Spotlight – One Snowy Night

14 Monday Nov 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ 2 Comments

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Heartbreaker Bay series, Jill Shalvis, One Snowy Night

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Heartbreaker Bay with a fun and festive holiday novella! Order your copy for just $0.99 today!

*****

One Snowy Night

A Heartbreaker Bay Christmas Novella

by Jill Shalvis

Blurb:

It’s Christmas Eve and Rory Andrews is desperate to get home to the family she hasn’t seen in years. Problem is, her only ride to Lake Tahoe comes in the form of the annoyingly handsome Max Stranton, and his big, goofy, lovable dog Carl.

Hours stuck in a truck with the dead sexy Max sounds like a fate worse than death (not), but Rory’s out of options. She’s had a crush on Max since high school and she knows he’s attracted to her, too. But they have history… and Max is the only one who knows why it went south.

They’ve done a good job of ignoring their chemistry so far, but a long road trip in a massive blizzard might be just what they need to face their past… and one steamy, snowy night is all it takes to bring Max and Rory together at last.

Order ONE SNOWY NIGHT in ebook or paperback

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo| B&N

Add to your Goodreads

*****

Excerpt:

“You were on the phone,” Rory said.

“I was.”

She looked at him, clearly waiting for more, her pretty eyes not giving much away. She was so petite a good wind could blow her away, but that analogy implied she was fragile.

Rory was anything but fragile, and in fact her inner strength was even more attractive to him than her beauty.

“It was Willa,” he said, willing to give her that. Besides she was more curious than a cat and he wanted to appease that curiosity and fast, before she figured out the rest.

She looked at him, surprised. “What did she want?”

Shit. On top of curious as a cat, she was like Carl with a damn bone. He twisted around to buckle Carl back in and then put on his own seatbelt. He turned the engine over and cranked up the radio.

Rory turned it off. “She already made you drive me, so what now?”

“Nothing.”

Rory turned in her seat to fully face him. “Was she checking to see if we’d killed each other?”

He smiled at that, a thought that had been so close to his own, but she narrowed her eyes, not amused. “What did she want, Max?”

He went to put the truck in gear but she leaned into him to turn off the engine and grab his keys. Her breast brushed against his arm, giving him another zap of awareness.

“Come on,” she said. “This is Willa we’re talking about. I love her, but she’s incapable of not sticking her nose in where it doesn’t belong, especially when it comes to me. What did she want?”

Shit, it’d been two minutes and he was already regretting his “gentle” promise. He looked her right in the eyes. “Nothing.”

Her eyes went to little slits. “Liar.” She opened her door, revealing that the slush had turned to snow, as she swung his keys from her fingers. “Tell me or say goodbye to your keys.”

“That’ll strand you too,” he pointed out.

She raised her eyebrows and he got the message. She didn’t care.

“Fine,” he said. “She told me to be nice to you. Actually, she said gentle.” While she gaped at that, he snagged the keys from her lax fingers, feeling like an asshole when he leaned into her, reaching past her to slam her door shut.

She didn’t shrink back, which meant that their bodies once again bumped up against each other, and it was like they knew what his brain couldn’t seem to comprehend—he wanted her. He was a little thrown by that, and the now familiar zing of electricity, only slightly mollified to realize by the way her breath hitched that she felt it too.

“If you even try to be gentle,” she said, “I’ll get out and walk.”

*****

Author Info:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s sexy contemporary and award-winning books wherever romances are sold and click on the blog button above for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter SignUp

*****

Giveaway:

Copy of SWEET LITTLE LIES & THE TROUBLE WITH MISTLETOE for 1 winner

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9172c1a0350/

*****

And don’t miss the first two novels in Jill Shalvis’s Heartbreaker Bay Series, SWEET LITTLE LIES and THE TROUBLE WITH MISTLETOE, now available! Grab your copy today!

*****

Don’t Miss each stop on the ONE SNOWY NIGHT Review & Excerpt Tour!

November 2^nd

21st Century Upon A Times – Review & Excerpt

JordansBookReviews – Excerpt

Amo& Sarah Book Corner – Review & Excerpt

Booknerd1107 – Review & Excerpt

Hello Beautiful Book Blog – Excerpt

November 3^rd

Ficwishes – Review & Excerpt

Majorly Delicious – Review

Natalie TheBiblioholic – Excerpt

Read All the Romance – Review & Excerpt

Smut Book Junkie Reviews – Review

November 4^th

Stacey is Sassy – Review

Moonlight Rendezvous – Review & Excerpt

From the TBR Pile – Review & Excerpt

bi n i b i n i – Review

A Reader Who Reads – Excerpt

November 5^th

Bloggin’ With M. Brennan – Review

Meli’s Book Blog – Excerpt

Red Hot + Blue Reads – Review & Excerpt

Shannon’s Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

Shelf_Life – Review

November 6^th

For the Love of Bookends – Review

K&J Book Promotions – Excerpt

Not Suitable for Work Books – Review & Excerpt

Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt

WTF Are You Reading! – Review & Excerpt

November 7^th

Bea’s Book Nook – Review & Excerpt

BFD Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

Carole’s Random Life – Review

Fiction Fangirls – Review & Excerpt

Writing My Own Fairy Tale – Review & Excerpt

November 8^th

A girl and her books – Review

Cara’s Book Boudoir – Review & Excerpt

Kelsey’s Corner Time – Review & Excerpt

Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf – Review & Excerpt

Once Upon A Page – Review & Excerpt

November 9^th

Lightning City Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt

Two Girls with Books – Review

What Is That Book About – Excerpt

Captain Reads A Lot – Excerpt

My Secret Romance Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt

November 10^th

Becky on Books – Review & Excerpt

My Nook, Books & More – Excerpt

Read Your Writes Book Reviews – Excerpt

Romance Reviews and More – Review & Excerpt

With Love for Books – Review & Excerpt

Book Munchies – Review & Excerpt

November 11^th

Books, Coffee & Passion – Excerpt

Romancing the Readers – Review

The Girl with the Happily Ever Afters – Review

Aly’s Miscellany – Excerpt

JOJO THE BOOKAHOLIC – Review & Excerpt

November 12^th

Dog-Eared Daydreams – Excerpt

Embrace the Romance – Review & Excerpt

Nose Stuck in a Book – Excerpt

Sweet & Spicy Reads – Review

Two Book Pushers – Review & Excerpt

November 13^th

Adventures in Writing – Excerpt

Book Angel Booktopia – Review & Excerpt

Renee Entress’s Blog – Review & Excerpt

Sofia Loves Books – Review & Excerpt

Southern Vixens Book Obsessions – Excerpt

November 14^th

Romantic Reads – Excerpt

A geordielass’ honest blog on reviews – Review

Bookalicious Babes Blog – Review

I’m A Sweet And Sassy Book Whore – Review & Excerpt

MI Bookshelf – Review

November 15^th

Hart’s Romance Pulse – Excerpt

Alphas Do It Better Book Blog – Review

Romance Book Nerd – Excerpt

Shelly’s Book Corner – Review

The Readdicts – Review & Excerpt

November 16^th

G & T’s Indie Café – Excerpt

Talking Books Blog – Excerpt

Cocktails and Books – Review & Excerpt

Wrapped Up In Reading – Review & Excerpt

Feed Your Fiction Addiction – Review

Tour brought to you by

Book Review – Welcome Home for Christmas

11 Friday Nov 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Book Review, Sneak Peek

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Annie Rains, Book Review, Hero's Welcome series, Welcome Home for Christmas

Totally an accident but we’ve got a story with a homecoming for a Marine for Veteran’s Day (and just after their birthday too).

I’ve read all four books in this series and I’m pleased to say that Rains is still going strong.

*****

Welcome Home for Christmas

A Hero’s Welcome #4

by Annie Rains

Releasing November 8, 2016

Loveswept

Blurb:

The bestselling Hero’s Welcomes series continues with a juicy Christmas romance set in Seaside, North Carolina, where a bustling military base keeps this small town stocked with dedicated, lovable heroes.

Three-hundred-and-sixty-four days a year, Allison Carmichael doesn’t mind being single. It sure beats dating another loser, and it keeps her heart safe. Then there’s that three-hundred-and-sixty-fifth day: Christmas Eve, the traditional time her entire family gathers together—and gangs up on her, demanding to know when she’s going to get married. This year, she swears, is going be different. And that’s why, at a charity auction she’s throwing on-base, she buys herself a man.

