mutual convenience. His family needs money, and Zoe is willing to pay generously for a husband who understands the marriage comes with an expiration date. As a married woman, Zoe can command the funds to take care of her mother’s problem, and she looks forward to being in charge of her fortune. With the American divorce rate at 15 percent in the 1920s, divorce has lost some of its stigma, and anyway Zoe has learned to live her life without undue concern about what others think.

Nigel Hazelton, Duke of Langford, is a man deeply scarred by war, physically and psychically, and the wounds didn’t end when he returned home. His fiancée abandoned him, his youngest brother died of influenza, and his entire way of life is threatened. Suffering from PTSD and fighting a rear guard action to defend “the old ways, the old standards” that include “showing respect to one's class and position,” Nigel is vehemently opposed to his brother’s marrying the brash American heiress with her short skirts, contempt for propriety, and inappropriate knowledge of automobiles and airplanes.

Once Zoe and her mother arrive in England, the situation becomes more complicated than Zoe anticipated. Sebastian ignores the conditions of their engagement, and Zoe clashes with Nigel from their first meeting. Her manners and her dress shock the household, upstairs and down. But despite their opposition, Zoe and Nigel are drawn to each other, an attraction that results in a marriage quite different from the one Zoe had planned. Marriage doesn’t change Nigel’s commitment to the old ways or Zoe’s embrace of the new. Guilt and grief in a seemingly endless cycle make more loss more likely than life lived happily ever after.  

An American Duchess is a book I wanted to like much more than I did. I have long wanted to see more romance fiction set in the first half of the twentieth-century, and I was delighted with the premise of this book. At first, Zoe is a wonderful heroine of the period, aware of her sex appeal (a term that was coined in the 1920s), boldly challenging established gender roles, and claiming her autonomy undaunted by the hostility her choices evoke in others. Nigel’s anguish seems real, and his desire to protect the life he was reared to inherit rings true as well. Page effectively captures the battle between modernism and the pre-war world. I was fully engaged with the story until Zoe and Nigel marry.  

Some of my all-time favorite romance novels use the marriage-in-trouble trope, so I had high expectations for the second part of this story. Zoe’s naïve belief that she could “make” Nigel happy and his inability to let go of the past and allow Zoe fully into his world set up conditions for continued conflict, gradual growth, and a happy resolution. But instead of forward motion, the story’s movement becomes repetitive cycles of angst with misunderstanding intensifying. I found it increasingly difficult to feel sympathy for either of the lead characters. Soon I just wanted to reach the end. Honestly, if I had not been committed to reviewing the book, it would have been a DNF for me.

To be fair, I would have given the first part of An American Duchess an unqualified recommendation, and readers who like unrelieved angst more than I do may well find the second part more satisfying than I did. There is also abundant sizzle, a decided plus for many readers. The star ranking reflects my ambivalence. 

~Janga

Today's Special - - Theresa Romain

It's my pleasure to welcome Theresa Romain back to the blog today. I just finished reading Theresa's new book, SEASON FOR DESIRE and it's another winner from this talented author - a great way to kick off your Christmas reading season. 

For more information about Theresa and her books and to connect with her online, follow the links below.

Website: http://theresaromain.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorTheresaRomain

Twitter: @TheresaRomain

Hi Theresa!  Welcome back to The Romance Dish. Congratulations on tomorrow’s release of Season for Desire, the fourth and final installment in your Holiday Pleasures series. Please tell our readers what they can expect from this book.

Thanks for the warm welcome, PJ! And thank you for hosting me today. It’s always such fun to visit The Romance Dish.

SEASON FOR DESIRE is a story about finding love where you least expect it. Our heroine, Audrina, is an earl’s daughter thrown into company with an American, Giles, on a treasure hunt for long-lost jewels. Neither of them understands the other’s world; neither wants to be in Yorkshire over Christmas. At first. (It’s a romance. You knew they’d change their tunes.) Soon enough, they see each other in a new way, and once they do, the treasure hunt leads them to understand themselves and their families in a new way too.

Audrina and Giles are complex characters, each with their own reasons for avoiding marriage. What was it about these two that convinced you they had a shot at a happy ending?

I never really know when I start writing! I just come up with characters who seem completely wrong for each other, then start figuring out what happens next. So Giles is a blunt American who’s the oldest and most responsible in his family (and yes, that includes his widower father, who’s on the journey with him). Audrina is the youngest and most rebellious of five daughters of an earl. They sound like opposites—but as I got to know their characters better, I realized they had both sacrificed their true selves for their families. They desperately want to matter to the people they care about, and this becomes a stumbling block to their romance as well. They have to learn to pursue their own dreams and be comfortable in their own skins before they find an HEA. The more they change and become stronger, the better suited they are for each other.