Sergeant Troy Matthews insists that he’s not for sale. His time is, though, and he’s happy to donate it. Happier still when he learns the identity of the winning bidder: the redhead with the killer good looks and smart mouth who runs the veteran’s center. Allison needs Troy’s help to fool her family into believing they’re an item, and he’s all too happy to indulge her. But by the time Christmas Eve rolls around, their little charade is working a little too well . . . because Troy’s falling head over heels.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31349355-welcome-home-for-christmas

Goodreads Series Link https://www.goodreads.com/series/154832-hero-s-welcome

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | Google | iTunes | Kobo

*****

Excerpt:

“So there’s one thing I now know about you. You’re a good liar.” Allison folded her arms at her chest.

“Good, maybe. But I value honesty. Sometimes lying to someone is for their own good, though. A little white lie never really hurt anyone. Here’s one for you,” he leaned in closer and lowered his voice, “I have absolutely no interest in dating you, either.”

Her cheeks flushed.

“And I don’t think you’re the most beautiful woman in this room, and the thought of taking you out does not appeal to me whatsoever.” He shook his head. “Nope, not one little bit.”

She smiled. “Now I know two things about you. You lie well and you’re a smooth talker. So, do you agree to my proposal?”

Troy could just say yes, but he was enjoying engaging her in a conversation. “You know, when I was kid, Christmas was always magical. I’d sit with the toy catalog and create this huge, mile-long list of the things I wanted. I never got so excited about a pencil and paper.”

“Did you get everything on the list?” she asked.

“Usually.”

“So your family had money?”

He nodded. His family practically owned the town he’d grown up in. He didn’t know what it felt like to want for something until his cousin Dale had died in 9-11, the deciding factor in him joining the military. “I figure the more money raised for those kids, the better their Christmas will be.”

“That’s my goal. I want this to be the best Christmas Mercy’s kids have ever had.”

“So, if I have to take you out . . .” He trailed off, smiling at her.

“We’re just going to talk. Have a meal or something together. No kissing, no handholding.”

Troy held up his hands. “I’m an honorable guy. I don’t force myself on women. Truth is, I usually have to fight them off.” He winked again.

“And you can’t act like that when you meet my mother.”

“Like what?” he asked.

“All flirty and charming. She’ll never believe that I’d fall for someone like that.”

He tried not to take offense because no matter what she was saying, she was attracted to him. He could see it in her dilated pupils and the way her chest rose just slightly under her racing pulse. “No? What kind of guy exactly would you fall for?”

Allison looked around the room. There was still a nice-sized crowd laughing and mingling. Christmas music filled the merry air. “I wouldn’t fall for any kind of guy right now. That’s why I’m pretending with you.”

*****

Review:

Like with Welcoming the Bad Boy, this one seemed a little easier read (more traditional contemporary romance). While it does have a lot of heart and a lovely story about two people meeting and falling in love, the first couple of stories of the series seemed to have more angst to them. Mind you I’m not complaining, some times you need that and sometimes you don’t 🙂

But the upside is that Rains doesn’t lose her deft touch at writing involved stories just because she leaves out some of the soul-searching and drama. She still gives readers fully developed and wonderfully crafted characters. The narrative is engrossing and I found myself reading it in about a day because it was so easy to get into and so hard to put down.

Allison needs a pretend boyfriend because she’s got one of those loving families that likes to get a little too involved in her life. Her mom is on her about settling down but when she brings a beau over then her mom’s psychologist skills come out and she tells Allison exactly what’s wrong with him … darned if you do, darned if you don’t, right? The family is very loving but you can totally understand how Allison finds herself in this situation. Recently burned, though, she’s not in the market for a real boyfriend, which is where Troy comes in.

Troy doesn’t have anything against love or relationships, he just not looking for either right now. But he’s sure not going to ignore the intense attraction between him and Allison. I love that there isn’t anything really wrong with Troy – he’s just a happy-go-lucky guy who hasn’t yet found a woman he wants to get serious with. He’s sweet, kind, sexy, hard-working, caring, blah blah blah, ya know just perfect.

The slow build between the two as Allison resists her attraction to Troy and he enjoys flirting with her just to see her react is fantastically entertaining. They dance around the issue with humor and fun but you know that they are totally getting together.

There are some serious moments – the interactions with their families (Troy has his own troubles at home), orphans without toys, and a burglar stealing from people in Allison’s neighborhood – but it all works together very nicely with the playfulness, heat and charm of them falling in love.

*****

Author Info:

USA Today Bestselling Author, Annie Rains, is a contemporary romance author who writes small town love stories set in fictional towns on the coast of North Carolina. Raised in one of America’s largest military communities, Annie often features heroes who fight for their countries, while also fighting for a place to call home and a good woman to love. When Annie isn’t writing, she’s spending time with her husband and 3 children, or reading a book by one of her favorite authors.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

*****

Click on the banner below to check out the rest of the tour

Spotlight – Emma’s Match

10 Thursday Nov 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Emma's Match, Franky A. Brown

Isn’t that just the cutest cover?!? And the glimpses I’ve seen make this a definite read … I’m pretty sure I want a Will of my own 🙂

*****

Emma’s Match

by Franky A. Brown

Release Date: September 29th, 2016

Genre: Chick Lit

Blurb:

Emma Wallace has a plan up her sleeve to save her struggling design business, but not a clue what do to about the man who has her heart.

Stealing a kiss from Will Knight years ago ended in an embarrassment she didn’t want to repeat. But when a popular new designer in town starts taking her clients and has eyes on Will, too, Emma decides it’s time to fight for what she wants. The perfectly irritating designer she wants to shove into a hole isn’t the only one who can be down-to-earth and likeable. After all, Emma’s never failed at anything…except walking the line between friendship and love. Crossing it again could mean losing Will’s friendship for good.

Buy the Book:

AmazonUS

AmazonUK

*****

Excerpt:

“Emma?” Will shouts out from a distance.

Good heavens. What is he following me for? I sniff loudly and quickly wipe the remaining moisture from my face. This is a pathetic, childish display, running out in the woods like this. Combing my fingers through my hair, I stand up and move from behind the tree so he can see me. He jogs over, seeming concerned. He looks amazing even when he’s sweating. Though he’s not dripping unattractively like I am.

He slows to a stop in front of me and places his hands on his hips. “What are you doing out here? Did you get lost? It’s not safe to take a walk in the woods by yourself. We’re trying to teach the kids the buddy system.”

I roll my eyes. “Here we go. Let’s save the big brother speech, all right?”

He studies me for a moment. “What happened to your face?”

I throw my hands out from my sides. “Jillian distracted me.”

“And she…hit you?”

With a growl under my breath, I say, “The tent attacked me.”

“Have you been crying?”

“Uh…” Forcing myself to smile, I say, “No. But if anyone did shed a tear at the sight of those bathrooms, it’d be completely understandable.”

“You can always use a tree,” he says with a wink. He walks over and puts his arm around my shoulder, leading me back toward camp. “Come on. Millie has the castle you bought all set up.”

“Oh, I should have been there to at least see how she did it.” Aware that his arm is still around my shoulders, I glance over at him through the corner of my eye. “So, did Jillian come and talk to you?”

He squints as he tries to recall it. “She mentioned something about her basket class.”

Moving out from under his arm, the zing of his touch is slow to fade. “I was only asking because, she asked me about you.”

“Asked what?”

“She asked if…” I force a short laugh and wave my hand away. “She asked if we were involved.”

His head tilts a little to the side. “Really?”

“Yes…” I force another laugh, my stomach muscles tightening. “It’s funny, right? Well, it sounded to me like she’s interested in you and wanted to make sure she wasn’t ‘stepping on my toes’.” For the last part I attempted to imitate her accent.

“What did you say to that?”

I hug myself tightly and feel ill. What does he want to hear? Is he hoping I told her we’re just friends and she should go for it? Is he holding his breath like I am and wondering if I’ll say I don’t want him dating anyone else?

Get a grip, Emma.

“I told her we’ve been friends for a long time,” I say truthfully. The truth is always the right answer. Isn’t it?

He nods and glances down at the ground. “We have, haven’t we?”

Is he disappointed? Is it too late for a do-over?

*****

Author Info:

Franky A. Brown has always called the South home and loves to write about it. She holds an English degree from the University of South Carolina and can’t seem to stop reading. She is the author of women’s fiction and chick lit about life, love, and Southern women.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

*****

Tour Info:

Romantic Reads and Such – Book Excerpt/Promo Post
Blog on the Run – Author Guest Post
ItaPixie’s Book Corner – Book Excerpt/Promo Post
Book Lover in Florida – Book Excerpt/Promo Post
Hello Chick Lit – Book Excerpt/Promo Post

Spotlight – Her Unexpected Engagement

09 Wednesday Nov 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Checkerberry Inn series, Her Unexpected Engagement, Kyra Jacobs

I’ve seen a few different pieces from this book and it looks like a fantastic read. I love these two together!

*****

Her Unexpected Engagement

Checkerberry Inn, #2

by Kyra Jacobs

Publication Date: November 7, 2016

Genres: Adult, Entangled: Bliss, Contemporary Romance

Blurb:

Sometimes you’ve got to fake it ‘til you make it…

Stephanie Fitzpatrick wanted out of the spotlight after her pro-golfer husband was caught on camera cheating. But when she returns to Michigan for a job interview and some much-needed R&R, a fib told by her well-meaning sister has her looking for a temporary fiancé, or she can kiss her new start good-bye.

Desperate to hide the truth, she goes to the one man who can help—her former best friend.

Miles Masterson is relieved to see the Checkerberry Inn beginning to thrive once more. Not only does it ease his mind about his grandmother’s financial future, but also about his decision to finally escape town. But then one all grown up and sexy as hell friend from the past shows up needing rescue. Now the temptation to change the “temporary” arrangement into something more is making it harder to think about leaving.

(Each book in the Checkerberry Inn series is a standalone, full-length story that can be enjoyed out of order.)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2f3zzoV

Paperback: http://amzn.to/2eYTSFY

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2fhRlKr

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2eYSbYW

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2emkS0q

B&N: http://bit.ly/2dRwGeO

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2ePVMrl

iBooks: http://apple.co/2eH9oaT

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2frgBNk

*****

Excerpt:

Miles hung up, then dropped back into his office chair and scanned the space around him. This office had been his second home since graduation. It was where he’d cut his teeth on finances, played accountant, payroll clerk, marketing coordinator—you name it, if it had to do with anything other than manual labor here at the inn, he’d done it. And now, at long last, that was finally all about to change.

It wasn’t that he disliked the inn, or hated working for his grandmother. But the profits had been slim to none too often in the past, and keeping the old beauty afloat during the post 9/11 economic slump had taken its toll on him. And on Ruby. Every day she got a little older, a little more frail. But Brent was the responsible grandson, and he was on her payroll now as well. That meant the responsibility of watching out for their beloved Ruby could now officially be handed off, and no one would be able to misinterpret Miles’s overprotective ways for her anymore.

He suddenly felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders. He stood, drew in a deep breath, and made an executive decision to cut out of work early. For years he’d put his time in and then some. To say he’d earned a little comp time would be an understatement.

Besides, what would Ruby do if he left early—fire him?

With a smile on his face and feeling lighter than he had in years, Miles headed for the hall. Halfway to the lobby, a ping sounded from his phone. An email was in his inbox, the subject Techworks Info. He opened it with a flick of his thumb, rounded the corner, and caught his foot on an unexpected object. Unable to stop his forward momentum, Miles tripped over a pile of gaudy pink luggage and landed painfully on his right side. His cell went skidding down the hall as a startled squeak rang out from the luggage’s owner.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I stopped to adjust my grip and suddenly you were there and…and, well, there just wasn’t enough time to react.”

An outstretched hand came into his peripheral vision. With a grimace, Miles pushed himself into a sitting position. This was just one out of a hundred—no, a thousand—things he wouldn’t miss when he left the inn: awkward encounters with flighty guests. He took a deep breath and looked toward the responsible party, ready to lie that it was quite all right and he was just fine. But then his gaze locked onto a ball cap-wearing, heart-shaped face with auburn brows drawn together above dark, oversized sunglasses.

Recognition hit him like a freight train. No cap or sunglasses in the world could keep him from recognizing his childhood best friend. The one girl who’d unknowingly set the bar for all those who came after, and set it so high that Miles had given up trying to find someone able to reach it.

“Stephanie?”

*****

**DON’T MISS HER UNEXPECTED DETOUR, BOOK #1 IN THE CHECKERBERRY INN SERIES!**

Her Unexpected Detour

Checkerberry Inn, #1

Blurb:

Sometimes it’s not the destination, but the detour…

Kayla has the perfect strategy for a broken heart: work, work, and more work. Then a storm sends her car skidding off the road, stranding her in Mount Pleasant. Fortunately, rescue comes in the form of the incredibly handsome but gruff Brent Masterson. And he’s hot enough to tempt Kayla into doing something she never thought she could do…

Brent Masterson swore he would never give into the fierce attraction that’s been sizzling between him and Kayla since they first met. He has his own demons, and he won’t risk his heart again. Not even for someone as gorgeous and amazing as Kayla. So…how exactly did he end up in Kayla’s bed last night?

But sometimes all it takes is an ice storm to show two broken hearts the way home…

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2dYFMl9

Paperback: http://amzn.to/2eTYK0U

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2eHaEL9

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2eYYTxZ

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2frmDxG

B&N: http://bit.ly/1QrKo14

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2f0IKba

iBooks: http://apple.co/2eTVVNt

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2f3ydL2

*****

Author Info:

Kyra Jacobs is an extroverted introvert who writes of love, humor and mystery in the Midwest and beyond. When this Hoosier native isn’t pounding out scenes for hernext book, she’s likely outside, elbow-deep in snapdragons or spending quality time with her sports-loving family. Kyra also loves to read, tries to golf, and is an avid college football fan.

Be sure to stop by her website www.KyraJacobs.wordpress.com to learn more about her novels and ways to connect with her on social media.

*****

Giveaway:

3 Paperback Copies of Her Unexpected Detour

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/5440a354940/

*****

Click on the banner below to check out the rest of the tour

Double Feature – Book Review of Christmas with the Sheriff & Spotlight of Snowbound with Mr. Wrong

08 Tuesday Nov 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Book Review, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Barbara White Daille, Book Review, Christmas with the Sheriff, Snowbound with Mr. Wrong, Snowflake Valley series, Victoria James

A double feature of Christmas stories?!?! Best Day Ever (and something fantabulous to get your mind off of the US Presidential Election)

*****

Christmas with the Sheriff

by Victoria James

A Shadow Creek, Montana Novel

Publication Date: November 7, 2016

Genres: Adult, Entangled: Bliss, Holiday, Romance

Blurb:

After fleeing her beloved small town five years ago, Julia Bailey is back to spend Christmas with her family. Returning is hard, but keeping the devastating secret about her late husband is even harder. Her place isn’t in Big Sky Country any longer…but the more time she spends with the irresistible Sheriff who saved her once before, and his adorable little daughter, the more Julia starts wishing she could let go of the past and start a new life.

Single dad and county Sheriff Chase Donovan had been secretly in love with his best friend’s wife for years. But after her traumatic loss he knew Julia needed to get away from Shadow Creek, even though helping her leave was the last thing he wanted to do. Now she’s home and he doesn’t intend to lose her a second time. Chase is going to prove to Julia just how good they can be together this Christmas…and forever.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2flOHSq

Paperback: http://amzn.to/2foy72x

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2fEmxn7

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2f39oC6

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2engttm

B&N: http://bit.ly/2fEfJ92

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2fEneNh

iBooks: http://apple.co/2fEl7c7

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2fqxjID

***

Excerpt:

The sound of his deep voice, thick with concern pulled her back into the present. She looked up at him, a slight frown across his brow, but it was the warmth in his eyes that appealed to her. Chase could be all hard lines and tough man, but the man had the softest core and she knew she was one of the few that was on the receiving ends of it. She didn’t breathe for a moment, his face close to hers. Her gaze lingered on his mouth and for a second she wished he’d kiss her. She knew, in her gut, that Chase kissing her would make her forget everything else. When was the last time she’d wanted a man to kiss her? Five years was a long time.

She cleared her throat and looked away when she realized she was staring. She pointed to the stage in the center of the park. “We’d better get a seat. Em will kill us if we don’t get one near the front.” She tried not to cringe at the squeaky sound of her voice. When had she become so obvious? Nothing could ever happen between her and Chase. She would be leaving Shadow Creek in a few weeks. He had a daughter. Neither of them could enter into a causal relationship. She had no choice but to get it together.

“Let’s go,” he said, taking her hand in his. A shiver raced through her even though she was bundled up and warm. It was him. Having him hold her hand effortlessly, as though he’d been doing this for years. People stopped and chatted with Chase and he was polite and charming, flashing that smile of his easily. The town loved him and he was so at home here. Gwen, Cassy, and Edward were waving to them from the second row. Gwen gave her a pointed stare and raised her eyebrow high as she joined their row. She avoided eye contact with her. She knew to expect a barrage of texts as soon at the night was over. “They always get the best seats,” Chase said.

Once they were settled, the crowd quickly filled in the remaining seats. Julia smiled as the stage curtains moved and small feet poked out beneath.

“There’s always a bad-ass back there that sneaks a peak through the curtain. And ten bucks says it’s a boy,” he said in her ear. She laughed, just as a dark haired little boy poked his head out.