I really enjoyed their journey and there are so many wonderful scenes in this book. Without giving away spoilers, what's the one scene you would never cut?

I would never cut the library scene in which Giles and Audrina look through a telescope together, or the scene in a York inn’s kitchen when, snowbound over Christmas, they peel and cut apples together. These are everyday events that bond them and give them a chance to talk about what’s truly important. Not everyone falls in love because of grand gestures. Sometimes it’s the little things, like watching the moon or lining up perfectly peeled apples, that jog the big questions and the deep emotions.

I love both of those scenes and I especially love that it's the ordinary, everyday things that draw them closer together.

Our band of travelers is served a Yorkshire Christmas Pie for their Christmas meal, an interesting combination of five kinds of bird plus a rabbit.  What dishes are your holiday favorites? Do you have a traditional course that is served every year?

Isn’t that an amazing recipe? I’d love to know how many people it fed! (Readers, you can see the real-life historic recipe I used on my website at http://theresaromain.com/extras/mrs-booths-christmas-pie/ .) My family is Cajun on one side and Sicilian on the other, so when I was growing up, traditional dishes depended on which side of the family we were visiting. My mom’s family serves homemade ravioli and cuccidatis (a kind of pastry), all of which are incredibly labor-intensive to make. So in the hours before mealtime, tables are covered with flour, there’s meat filling and candied fruit everywhere—don’t mix them up!—and there are never enough rolling pins. My dad’s family would be more likely to have a potluck with a cochon de lait as the main dish–that is, the meat of a young pig, slow-smoked on a spit. Both kinds of food traditions are well-suited to huge family gatherings. Which, now that I think about it, that huge Yorkshire Christmas pie would be too. Maybe next year…

I looked up the recipe for cuccidati.  Wow, that does sound very labor intensive but also very delicious.  I think I may need to give them a try.

It’s hard for me to say good-bye to much loved characters when a series ends.  As their creator, do you feel the same sense of loss when it’s time to bid them farewell or does the anticipation of new characters on the horizon ease the parting?

A little of both, really. When I started writing SEASON FOR DESIRE, I knew some of the characters so well from previous books that their scenes flowed easily. But over the course of the series, I wrote myself into a few corners too. I couldn't change the timing of the story, or the way someone behaved, if it would be inconsistent with one of the earlier Holiday Pleasures books. A new series gives an author a chance to go down different historical rabbit holes.

When you’re not busy writing your own books, what types of books do you enjoy reading?

Romance, of course! It’s my favorite genre to read, which is why I started writing it. I like historicals and contemporaries best, though sometimes nothing will do but a romantic suspense or a time-travel romance. When I’m ready for a change of pace, I like quirky narrative nonfiction. It gives my storytelling brain a break, though sometimes it also jostles free a new idea.

I love autumn with its crisp, clear days, cool nights, deep blue sky and brilliantly colored leaves…and football.  I do love football.  Do you have a favorite season that you look forward to all year? What is it and what makes it your favorite?

My favorite seasons are autumn and early winter, before it starts to feel like it’s been cold forever. I don’t think I had such a strong preference before I wrote four holiday romances, but for the past several years I was working on a new Season book through each fall and early winter. It’s quite nice when a story’s setting matches up with the real-life weather! I did write some of SEASON FOR SCANDAL (my 2013 holiday historical) during a terrible summer heat wave, and that was tough. I had to make my characters cold when I could hardly remember what cold was like.

I also ought to admit: besides the beautiful weather, part of what I love about fall is that you can finally get eggnog again. :)

What’s next?

Thanks for asking! My next book will be out in January.SECRETS OF A SCANDALOUS HEIRESS is the last in my Matchmaker trilogy, and along with the scandalous heroine it features an Anglo-Indian hero who’s got his own secrets. These two struck a lot of sparks, and their story was really fun to write. I just posted Chapter 1 on my site, if readers want a sneak peek: http://theresaromain.com/books/scandalous-heiress/

Before then, though, I’ll be back here! On November 7, I’m joining fellow holiday historical authors Valerie Bowman, Elizabeth Essex, and Carolyn Jewel here at The Romance Dish for a fun day of festive posts and reader giveaways. We’re really looking forward to it!

As are we!  Thank you for visiting with us today, Theresa. Would you like to ask our readers a question?

It’s my pleasure. Thank YOU for hosting me!

Readers, I’d love to know: what’s your favorite thing about your favorite season of the year? I have confessed my fondness for eggnog. By the end of SEASON FOR DESIRE, Giles and Audrina would probably say the chance of getting snowbound together was one of their favorite things about winter. But maybe you like spring or summer more? Do tell!

To one random commenter, I’ll give print copies of the previous Holiday Pleasures books, SEASON FOR SURRENDER and SEASON FOR SCANDAL. Open internationally.

Review - - In Your Dreams

In Your Dreams

By Kristan Higgins

Publisher: Harlequin HQN

Release Date: September 30, 2014

Emmaline Neal retreated to Manningsport, New York, when her boyfriend of seventeen years dumped her seven weeks before their wedding. She and Kevin bonded as eighth graders, two Malibu misfits—a fat boy and a stuttering girl—in a place where physical perfection was the norm. She loved his kindness and his humor, and that love only increased through high school, college, and the post-college years of living together. When Emmaline gave him a gym membership to improve his health, she had no idea that it would lead to an obsession that turned Kevin into a different person, a healthier, slimmer man who preferred his fitness instructor to Emmaline. The house Emmaline and her sister inherited from their grandmother held happy memories and offered Em a place to begin a new life far away from California and memories that hurt. It was a wise move. Emmaline found a home, new friends, and new work. She loves her job as one-third of the Manningsport Police Department, and she loves being part of a tightly knit community. But the thought of arriving dateless for her ex’s destination wedding, an event that family connections make difficult for her to avoid, casts a definite blight on her life. Her friends offer a solution: Jack Holland can be her date.

Jack Holland is apparently perfect. Blond, blue-eyed, and “ridiculously gorgeous,” he is also intelligent, generous, kind, and devoted to his multi-generational family. He enjoys his work as the youngest in a line of Holland winemakers, and he takes pleasure and pride in the home he had built on land where Hollands have lived and worked for eight generations. Jack added the crowning touch to his status as hometown hero when he risked his own life to pull four teenagers from a winter lake where they were trapped when the driver lost control of his speeding car. Jack’s erroneously named “Midwinter Miracle” became national news, and now Jack can hardly step outside his house without being hailed as a hero. But while his neighbors and three sets of grateful parents can’t stop praising him, Jack is dealing with PTSD and burdened with guilt that he failed the fourth boy who is on life support in a local hospital. Jack may have spent his adult life preparing to save lives, but he is not prepared for the after-effects of the “miracle.” When his sister Faith asks him to be Emmaline’s “plus one” for the wedding, he seizes the opportunity as a respite from the pressures at home.

The wedding weekend is a series of misrepresentations and disasters, but it leads to a surprisingly passionate encounter between Emmaline and Jack. Emmaline is convinced that it is a night best forgotten, but Jack is persistent. However, persistence may not be enough to overcome Emmaline’s low self-esteem and the complication of Jack’s unfaithful ex-wife who is in town looking for a marriage do-over. All of Manningsport is rooting for this pair to find their HEA, but both Emmaline and Jack have to deal with baggage from their pasts before they can embrace a future with one another.

In Your Dreams is the fourth book in Kristan Higgins’s Blue Heron series, and it is a welcome addition to an excellent series. It is filled with the things that make Higgins’s books perennial favorites: hold-your-sides funny moments, families with their quirks and kerfuffles and myriad manifestations (and sometimes failures) of love, and protagonists you want to add to your circle of friends—plus, of course, puppy love for canine fans. Emmaline is a heroine in whom independence and insecurity are blended in fascinating measure, but it is Jack, who is saved from perfection by a twenty-year-old, life-altering wound, that makes this book a standout in the work of an author who has the knack for crafting keepers.  

If you are a Higgins fan, go straight to your preferred book source to purchase this book. If you like your romance with a generous serving of warmth and humor, this is a must-read. If you are a contemporary romance reader looking for a book that will make you laugh, set your heartstrings reverberating, and remind you why you love this sub-genre, I highly recommend In Your Dreams.

~Janga

New Releases for October

It’s October! This month brings fall festivals, pumpkin carving, cooler temperatures (at least here in the northern hemisphere), and new releases! So far I have read He’s So Fine and One in a Million by Jill Shalvis and loved them both! I reviewed He’s So Fine here and will be reviewing One in a Million very soon. I am DYING to read Darling Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt! I absolutely love her Maiden Lane series so I will gobble this one up as soon as I get it. I’m also looking forward to In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins and the Christmas Brides and A Christmas to Remember anthologies. It’s time for Christmas stories!