Within minutes the performance started and the sound of children singing Jingle Bells filled the night sky. Tears pricked her eyes at the sweet sound of their voices and her heart felt full, her chest ached and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to take a deep breath. As though he knew, she felt Chase take her hand in his and rest on her leg. She didn’t feel as alone, as solitary in her thoughts. He knew. He knew what she was thinking. Matthew would have been here tonight; she’d be watching him sing. How would he look now? What would his sweet voice have sounded like? It was so hard to imagine because in her mind he was always two. She had been blessed with the memory of him saying, ‘mama’ and she’d never forget it. Her heart swelled painfully, her body filled with shivers, goosebumps.

“You okay?” Chase whispered.

***

Review:

It took me just over a day to get thru this book and I enjoyed it every step of the way. It’s emotion-packed as Julia has to deal with her past and decide if she’s ready to take the chance on moving forward. She’s afraid, for obvious reasons, but has to realize that you can’t really live life in fear. Back in her old town, face-to-face with friends and family, has her taking stock but also brings some surprises in the super-fine form of the town’s hunky sheriff.

Chase is just about perfect. He’s sexy and strong, but also loving and tender with his daughter and his friends. There’s also his amazing patience and insight into handling Julia as she works on her issues. He’s had feelings for her for years and isn’t going to miss out on his chance to convince her to stay, even if it means they have to battle some old ghosts together.

I will say that there were a few continuity issues – timing seemed a little weird, a one sentence mention of Chase’s ex that didn’t make sense in context, things like that. This was an advance copy so it may have been cleaned up in editing but if not I don’t think it will be a big deal for most. This didn’t really bother me all that much but I know that it will bug some people so I thought I should at least mention it 🙂

Julia’s journey to let go of the past and move toward a satisfying future makes for a touching story, keeping your heart humming until the very end.

***

Author Info:

Victoria James is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance.

Victoria always knew she wanted to be a writer and in grade five, she penned her first story, bound it (with staples and a cardboard cover) and did all the illustrations herself. Luckily, this book will never see the light of day again.

In high school she fell in love with historical romance and then contemporary romance. After graduating University with an English Literature degree, Victoria pursued a degree in Interior Design and then opened her own business. After her first child, Victoria knew it was time to fulfill her dream of writing romantic fiction.

Victoria is a hopeless romantic who is living her dream, penning happily-ever-after’s for her characters in between managing kids and the family business. Writing on a laptop in the middle of the country in a rambling old Victorian house would be ideal, but she’s quite content living in suburbia with her husband, their two young children, and very bad cat.

Sign up for Victoria’s Newsletter to stay up to date on upcoming releases and exclusive giveaways, follow her blog for daily antics and insight into her daily life, and get to know her on twitter and Facebook. She loves hearing from readers!

*****

Snowbound with Mr. Wrong

A Snowflake Valley Novel

by Barbara White Dailee

Publication Date: November 7, 2016

Genres: Adult, Entangled: Bliss, Holiday, Romance

Blurb:

Worst. Day. Ever. After Lyssa Barnett’s sister tricks her into reprising her role at Snowflake Valley’s annual children’s party, she doesn’t think anything can be worse than squeezing into her too-small elf costume. Then tall, dark, and way too handsome Nick Tavlock shows up to play Santa…and an unexpected storm leaves them snowbound in the isolated lodge.

The last thing Nick wants is to spend a cozy Christmas Eve with a trio of kids and the woman who dumped him. But as much as Lyssa frustrates him, he can’t stop thinking about her. And soon, he’s fighting very un-Santa-like thoughts of kissing a certain sexy Miss Elf under the mistletoe. As Nick starts to fall for Lyssa all over again, he knows it will take nothing short of a miracle to have Lyssa in his arms on Christmas Day.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2f3g1UV

Paperback: http://amzn.to/2fqyyYv

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2fqxwvE

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2eIAsDz

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2fN1Qog

B&N: http://bit.ly/2exeiH3

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2f39ABr

iBooks: http://apple.co/2flNxqh

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2fqxwf7

***

Excerpt:

Lyssa plopped the large bowl of popcorn in the middle of the coffee table and distributed the thread and needles she had found in the linen closet upstairs. At this rate, she would have to make a list of items to replace for Amber.

Mollie and Tommy went to work enthusiastically, and even Brent pitched in without a word of complaint. It was watching Nick, though, that made her heart melt. Making Christmas decorations might not have been his “thing,” but he definitely had some skill at working with kids.

He helped Tommy thread a needle, guiding the little boy’s hand until he had slipped the thread through the needle’s eye. Flushed by his success, Tommy proudly insisted upon threading everyone’s needle himself.

When Mollie groaned in frustration after trying to add a half-dozen kernels to her thread, Nick showed her how to pierce the thickest part of the popped corn to prevent it from breaking.

And when it came time to drape the strands on the tree, he asked Brent’s opinion as to the best placement. She had never heard the quiet teen talk and laugh as much as he had in this short time.

She could so easily see Nick with children of his own…and hers… But she had already decided there was no point in dreaming about a future with him. Considering his single-minded focus on work, he could never be the man for her.

She got to her feet and, forcing a smile, said, “I think it’s time for some hot chocolate.”

Four voices rose in agreement, and she escaped gratefully to the kitchen. The more she saw of Nick connecting with the kids, the harder it was for her to watch and the more she wanted to stay away. Yet she knew this trip to the kitchen was only a temporary reprieve.

She just hadn’t realized how temporary.

She had barely started heating the milk in a pan on the stove when Nick entered the kitchen. He came to lean against the counter beside her. “Need something?” she asked brightly.

“Yeah. To tell you I forgot how much fun it is being around you. It’s been a great afternoon.”

She flushed. “No thanks to me. That’s all on the kids. They’re quite a bunch.”

“And you’re quite a woman.”

“No, I’m—”

He reached up and touched his finger to her lips. “Don’t do that, Lyssa. Don’t sell yourself short.” He moved his hand to trace her chin. A shiver tickled along her jaw. “You know what else I need?”

“Hot chocolate?”

“That, too. And this.”

He leaned down and brushed his mouth against hers. He tasted so like the man she had fallen for months ago. His kiss was so tender, so sweet, she couldn’t help but want more. Another thought hovered at the edges of her mind, a thought she felt sure she didn’t want to know. Not now. Not here. Not when his taste and his touch and his total concentration on her were all exactly what she needed.

One dizzying kiss led to another and then another, until she had to curl her fingers in the fabric of his T-shirt to keep herself standing upright. But finally she forced herself to come to her senses. She tilted her head back and whispered, “Stop.”

“Why?” he murmured.

“What would we say if one of the kids walked in?”

“That the chocolate will be ready as soon as I’m done kissing the cook.”

***

Author Info:

From the time she was a toddler, Barbara found herself fascinated by those things her mom called “books.” Once she learned the words between the covers held the magic of storytelling, she wanted to see her words in print so she could weave that magic spell for others.

After much hard work at her craft, she achieved her longtime dream when she began selling romance and mystery fiction to national and regional publications. Not long after, she received “The Call” from Harlequin Books and sold her first two novels. Since then, her books have garnered many positive reviews, appeared on numerous bestseller lists, and won a number of awards.

Originally from the East Coast, award-winning author Barbara White Daille now lives with her husband in the warm, sunny Southwest, where they don’t mind the lizards in their front yard but could do without the scorpions in the bathroom.

Barbara hopes you will enjoy reading her stories and will find your own storytelling magic in them!

*****

Giveaway:

Enter to win a $10 Gift Card

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/5440a354950/

*****

Click on the banner below to check out the rest of the tour

Spotlight – Irresistible Jerk

05 Saturday Nov 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

≈ 2 Comments

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Dirty Minds series, Irresistible Jerk, Mira Stanley

Little birdy is sharing more secrets. Right now, Irresistible Jerk is 99 cents on Amazon and Book 1 is free on Kindle … y’all, run don’t walk to get your hands on this series!

*****

Irresistible Jerk

Dirty Minds, #2

by Mira Stanley

Release Date: November 1, 2016

Length: 20,000 words / 50 pages approximately

Publisher: Dirty Little Secret Press

ISBN: 9781941239230

ASIN: B01MFALDB5

Blurb:

A good girl gives her dirty mind free rein…but nothing comes without a price

After a brush with violence, preacher’s-daughter Kelly decides life is too short to keep denying her dark desires. It’s time to explore her pent-up sensual side. And she knows just the man to help. Joe is every dirty-talking bad boy she’s ever daydreamed about, and he seems more than willing to make her fantasies reality. But he’s not about to let her use him without getting something in return. Joe drives a hard bargain, and Kelly has to decide how far she’s willing to go to keep him in her bed.

Fans of Lauren Blakely will love the Dirty Minds series. Ten sizzling stories, one kinky couple.

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Goodreads

and

iTunes | All Romance | Google Play| Smashwords

*****

Excerpt:

“What’s in it for me?”

Her brows slammed together. No one expressed affront like my sunshine. “What do you mean what’s in it for you? Same thing that’s in it for me. Sex. Lots of hot, adventurous sex.”

“Hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but I can get that anywhere.”

Her eyes went round and wounded.

I lifted her chin to make her look at me. “Not saying that to hurt you.” Never to hurt her. To make it right, I was willing to lay a bit of myself on the line. “Look, you’re asking me to be in your bed without giving me what I really want, which is a girlfriend I can take out and spoil and show off to everybody. Instead, you want to keep me a secret. If I’m gonna go along with this, I want something in return.”

Her slender throat moved with a swallow. “What do you want in return?”

“You wanna live out your fantasies with me? I want the same deal. I get to live mine out with you.”

She blinked, like the idea of me having fantasies surprised her.

“We got a deal?” I asked before she could think too hard and long about it. “I mean, it’s only fair, right?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Depends on what your fantasies are like.”

“Honey, I can tell you one thing. They’re more vanilla than yours.”

Skeptical didn’t begin to explain the way that one eyebrow arched.

“Deal?” I held out my hand.

She grasped it. “Deal.”

*****

Author Info:

Mira dreams of a life where hairy-chested, foul-mouthed pool men serve cocktails while she reads in the embrace of a shady hammock. Her reality looks more like errands, carpooling, sneaking in writing time when she can, and snuggling with her husband and kids after a regular-old day in the Pacific Northwest.

Sex is sacred. It’s also fun. That’s why Mira writes smut with feeling. In her perfect world, every woman who wants it would have access to entertaining, titillating, thought-provoking stories in an environment free of shame.

Some gals like new shoes as a reward for a job well done. Mira prefers reviews and comments from readers. As long as they have arch support.

Website: http://www.mirastanley.com/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MiraStanleyAuth

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mira-Stanley-Author-1551371545157831/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15287874.Mira_Stanley

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Mira-Stanley/e/B01GR22LQK/

*****

Tour Dates:

Nov 1 – Erotic Fix (http://eroticfix.wordpress.com/)

Nov 2 – Between the Bookends (http://betweenthebookends.recinella.dk/)

Nov 3 – Bibliomaniac (http://abibliomaniacs.blogspot.com/) -and- Romancing the Book (http://www.romancing-the-book.com/)

Nov 4 – The Romance Rebels (https://theromancerebel.blogspot.com/)

Nov 5 – Romantic Reads (https://romanticreadsandsuch.wordpress.com/)

Nov 6 – The Book Whisperers (http://thebookwhisperers.blogspot.com/)

Spotlight – Dirty Like Me

04 Friday Nov 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Dirty Like Me, Dirty series, Jaine Diamond

Little birdy told me that Dirty Like Me will be on sale for 99 cents Nov 7-11 so make sure you check it out!

*****

Dirty Like Me

Dirty Series, Book #1

by Jaine Diamond

Genre: contemporary romance / rockstar romance

Length: 301 pages

Blurb:

A gorgeous rock star.
An indecent proposal.
How can a girl resist?

Struggling barista Katie Bloom doesn’t even know who Jesse Mayes is until she inadvertently wins the coveted role of sex kitten in his hot new music video. But by the time she’s in bed with him, she knows his reputation.

Love maker. Heartbreaker.

Making out with a stranger in front of a camera crew isn’t how Katie imagined herself getting over a broken heart, but when Jesse touches her, sparks fly. The sex is fake but the chemistry is real, and soon the steamy video is blazing up the charts.

Then Jesse makes Katie an irresistible offer: act as his girlfriend for six weeks while he promotes his new album. The only catch? Their sizzling make-out sessions will be for the cameras only.

Which is fine with Katie, since she’s not about to trust her heart to rock’s most legendary lover. Her body? Maybe…

Dirty Like Me on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2bYrVKB

Dirty Like Me on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31686315-dirty–like–me

View the video teaser on YouTube here.

*****

Excerpt:

Devi was shaking hands with the built dude in the short-sleeve button-down, and I noticed some tattoos on his muscular arm, but that was about it. My attention had already snapped to the other guy as some unconscious, primal part of me registered his hotness before the rest of me could catch up.

Plus, he was staring at me.

Or at least, my see-through shirt.

Devi strode to the door to see her guests out and I stepped aside, holding my tin of pies, trying to disappear into the wall. He was coming at me. Tall and broad-shouldered, his thick, dark hair in unkempt waves that gave him a decidedly just-fucked look, like some lucky bitch had just clawed through it. Totally worked on him. He wore a fitted black T-shirt, which I swore I could see his well-defined abs through, and ripped, dark jeans molded to his long, hard thighs…

My brain must have short-circuited, because my gaze got stuck on the package in the front of those jeans. When I looked up, his molasses-dark eyes were locked on mine. He stopped a foot in front of me and stared.

Fair enough, since he’d just caught me checking him out like a horny perv.

I cleared my throat, which was suddenly tight. “Pie?” I fumbled with the tin, lifting it between us, blocking his view of my bra. “They’re cherry.”

He glanced in the tin, where two dozen hand-crafted miniature pies were neatly arranged, my signature cherry filling peeking out through the crisscrossed pastry tops. Then his gaze lifted to mine again. He had the longest, darkest eyelashes I’d ever seen on a man. High cheekbones. Luscious, kissable lips. Strong jaw shadowed with dark stubble, like he hadn’t shaved in days. And those beautiful dark eyes, smoldering at me and making me blush, big time.

“Maybe another time,” he said, the deep, sexy rumble of his voice stirring parts of my anatomy that hadn’t been stirred in a crazy long time…

*****

Author Info:

Jaine Diamond is a romance author who believes in fairy tales, ice cream, and true love. She lives in beautiful Vancouver, Canada with her real-life romantic hero (Mr. Diamond) and their baby girl.

Website: http://jainediamond.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14661282.Jaine_Diamond

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaineDiamondXO

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaineDiamond/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/JaineDiamond/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jainediamond/

Book Review – The Billionaire Next Door

02 Wednesday Nov 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Book Review, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Billionaire Bad, Book Review, Jessica Lemmon, The Billionaire Next Door

The Billionaire Bachelor was one of the best books I read this Summer and I’m super excited to be able to bring you the next book in the series! And even more that Jessica Lemmon is here to give us a little more about her hero.

*****

Top 5 Ways To Frustrate An Alpha Billionaire Bad Boy

In my new release The Billionaire Bachelor, our hero Tag Crane is having one heck of a time getting heroine Rachel Foster to comply. His tried-and-true tricks simply don’t *quite* break down this particular woman’s defenses. Which means Tag shrugs and wanders off to find a new woman to tempt, right…?

WRONG!

You know when an alpha guy finds The One, even if he doesn’t know she’s it for him yet, he digs in and tries, tries, and tries again. Which brings me to the Top 5 ways to frustrate an alpha!

Many of these Rachel does without even trying…

.5. Don’t let him pay your way. Alphas, especially rich ones, love to lavish gifts upon the object of their affection. If you want to frustrate him right down to his expensive shoes, insist on buying your own dinner. In Tag’s case, he won this battle, but it didn’t stop Rachel from arguing. Points: 1

.4. Insist on working. Tag invites Rachel to Hawaii under the guise of consulting on his latest bar upgrade for a Crane hotel on Oahu. But when he gets her there he decides he’d rather play than work… Rachel makes sure she puts in her hours whether he likes it or not. Points: 2… but -1 because she definitely makes time for play!

.3. Resist his advances. Playboy Tag Crane knows his way around a woman—and how to woo one. But whenever his cocky charm makes itself known, Rachel is sure to laugh it off. At one point, she lies and blurts, “I’m not the least bit attracted to… what you have going on.” Points: 3. Well played!

.2. Don’t react the way he expects. When Rachel opens her front door one evening to find Tag standing outside of it, he lays a long, delicious kiss on her lips. When she doesn’t respond by climbing him like a cat on a curtain, Tag is completely confused. He even thinks to himself “SURELY, she liked it?” Throwing him off-kilter comes naturally to our wily heroine. Points: 5

.1. Don’t spell things out for him. Alphas think simply. In The Billionaire Next Door, Rachel uses the phrase “Me-Tarzan, You-Jane” to describe his techniques. The best way to frustrate an alpha? Keep him guessing… You won’t only frustrate him, you’ll fascinate him. And once he’s fallen head over money clip, he’ll come running and fight to win you. Points: 10.

*****

The Billionaire Next Door

Billionaire Bad Boys #2

by Jessica Lemmon

Releasing October 25, 2016

Forever

Blurb:

Can’t Buy Me Love

It’s Tag Crane’s job to be the life of the party. Traveling from one exotic locale to another is just part of running the luxurious Crane Hotel empire. But even paradise isn’t perfect. Devising a new business strategy is keeping Tag up at night-and so is the Great Dane barking at all hours in the apartment below his. To muzzle the problem, Tag charges downstairs . . . right into the most beautiful, blond distraction he’s ever seen.