Which October 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 November, happy reading!

Historical

Rules for a Proper Governess – Jennifer Ashley

What a Lady Needs for Christmas – Grace Burrowes

The Far Side of the Sun – Kate Furnivall (Historical Fiction)

The Tudor Vendetta – C.W. Gortner (Historical Fiction)

The Prince Who Loved Me – Karen Hawkins

If He’s Daring – Hannah Howell (Paranormal)

Darling Beast – Elizabeth Hoyt

Land of Dreams – Kate Kerrigan (Historical Fiction)

Once Upon a Plaid – Mia Marlowe

The Groom Says Yes – Cathy Maxwell

Betrayed by His Kiss – Amanda McCabe

The Truth about Lady Felkirk – Christine Merrill

Zachary Black: Duke of Debauchery – Carole Mortimer

A Matter of Grave Concern – Brenda Novak

An American Duchess – Sharon Page

Night of a Thousand Stars – Deanna Raybourn (Historical Fiction)

What a Wallflower Wants – Maya Rodale

Season for Desire – Theresa Romain

Celine – Kathleen Bittner Roth

Moonlight Raider – Amanda Scott

Never Marry a Viscount – Anne Stuart

A Place Called Harmony – Jodi Thomas

Christmas Brides – Suzanne Enoch, Alexandra Hawkins, Elizabeth Essex, Valerie Bowman

Wild West Christmas – Jenna Kernan, Kathryn Albright, Lynna Banning

Contemporary

Keep Me Safe – Maya Banks (Romantic Suspense)

Life Is Sweet – Elizabeth Bass (Women’s Fiction)

The Last Breath – Kimberly Belle (Women’s Fiction)

The Night Belongs to Fireman – Jennifer Bernard

Cowboy Boots for Christmas – Carolyn Brown

Hope Burns – Jaci Burton

The Wedding Vow – Cara Connelly

Rowdy – Jay Crownover

No Christmas Like the Present – Sierra Donovan

Ruining Mr. Perfect – Marie Harte

In Your Dreams – Kristan Higgins

Winter Street – Elin Hilderbrand (Women’s Fiction)

A Gift to Remember – Melissa Hill

Gentlemen Prefer Curves – Sugar Jamison

Jilted – Rachel Johns

Carolina Blues – Virginia Kantra

Stirring Up Trouble – Kimberly Kincaid

Shopaholic to the Stars – Sophie Kinsella (Women’s Fiction)

Ring in the Holidays – Katie Lane

Perfectly Innocent – Tamra Lassiter (Romantic Suspense)

The Missing Place – Sophie Littlefield (Women’s Fiction)

The Christmas Wedding Ring – Susan Mallery

Mr. Miracle – Debbie Macomber

It Happened at Christmas – Debbie Mason

Crazy, Sexy, Revenge – J.D. Mason (Women’s Fiction)

Final Lap – Erin McCarthy

You Were Meant for Me – Yona Zeldis McDonough (Women’s Fiction)

Sweet Harmony – LuAnn McLane

All Fired Up – Kate Meader

Mistletoe on Main Street – Olivia Miles

How to Build a Girl – Caitlin Moran (Women’s Fiction)

The Wonder of All Things – Jason Mott (Women’s Fiction)

Rooms – Lauren Oliver (Women’s Fiction)

Leaving Time – Jodi Picoult (Women’s Fiction)

Reunion – Hannah Pittard (Women’s Fiction)

All He Wants for Christmas – Lisa Plumley

Getting Even – Sarah Rayner (Women’s Fiction)

Truth Be Told – Hank Phillippi Ryan (Suspense)

The Maverick of Copper Creek – R.C. Ryan

Going Gone – Sharon Sala (Romantic Suspense)

He’s So Fine – Jill Shalvis

One in a Million – Jill Shalvis

Innocent Prey – Maggie Shayne (Romantic Suspense)

The Night Garden – Lisa Van Allen (Women’s Fiction)

Sweeter Than Sin – Shiloh Walker (Romantic Suspense)

The Christmas Boquet – Sherryl Woods

A Christmas to Remember – Jill Shalvis, Kristen Ashley, Hope Ramsay, Molly Cannon, Marilyn Pappano