Dog-sitting by day, bartending by night. It’s not exactly the life Rachel Foster dreamed of. But when Tag Crane rushes in, all mountain-man shoulders and obscenely sexy smile, needing her help for the Crane Hotels, it’s a fantasy come true. What’s the harm in a fun no-strings fling? Only a fool would give her heart to a billionaire player like Tag-until suddenly the one man who can’t be caught is the one flirting with forever . .

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28119766-the-billionaire-next-door

Goodreads Series Link https://www.goodreads.com/series/179156-billionaire-bad-boys

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | Google | iTunes | Kobo

*****

Excerpt:

When she reached the door, she pulled her fingers through her blond hair, and decided her visitor had earned the penalty of seeing her sloppy hair, leftover makeup, and pale blue flannel pajamas with a polar bear and snowflake design.

She turned the knob and blinked, stunned.

Holy crap, there is a mountain man at my door.

She was faced with wide, round shoulders. A waterfall of caramel-brown, slightly wavy hair cascaded down his arms. He wore a closely trimmed beard, his mouth flat beneath it. One eyebrow was arched over the bluest eyes she’d ever seen.

“Hello,” she managed, before jerking her gaze from his assaulting blues to take in the fitted cream-colored sweater, a pair of gray cargo pants, and laced leather boots.

He was like a sexy city lumberjack.

“Hi.”

Oh. That voice. Deep, rich, and low enough that it registered in her belly.

When his eyes dashed away from her face and he smiled, her brain turned to mush. She couldn’t think of a thing to say. Not a single thing.

“There he is. Hey, buddy.” The giant knelt as Adonis meandered through the living room, pausing to do a downward-dog stretch in front of the man’s feet. The dog received a scrub on the head, and she was rewarded with more of her guest’s low voice. “You’re better today, yeah? Sleep okay?”

Meanwhile, Rachel gawked at the two of them. Her appearance was probably less put-together than the dog’s. She ran her fingers through her hair again, making it worse at this point, and straightened her pajama top futilely. There was no escaping that she looked as if she’d crawled out of bed after a late, late night.

The man stood. “Typically, Adonis has had his walk by now, but I didn’t see you at the elevator, so…”

She squinted one eye and finally her brain chugged into gear.

Oh. Oh.

Oliver had mentioned a dog walker, but Rachel had sworn he said he’d postponed the walks while she was staying here. But since he was here, he may as well take Adonis. She wasn’t anywhere near ready to go for a stroll in the snow.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She went to where the leash was hanging—on a hook inside the pantry—retrieved it, and chased Adonis for a few irritating seconds while he turned in circles in excitement. “I took him out at three in the morning, so I’m not sure if he’ll have to…you know.” Dog clipped, she handed the leash to the ridiculously good-looking man at her door. “Do you bring your own poop bags? Or do you…” The man was looking at her like she’d sprouted a third eye, so she swept the topic away with one hand. “You know what? I’ll just grab one.”

She shot him a tight smile, went back to the pantry, and returned with a bag made for Adonis’s business. She offered it to the guy, who was holding tight to Adonis’s leash while the pooch lunged for the elevator. The man didn’t budge, despite the dog’s strength.

“Where’s Oliver?” he asked.

She frowned as she crinkled the plastic bag against her body. “You mean he didn’t tell you? He’s on a business trip. I’m housesitting.”

“You his niece?” he asked after running a long gaze down then up to her face again.

She laughed. “No, not at all. He’s one of my regulars. Odd, right? But we hit it off and he likes me, so…”

The man’s frown deepened, those gorgeous eyes darkening to stormy blue. “I’m not the dog walker.” He offered the leash but Adonis stayed in the hallway rather than coming back inside. “I’m an upstairs neighbor.”

“Oh. Oh my God! I’m so sorry!” Rachel took the leash and wrestled with Adonis, who was much, much stronger than she. He knew it. The dog spread his feet wide and stood his ground on the carpeted floor.

“I suggest you find a way to keep him quiet at night while you’re out. I work from home and I can’t listen to him bark for hours.”

Hours?

“If I were anyone else, a noise complaint would be in your future. Oliver follows the rules. He wouldn’t like knowing you’re breaking a big one.” That low voice had dropped lower, the reprimand having the dual result of both pissing her off and making her feel a little tingly.

God. I need more sleep.

“No need to be rude,” she snapped. He blinked, surprised. Probably not used to being put in his place.

Look at him. He’s a wall. Who would stand up to him?

Then she remembered his kind smile, the way his hands rubbed Adonis’s flank with rugged gentleness. A shiver climbed her spine at the same time Adonis jerked hard on the leash.

She expelled a dainty “oh!” and lunged forward at the same time the man in the doorway caught the leash in one hand and her against him. Rachel found every part of her from thighs to breasts plastered to the giant’s body. Her palms flattened over two hard pectoral muscles hidden beneath the sweater, her legs bumping his legs, which felt as solid as two marble columns. She tilted her head, met those aqua blue eyes and…and…remembered she hadn’t brushed her teeth yet.

She shoved off his rock-hard stomach, slapping a palm over her mouth. Then she gave a hard tug to Adonis’s leash, who turned with a sigh and paced back inside. Once he was clear of the door, she sent the hard-bodied hunk at the threshold a glare and slammed the door in his face.

Adonis yipped his disappointment at losing the chance to go outside.

“You’ll have to take him out now!” came a shout through the door. “Don’t blue-ball the poor guy after taking him halfway.”

Adonis wagged his tail so hard, he nearly took out a lamp. The hulk at the door was right. There was no way she could turn down the Dane’s pale eyes and smiling pink mouth, perked pointy ears, and lolling tongue.

“Fine,” she growled and stomped for the bedroom. She snatched up her boots and hastily picked out her clothes, feeling both tired and cranky. Yet as she tugged on her coat, she found her mouth curving into a half-smile.

Blue balls.

Who was that guy?

*****

Review:

I love LOVE love Tag and Rachel, individually and as a couple. Tag is a fun-loving and easy-going but with brains and depth to go with his hot body and gorgeous face. He may not be the most serious of the Cranes but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care or put in the effort. He just has his own way of doing it.

Meeting Rachel, who doesn’t know who he is and couldn’t care less once she finds out, throws him for a loop. None of his normal tricks work on her … and he soon finds he can’t get her out of his mind. It’s fun seeing him fall in love and struggle with it. Lots of things come easy, especially women, so it’s nice to see him thrown for once 🙂

Rachel may be resisting getting involved again after a bad relationship, but Tag proves to be very hard to resist. It’s great seeing them get to know each other, banter and play, and then help the other with some of their issues. And watching her get her confidence back, thanks to Tag, is wonderful.

My only issue is that I’m not sure why they let their situation get away from them. I kinda understand where they are coming from but it seems to have gotten bigger than it needed to. Maybe it’s just me (and it’s the climactic trouble so I’m not going to give more away) but they had done so well for most of the book and then I’m a little lost at the end.

Overall, though, it didn’t keep me from enjoying seeing Tag and Rachel get their happy ending … and now I’m anxious to see what happens with the next Crane. I have a feeling this one could get my heart in a twist.

*****

Author Info:

A former job-hopper, Jessica Lemmon resides in Ohio with her husband and rescue dog. She holds a degree in graphic design currently gathering dust in an impressive frame. When she’s not writing super-sexy heroes, she can be found cooking, drawing, drinking coffee (okay, wine), and eating potato chips. She firmly believes God gifts us with talents for a purpose, and with His help, you can create the life you want.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

*****

Giveaway:

$25 Amazon gift card and a complete set of Love in the Balance e-books

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c81154/

*****

Click on the banner below to check out the rest of the tour

Spotlight – Love Literary Style

01 Tuesday Nov 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Karin Gillespie, Love Literary Style

As an avid reader, this one just rings all my bells!

*****

Love Literary Style

by Karin Gillespie

Blurb:

Low brow meets high brow in a literary love story.

Can an emotionally-stunted literary novelist and a vivacious romance writer find their happily-ever after? Even when she becomes more successful than he? Love Literary Style spoofs romantic comedy tropes, winks at literary pretensions and pokes fun at book publishing.

Like Legally Blonde only in the literary world.

Inspired by the author’s New York Times article “Masters in Chick Lit.” A sparkling romantic comedy for fans of the Rosie Project.

Buy the Book:

AmazonUS | AmazonUK

*****

Excerpt:

It was too bad that, as a college professor, Aaron Mite was expected to be approachable. Approachability was contrary to his nature. Thus, when a swingy-haired, tanned blonde female barreled toward his podium, he steeled himself against the encounter. Students rarely lingered after composition class to say, “What an enthralling lecture.” Particularly since the day’s presentation covered misplaced and dangling modifiers.

The blonde was one of hundreds who prowled the grounds of Metro Atlanta University, usually in perfumed packs of four or five. Her name was Megan or Chelsea or perhaps Payton. Aaron could tell by the determined set of her jaw that she wanted something from him, and it was probably a grade change. If so, she was wasting her time. Aaron’s grades were as permanent as the polar ice caps. Well, as permanent as polar ice caps were before the dawn of global warming.

“So,” she began.

This was a new habit of students, starting sentences with the word “so.” It wasn’t as distressing as misusing the word “literally,” as in “I’m literally starving to death.” It did, however, grate on Aaron every time he heard it.

“What does this say?” She rattled a paper in front of his nose and pointed her finger at a comment he’d written in red ink. Some of his colleagues had switched to less threatening ink colors—blue, purple and even hard-to-read orange—but Aaron still preferred the authoritative power of red.

He squinted at the scrawl. He often had trouble reading his own writing, but not in this case. Aaron recognized the phrase as one he frequently wrote in the margins of student composition papers: “This essay is not worth the papyrus it was penned on.”

He read the comment aloud and the girl—Leslie, Brittany or Taylor—wrinkled her nose. “I don’t get it.”

“It’s simply another way of saying, ‘this essay isn’t worth the paper it’s written on,’ but that would be cliché. As I’ve said several times in this class, clichés are the enemies of good writing.”

Her previously benign features turned cross. “You think I wasted paper writing my essay?”

“Yes. But, happily for you, paper is plentiful.”

She stared at him. Aaron stared back. For a moment they were engaged in a standoff, but the girl looked away first. “Whatever,” she said.

She wandered off, eyes fastened to her phone, poor grade seemingly forgotten. Not a surprise. Young people’s minds flitted about like gnats.

Another student remained in the classroom, Sabrina, a woman in her early thirties, who’d recently gone back to school. She worked part-time as an administrative assistant in the English and Foreign Language department at Metro Atlanta University .

Sabrina’s appearance in Aaron’s class at the beginning of the semester worried him. What if she was a terrible writer and he had to give her poor marks? Would she ever make photocopies for him again?

But she proved to be a competent writer and would likely receive an A for the semester. In fact, he was so impressed with her narrative essay, he urged her to take a creative writing class as an elective.

Sabrina was still gathering her things. Unlike the younger students, she didn’t start packing up her belongings ten minutes before dismissal time in anticipation of a hasty getaway.

She glanced up at him and said, “Professor Mite, I wanted to tell you how much I’m enjoying your class.”

Aaron was slightly taken aback. It was unusual for him to receive praise from students. In his teaching evaluations, he usually got comments like: “If Professor Mite ruled the world, a comma splice would be punishable by fifty lashes,” or “Dude hates the word ‘very.’ Use in essays at your own risk.”

Sometimes the comments were more personal: “Kind of cute, but needs a major wardrobe rehab. Wears the same jacket every day. Also, what’s with the limp?”

“Thank you very much, Sabrina. I’ve enjoyed having you as well.”

“I admire your fervent love for our language and excellent writing. You’ve inspired me to write a novel of my own.”

“That’s ambitious, and I wish you the best of luck. Do you have any idea what themes you want to explore? I can recommend some novels as inspiration.”

She thought for a moment and said, “Death, I guess.”

Her answer surprised Aaron. Sabrina was a chipper soul, continually smiling, always greeting everyone who came into the English department office suite and offering them candy from a seemingly bottomless dish on her desk. (Aaron was partial to the butterscotch disks.) Her desk was also littered with photographs of twin toddlers smashing their chubby faces into birthday cakes or cavorting in a kiddie pool. Death was the last thing he’d guessed she’d want to write about.

“Bravo to you for tackling such a challenging theme. You may want to consider reading Death of Ivan Ilyich, Slaughterhouse Five or maybe even White Noise.”

“Are those mysteries?”

“Excuse me?”

“I want to write a cozy.”

Cozy? A cozy, when used as a noun, referred to a padded covering for a teapot.

“I don’t follow.”

“You’ve never heard of cozies?” Suddenly Sabrina was very animated. Her curls bounced on her shoulders, and her cheeks flushed. “They’re a category of mystery novels set in a small village, and the amateur sleuth is usually a female. There’s always a murder, but it’s never gruesome, and the victim tends to be a mean person who deserves to die.”

Aaron was momentarily taken aback. “Are you saying you want to write genre fiction?”

“Yes. I love to read cozies.”

“I see.” Aaron noisily cleared his throat. “What was the last…cozy you read?”

“It was called Dread and Breakfast. The sleuth is Abigail Appleworth, the owner of a bed and breakfast called the Pleasant Dreams Inn. One of her guests—a developer who wants to cut down the hundred-year-old oak tree in the town square and put up a parking lot—is bludgeoned to death with an overcooked crumpet.”

Aaron took a moment to absorb the highly improbable particulars. Then he said, “I’d like to know how you felt after you read the book. Did it change you?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Were you affected by the themes? Did it prompt you to think critically? Did you spend time considering the underlying issues?”

“Well, no, but—”

“Or did it pass through you like cheap fast food?”

*****

Author Info:

Karin Gillespie is the author of the national bestselling Bottom Dollar Girls series, 2016 Georgia Author of the Year, Co-author for Jill Connor Browne’s novel Sweet Potato Queen’s First Big Ass Novel. Her latest novel Love Literary Style was inspired by a New York Times article called “Masters in Chick Lit” that went viral and was shared by literary luminaries like Elizabeth Gilbert and Anne Rice. She’s written for the Washington Post and Writer Magazine and is book columnist and humor columnist for the Augusta Chronicle and Augusta Magazine respectively. She received a Georgia Author of the Year Award in 2016

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

*****

Blog Tour:

November 1st

Romantic Reads and Such – Book Excerpt
Hello…Chick Lit – Book Promo/Excerpt

November 2nd

Bookish Lifestyle – Book Promo
Judging More Than Just The Cover – Author Q&A
Steamy Book Momma – Book Promo

November 3rd

Jena Books – Book Review/Promo
Emmathelittlebookworm – Book Promo

November 4th

Live Laugh & Love Books – Book Review
Key of Dee – Author Guest Post

November 5th

Bookaholic Babe – Book Promo
Book Lover in Florida – Book Excerpt/Promo
Anonymisses – Book Review

November 6th

The Belgian Reviewer – Author Guest Post
The Writing Garnet – Book Review
He Said Books or Me – Author Guest Post

November 7th

Novelgossip– Book Review/Promo
Chick Lit Central – Book Promo

November 8th

Elysium Bibliotheque – Book Promo
ItaPixie’s Book Corner – Book Review/Excerpt

Tour Arranged by:

McNaught-E November

01 Tuesday Nov 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

A Kingdom of Dreams, Almost Heaven, Double Standards, Foster Saga, Judith McNaught, Miracles, Night Whispers, Once and Always, Paradise, Paradise Series, Perfect, Remember When, Sequels Series, Someone to Watch Over Me, Something Wonderful, Tender Triumph, Until You, Westmoreland Dynasty Saga, Whitney My Love

There was a point in time, not too long ago, that I binged on everything from Judith McNaught that I could get my hands on. I went from one to another and even have gone back again … she’s got such a magical touch and I’m so pleased to share this news from her publisher.

(And now I’m gonna have to drag out my copies of these books because I’m dying to read them yet again!!)

*****

We are excited to share with you that the fourteen Judith McNaught titles listed below are available for the first time in E-Book today, November 1^st! If you previously read any of these amazing titles, revisiting them in E-Book is not “All for Naught,” as each E-Book will contain original, new content (a letter) from Judith McNaught.

To celebrate this abundance of new material from Judith McNaught, we kick off McNaught-E November today with an excerpt for Whitney, My Love ($2.99 special price November 1^st – December 4^th, 2016). Please check back on McNaught-E Mondays (every Monday in November) to enjoy additional excerpts for the other thirteen E-Books.

Judith McNaught Historical Romances:

Let New York Times bestselling author Judith McNaught who “is in a class by herself” (USA TODAY) sweep you off your feet and into another time with her sensual, passionate, and spellbinding historical romance classics, featuring her “unique magic” (RT Book Reviews)!

SEQUELS SERIES

Once and Always

9781501145520

$7.99

Victoria Seaton, a blithe and fiercely independent orphan, leaves her home in America to travel across the vast Atlantic to claim her long-lost inheritance: a labyrinthine English estate named Wakefield. There she encounters her distant cousin, the notorious, proud, and mysterious Lord Jason Fielding. Drawn to his magnetic charisma, Victoria can’t help but suspect that like her, he harbors a dark and painful past. Neither Victoria or Jason are able to resist one another’s charm but, in a moment of blinding anguish, Victoria discovers the shocking truth that lays at the heart of their love—a love she had dreamed would triumph.