Our First Christmas – Lisa Jackson, Mary Burton, Mary Carter, Cathy Lamb

When the Snow Falls – Fern Michaels, Nancy Bush, Rosanna Chiofalo, Lin Stepp

Teen/YA

As Long As You Love Me – Ann Aguirre (New Adult)

Boy Trouble – ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Thunder – Bonnie S. Calhoun (Futuristic, Inspirational)

Exquisite Captive – Heather Demetrios (Paranormal)

Unmarked – Kami Garcia (Paranormal)

Scratch – Rhonda Helms (New Adult)

Love Is the Drug – Alaya Dawn Johnson (Futuristic, Mystery)

Sublime – Christina Lauren (Paranormal)

Stay with Me – J. Lynn (New Adult)

Kiss Kill Vanish – Jessica Martinez (Mystery)

Day 21 – Kass Morgan (Futuristic)

Snow Like Ashes – Sara Raasch (Fantasy)

The Perfectionists – Sara Shepard (Mystery)

The Queen of Zombie Hearts – Gena Showalter (Paranormal)

They All Fall Down – Roxanne St. Claire (Mystery)

Stray – Elissa Sussman (Fantasy)

Afterwords – Scott Westerfeld (Paranormal)
Belzhar – Meg Wolitzer

Night Sky – Suzanne Brockmann & Melanie Brockmann (Paranormal)

Redeemed – P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast (Urban Fantasy)

My True Love Gave to Me – Multi-author anthology

Paranormal

Summer Moon – Jan DeLima

The Betrayed – Heather Graham

Burning Desire – Donna Grant

To Love a King – Shona Husk

Chained by Night – Larissa Ione

Heart of Stone – Debra Mullins

A Highland Wolf Christmas – Terry Spear

Savage Revenge – Shelli Stevens

Howl of the Wolf – N.J. Walters

Urban Fantasy

Poison Fruit – Jacqueline Carey

Undead and Unwary – MaryJanice Davidson

The Mountain’s Shadow – Cecilia Dominic

Blood of an Ancient – Rinda Elliot

Flight from Hell – Yasmine Galenorn

Reckoning – S.J. Harper

Broken Soul – Faith Hunter

Seventh Grave and No Body – Darynda Jones

Wicked Misery – Tracey Martin

Incarnate – Anton Strout

Unbinding – Eileen Wilks

Erotica/Erotic Romance

She’s All In – Cathryn Cade

Tied – Emma Chase

Beauty and the Billionaire – Jessica Clare

Steady Beat – Lexxie Couper

Rhythm of My Heart – Jess Dee (Paranormal)

Only – HelenKay Dimon

Anything He Wants & Castaway – Sara Fawkes

Falling In – Lydia Michaels

Cougar’s Courage – Teresa Noelle Roberts (Paranormal)

Spread Your Wings – Jayne Rylon

Primal Temptation – Sydney Somers (Paranormal)

Reaper’s Stand – Joanna Wylde

Review - - The Groom Says Yes

The Groom Says Yes

By Cathy Maxwell

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: September 30, 2014

Cormac Enright, Earl of Bellin, the “Irish Murderer,” is waiting to be hanged for a murder he did not commit when a visiting clergyman offers to help him escape. Not knowing whether the offer is genuine or a trap, Mac decides he has nothing to lose and follows the cleric. When the Reverend Kinnion is shot, Mac escapes. The clergyman identified Richard Davidson as the man whose guilty conscience had pushed him to help Mac escape his unjust sentence. Mac is willing to risk everything to find out why Davidson gave the false eye-witness testimony that led to Mac’s arrest and conviction. He ignores the instructions he has been given to leave Scotland and instead heads for Kenmore, Kinnion’s village in search of information on Davidson.

Sabrina Davidson, daughter of Magistrate Richard Davidson, niece of the Earl of Tay, and cousin to Lady Aileen Davidson (The Bride Says No) and Lady Tara Davidson (The Bride Says Maybe), is a twenty-nine-year-old spinster and dutiful daughter with a reputation for seriousness, sagacity, and charitable works. Confident that her father is too devoted to the memory of her late mother to remarry, she expects to serve as his hostess and secretary and maintain her respected place in village society. Her confidence is shaken when she learns that her father plans to marry the Widow Bossley, a “robust woman of relatively good looks and lax morals.” Sabrina will soon discover that the Widow Bossley is only one of the secrets her father has been keeping.

Angry and wounded by the news of her father’s plans, she retreats to an abandoned shepherd’s hut that had served as a refuge when she needed to escape the pressures of caring for her dying mother. Inside, she finds a critically ill man whom she manages to maneuver into her pony cart and take home so that she can treat his fever. The man is Cormac Enright. She saves his life, and, in a different sense, he saves hers.

Cathy Maxwell gives readers another hero and heroine with significant flaws and places them in circumstances that foster their growth. Sabrina begins as a proud and essentially passive woman, quick to judge others and frustrated by a limited life in which no one values her intelligence and common sense. Mac has inherited an Irish title that holds little value for him. Weary of war and deeply grieved by the loss of all his family to typhus before he could reconcile with them after a decade of estrangement, he is reaping the fruit of pride, temper, and foolish choices. When Sabrina’s father disappears, they must work together to find him and the answers they need. In the process, they discover far more than they expected about one another and about themselves.

The third book of Maxwell’s Brides of Wishmore series blends mystery and romance with flashes of humor. Like the two earlier books in the series, this one is a memorable book with engaging protagonists who are distinctly different from the usual. I suspect some readers will take the author to task for the first passionate scene between Sabrina and Mac, but I thought Maxwell made it work by revealing Sabrina’s character early on and by showing afterwards her comprehension of all she had risked. My only complaint concerns the last part of the book. I would like for the conclusion to have been a bit longer. I wanted to see more of the transformation of Sabrina and Mac’s lives.

Although the thematic connections in this series are strong, this third book is connected only loosely to the earlier two in terms of plot. Thus, The Groom Says Yes can be read easily as a standalone. However, I recommend all three books. I have found the series refreshing to a somewhat jaded palate, and I am eager to see what Cathy Maxwell has next for her readers.

~Janga

Last Chance Winners

The people listed below have until October 5th to claim their prizes 

by sending an email with their full name and mailing address to:  

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Made4books (Karen Hawkins Winner)

jcp (Tracy Solheim Winner)

dstoutholcomb (Kieran Kramer Winner)

Pat (Heather Ashby Winner)

New winners will be drawn for any prizes that are unclaimed.

Today's Special - - Debbie Mason

I am so happy to host Debbie Mason today to celebrate the release of the third book in her Christmas, Colorado series, IT HAPPENED AT CHRISTMAS.  I adore this series and have fallen more deeply under the spell of this cozy, mountain town and it's quirky inhabitants with each book published.  

You can connect with Debbie online at Facebook and Twitter and discover more information about her and her books at her website.  If you enjoy Scottish historicals with a touch of faery magic, be sure to also check out her books written as Debbie Mazzuca.  

Please join me in giving Debbie a warm welcome! 

Hi Debbie!  Welcome back to The Romance Dish.  It’s always a pleasure to host you here.  Congratulations on the release of IT HAPPENED AT CHRISTMAS, the newest book in your Christmas, Colorado series.  Please tell our readers what they can expect from this book.

Hi, PJ! It's great to be back for a visit with you and your readers! IT HAPPENED AT CHRISTMAS is the third book in the Christmas, Colorado series and features environmental activist Skylar Davis and Republican senatorial candidate Ethan O'Connor.  Readers can expect some holiday fun, some laughs,  a little drama, a little spice, and plenty of romance as they follow Skye and Ethan on their journey to a happy ever after. Their ride's a bumpy one, but characters from previous books are there to smooth things over--sometimes. At other times they make matters worse. For readers who are new to the series, don't worry, you won't have a problem following along as the book is written to stand alone.

Skylar and Ethan could be poster children for attraction of opposites.  With such opposing viewpoints, what was it about these two that convinced you they had a chance at a happy ending?

Ha! They sure could be, PJ.  And while physically their attraction to each other is off the charts, their political views are so far apart that even Nell  McBride, Christmas's resident matchmaker, gave up on them. And that's saying something! But as the story progresses, you'll see they're a lot alike. They both come from wealthy, political families and want to make a difference in the world. They're caring, kind, compassionate people who once circumstances force them together come to respect one another. Skye helps the more serious Ethan to lighten up and have fun while Ethan settles the free-spirited Skye with his steadiness and strength. They complete one another.

One of the things I most enjoy about these books is the sense of community within the story and the richly developed supporting cast.  Speaking of supporting cast, what’s next for our Christmas, Colorado friends?  Are Vivi and Chance headed for a shot at a happy ending?

Yes, they are, PJ! I can't wait for Chance and Vivi's book, WEDDING BELLS IN CHRISTMAS, to come out next May. Nell has been trying to get these two together since book one in the series. There's a sneak peek at their story at the end of IT HAPPENED AT CHRISTMAS, and here's a sneak peek of their cover. I love all my covers, but this is one of my favorites.

There are so many wonderful scenes in IT HAPPENED AT CHRISTMAS. Some had me reaching for tissues to wipe away tears while others elicited rip-roaring laughter.  Without giving away spoilers, what’s the one scene that you’d never cut from this book?

Doing a little happy dance that you laughed and cried while reading the book, PJ:) Honestly, it's hard to think of any scene I'd cut, but I'll go with the one that first came to mind. I call it the Magic Mike scene:) It's sexy and cute, and the moment  Skye realizes Ethan might not be the uptight, straitlaced conservative she thought him to be. From that scene on their relationship changes.

One of my favorite scenes from this book is the Thanksgiving dinner with so much going on both above and below the surface.  If you could host a dinner with any ten people – living, dead or fictional – who would be on the guest list?

So glad you enjoyed the Thanksgiving scene, PJ! It's one of my favorites, too. Over the last five years we've lost several members of our family, and I'd love to have them all with us for one last dinner. Especially my dad. I miss him every day, but I miss him even more during the holidays.

Most of us have stacks of books waiting to be read.  When you’re not busy writing your own stories, what types of books do you enjoy reading?

I can't have stacks of books waiting to be read. I'm a book-a-holic. If there's an unread book in the house, it calls to me until I pick it up. I read anything and everything. The moment I sent off WEDDING BELLS IN CHRISTMAS to my editor, I took a few days off to read WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART'S BLOOD by Diana Gabaldon, THE BOOK OF LIFE by Deborah Harkness, and ONE PLUS ONE by JoJo Moyes. Three fabulous books by three amazing authors. At the end of the month, I'll be sending the next book off to my editor and will be indulging in another read-a-thon. This time the latest from Jill Shalvis, Kristen Higgins, Kristen Ashley, Chloe Neill, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Rachel Gibson, and JD Robb, are on my to-buy list.  I may need to stretch those few days off to a week or more:)

In my family, Thanksgiving means turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and football.  Canada’s Thanksgiving is next week.  What traditions for this holiday do you follow in your family?

Food is a big part of our Thanksgiving celebration too, PJ. And because of when the holiday falls here, one of our favorite traditions is to go on a family walk and enjoy the gorgeous fall colors. When our children were little, we'd take them to the pumpkin patch. Now it's a walk in Gatineau Park. Only our walks don't always turn out  to be the Hallmark moment we envisioned. Last year it was my mother who was the problem. Not ten minutes into our walk, she asked how much further, this continued every five feet or so. Until finally my brother and I pointed out that my nephews weren't complaining, and they were nine and seven at the time. That didn't go over well and the squabbling began. A man driving by in his car rolled down his window and said with a grin, "Are you having fun yet?"  Guess who's not going on the walk this year;)

What’s next for Debbie Mason?

Book five in the series, SNOWBOUND AT CHRISTMAS, is due at the end of the month and releases September 2015. Then it's on to A MATCH MADE IN CHRISTMAS, which comes out in March 2016.

Thank you for visiting with us today, Debbie.  Would you like to ask our readers a question?

Thank you so much for having me, PJ! I'd love to hear what your readers favorite traditions are for the holidays.

Okay, readers!  Let's hear about your favorite holiday traditions.  Debbie is graciously giving one randomly chosen person leaving a comment a prize package consisting of signed copies of THE TROUBLE WITH CHRISTMAS and CHRISTMAS IN JULY as well as a Christmas ornament. (U.S./Canada only)

Blog Tour Review - - Here in My Heart

Here in my Heart

By Anna DeStefano

Publisher: Montlake

Release Date: September 30, 2014

Dru Hampton considers herself lucky. Abandoned as an infant, she grew up as the dearly loved foster daughter of Marsha and Joe Dixon. When she aged out of the foster care system, Vivian Douglas, town matriarch, gave Dru a place to live and a job at Dream Whip, Vi’s restaurant, “the best burger joint in three counties.” Not only did Vi make it possible for Dru to stay in Chandlerville, Georgia, the suburb of Atlanta that both call home, but she also encouraged Dru to become involved in community service. Vi even provided financial support for Dru’s favorite project, radKIDS, a self-defense program that teaches children coping skills for dangerous situations. When Vi is admitted to the Harmony Grove Hospice Center, Dru does not hesitate to contact Brad Douglas, Vi’s grandson, even though Dru has spent the past seven years avoiding all contact with Brad on his brief visits to Chandlerville. Dru’s debt to Vi is greater than her need to avoid Brad.

At eighteen, Bradley Douglas was on a fast track to self-destruction. His grandmother’s tough love was what he needed to make him switch routes, and at twenty-five, Brad is a reformed bad boy, working as a special officer with the Savannah Police Department to serve the city’s most vulnerable. His biggest regret is that he hurt Dru Hampton and played a part in the disappearance of her beloved foster brother (and Brad’s best friend) from Chandlerville. But Dru has consistently rejected all his attempts to apologize, and he has decided the biggest favor he can do her is to respect her wishes and leave her alone. Brad has limited his visits to his grandmother to give Dru space, but with Vi under hospice care, he is determined to be there for the woman to whom he owes everything.

Vi Douglas may be dying, but she has enough strength left to manipulate her grandson and her young friend Dru Hampton into dealing with their shared past. They will learn to work together or they will lose the home and business to which Vi has devoted her life.

Anna DeStefano takes readers back to Chandlerville, Georgia, in this novella that introduces a new series, Echoes of the Heart, and revisits the setting of her Seasons of the Heart series (Christmas on Mimosa Lane, Three Days on Mimosa Lane, and Love in Mimosa Lane). The characters in Here in My Heart have all the flaws, the warmth, and the complexity of DeStefano’s earlier books. Seven years may seem a long time for Dru to hold on to her anger and hurt, but DeStefano makes believers of her readers by showing them the vulnerability of a sixteen-year-old and making them aware of Dru’s unique circumstances. Brad has all the appeal of a conventional former bad boy plus a generosity and a willingness to risk his heart that set him apart from the type. Both are sympathetic characters who easily capture readers’ hearts.

The eccentric Vi, the great-hearted Dixons, and the nosy but compassionate citizens of Chandlerville add dimension to the story. Fans of the earlier series will doubtless be pleased to glimpse some familiar characters, but no prior knowledge is needed to fall in love with the new series. DeStefano makes the foster care system, an issue she has touched on before, a concern in this story as well. She also weaves in issues of internet predators and the importance of empowering kids to deal with the realities of life in the 21st century.

Fans of small-town romances, especially those of authors like Robyn Carr, RaeAnne Thayne, and Sherryl Woods who blend the charm of small towns with life as we know it, will find in Anna DeStefano a new name to add to your must-read list. I recommend Here in my Heart, and I have a feeling that come spring, I’ll also be recommending Waiting for Your Love, the story of the missing brother and his ex-girlfriend. Cheers for another reunion story.

~Janga

Readers, do you enjoy a reformed bad boy? 

Are you a fan of the small-town contemporary romance? 

Have you read Anna DeStefano's books yet?

Do you like reunion stories?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 
Nationally bestselling author Anna DeStefano has searched her entire life for the soul of the matter at the heart of her world's mysteries. As a small child, she drew from her experiences, senses, and dreams to paint a lush fantasy world, filled with endless possibility and characters of her own creation. Putting pen to paper, Anna transforms these inner landscapes into rich storytelling.

Hers is a realistic but optimistic vision, searching for hope and transformation through intense emotional journeys. Her fuel--the inner passions and conflicts of the characters she crafts. Much like a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, Anna's characters face the ultimate of human choices: finding the courage to conquer their fears and thrive until, despite every obstacle, they become the beautiful things they're meant to be.

An author, workshop and keynote speaker, writing coach, and acquiring editor, Anna's creative vision permeates every challenge she undertakes. She wants you to stop, look, and keep digging, until you find the soul of your own fantasies. Her novels' rich blend of realism and fantasy invites Anna's readers into her creative mission to dig deeper and see each of life's moment with emotional honesty and clarity. Discovery and joy are her touchstones, regardless of how difficult her characters' journeys might be. She will challenge you to transform into all you're meant to be, as well. She speaks and blogs regulary. Join Anna each week for Soul Of The Matter, Dream Theories, Things My Teenager Says, How We Write, Waterfall Challenges, and more.

Past President of Georgia Romance Writers (GRW), Anna's also Senior Tech Writer with a GA Tech honors degree an 10 years of experience working in Corporate IT. Her novels have garnered numerous awards including twice winning the RT Reviewers' Choice Award, the Holt Medallion, the Golden Heart, the Maggie Award for Excellence, and finalling in awards such as the National Readers' Choice and Book Seller's Best Awards. She's the author of over 16 novels since 2004 in four different genres, with nearly half a million copies of her books in print in over 5 different languages.