S&S: http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Once-and-Always/Judith-McNaught/9781501145520

IBOOKSTORE (ebook): http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781501145520?at=10lrBC&ct=onceandalways_9781501145520_sscom&uo=8

KINDLE (ebook): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LZXSNET?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B01LZXSNET&linkCode=xm2&tag=sscom-ebooks1-20

NOOK (ebook): http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-7567305-11819508?SID=simonsayscom&url=http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781501145520

GOOGLE PLAY (ebook): https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Judith_McNaught_Once_and_Always?id=FBwmDQAAQBAJ&PAffiliateId=110l3H&PCamRefID=onceandalways_9781501145520_sscom

Something Wonderful

9781501145544

$7.99

“Judith McNaught not only spins dreams but makes them come true” (RT Book Reviews) in this sensual and moving tale of a tempestuous marriage facing its ultimate test. Alexandra Lawrence, an innocent country girl, and Jordan Townsende, the rich and powerful Duke of Hawthorne, have always had a stormy relationship. But when she is swept into the endlessly fascinating world of London society, free-spirited Alexandra becomes ensnared in a tangled web of jealousy, revenge, and overwhelming passion. But behind her husband’s cold, haughty mask, there lives a tender, vital, sensual man…the man Alexandra married. Now, she will fight for his very life and the rapturous bond they alone can share.

S&S: http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Something-Wonderful/Judith-McNaught/9781501145544

IBOOKSTORE (ebook): http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781501145544?at=10lrBC&ct=somethingwonderful_9781501145544_sscom&uo=8

KINDLE (ebook): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LX09O44?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B01LX09O44&linkCode=xm2&tag=sscom-ebooks1-20

NOOK (ebook): http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-7567305-11819508?SID=simonsayscom&url=http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781501145544

GOOGLE PLAY (ebook): https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Judith_McNaught_Something_Wonderful?id=7xsmDQAAQBAJ&PAffiliateId=110l3H&PCamRefID=somethingwonderful_9781501145544_sscom

Almost Heaven

9781501145698

$7.99

Elizabeth Cameron, the Countess of Havenhurst, possesses a rare gentleness and fierce courage to match her exquisite beauty. But her reputation is shattered when she is discovered in the arms of Ian Thornton, a notorious gambler and social outcast. A dangerously handsome man of secret wealth and mysterious lineage, Ian’s interest in Elizabeth may not be all that it seems. His voyage to her heart is fraught with intrigue, scandal, and a venomous revenge. As a twisting path of secrets takes them from London’s drawing rooms to the awe-inspiring Scottish Highlands, Elizabeth must learn the truth: is Ian merely a ruthless fortune hunter at heart? “Well-developed main characters with a compelling mutual attraction give strength and charm to this romance set in nineteenth-century Great Britain” (Publishers Weekly).

S&S: http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Almost-Heaven/Judith-McNaught/9781501145698

IBOOKSTORE (ebook): http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781501145698?at=10lrBC&ct=almostheaven_9781501145698_sscom&uo=8

KINDLE (ebook): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M0WYDYS?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B01M0WYDYS&linkCode=xm2&tag=sscom-ebooks1-20

NOOK (ebook): http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-7567305-11819508?SID=simonsayscom&url=http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781501145698

GOOGLE PLAY (ebook): https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Judith_McNaught_Almost_Heaven?id=XhwmDQAAQBAJ&PAffiliateId=110l3H&PCamRefID=almostheaven_9781501145698_sscom

WESTMORELAND DYNASTY SAGA

Whitney, My Love

9781501145438

$2.99 (Offer Valid November 1^st – December 4^th, 2016)

CHAPTER 1 EXCERPT Below!

A saucy spitfire who has grown into a ravishing young woman, Whitney Stone returns from her triumphant time in Paris society to England. She plans on marrying her childhood sweetheart, only to discover she has been bargained away by her bankrupt father to the arrogant and alluring Clayton Westmoreland, the Duke of Claymore. Outraged, she defies her new lord. But even as his smoldering passion seduces her into a gathering storm of desire, Whitney cannot—will not—relinquish her dream of perfect love. Rich with emotion, brimming with laughter and tears, Whitney, My Love is “the ultimate love story, one you can dream about forever” (RT Book Reviews).

S&S: http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Whitney-My-Love/Judith-McNaught/9781501145438

IBOOKSTORE (ebook): http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781501145438?at=10lrBC&ct=whitneymylove_9781501145438_sscom&uo=8

KINDLE (ebook): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LXC17WY?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B01LXC17WY&linkCode=xm2&tag=sscom-ebooks1-20

NOOK (ebook): http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-7567305-11819508?SID=simonsayscom&url=http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781501145438

GOOGLE PLAY (ebook): https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Judith_McNaught_Whitney_My_Love?id=WxsmDQAAQBAJ&PAffiliateId=110l3H&PCamRefID=whitneymylove_9781501145438_sscom

A Kingdom of Dreams

9781501145483

$7.99

Abducted from her convent school, headstrong Scottish beauty Jennifer Merrick does not easily surrender to Royce Westmoreland, Duke of Claymore. Known as “The Wolf,” his very name strikes terror in the hearts of his enemies. But proud Jennifer will have nothing to do with the fierce English warrior who holds her captive, no matter what he threatens. Boldly she challenges his will—until the night he takes her in his powerful embrace, awakening in her an irresistible hunger. Suddenly Jennifer finds herself ensnared in a bewildering and seductive web of pride, passion, and overwhelming love. This beloved tale about two defiant hearts clashing in a furious battle of wills in the glorious age of chivalry “will stay in your heart forever and be a classic on your shelves” (RT Book Reviews, Top Pick).

S&S: http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/A-Kingdom-of-Dreams/Judith-McNaught/9781501145483

IBOOKSTORE (ebook): http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781501145483?at=10lrBC&ct=kingdomofdreams_9781501145483_sscom&uo=8

KINDLE (ebook): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LYMXHMQ?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B01LYMXHMQ&linkCode=xm2&tag=sscom-ebooks1-20

NOOK (ebook): http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-7567305-11819508?SID=simonsayscom&url=http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781501145483

GOOGLE PLAY (ebook): https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Judith_McNaught_A_Kingdom_of_Dreams?id=4zMjDQAAQBAJ&PAffiliateId=110l3H&PCamRefID=kingdomofdreams_9781501145483_sscom

Until You

9781501145490

$7.99

In this unforgettable romantic adventure, a teacher of wealthy young ladies finds her life changed forever when she travels from the wilds of America to elegant London. Sheridan Bromleigh is hired to accompany one of her students, heiress Charise Lancaster, to England to meet her fiancé. But when her charge elopes with a stranger, Sheridan wonders how she will ever explain it to Charise’s intended, Lord Burleton. Standing on the pier, Stephen Westmoreland, the Earl of Langford, assumes the young woman coming toward him is Charise Lancaster and reluctantly informs her of his inadvertent role in a fatal accident involving Lord Burleton the night before. And just as the young woman is about to speak, she steps into the path of a cargo net loaded with crates. Sheridan awakens in Westmoreland’s mansion with no memory of who she is; the only hint of her past is the puzzling fact that everyone calls her Miss Lancaster. All she truly knows is that she is falling in love with a handsome English earl, and that the life unfolding before her seems full of wondrous possibilities.

S&S: http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Until-You/Judith-McNaught/9781501145490

IBOOKSTORE (ebook): http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781501145490?at=10lrBC&ct=untilyou_9781501145490_sscom&uo=8

KINDLE (ebook): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M1KAHIH?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B01M1KAHIH&linkCode=xm2&tag=sscom-ebooks1-20

NOOK (ebook): http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-7567305-11819508?SID=simonsayscom&url=http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781501145490

GOOGLE PLAY (ebook): https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Judith_McNaught_Until_You?id=yhsmDQAAQBAJ&PAffiliateId=110l3H&PCamRefID=untilyou_9781501145490_sscom

Miracles (in A Holiday of Love)

9781501145711

$1.99

Now available for the first time ever as an e-novella, New York Times bestselling author Judith McNaught’s short historical romance Miracles—which ties up ends left open in the Westmoreland Dynasty Saga—is available for the first time ever as a standalone e-novella. In Regency London, world-weary lord Nicki du Ville receives an outrageous proposal from Julianna Skeffington, who is Sheridan Bromleigh’s charge from Until You.

S&S: http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Miracles/Judith-Mcnaught/The-Westmorelands/9781501145711

IBOOKSTORE (ebook): http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781501145711?at=10lrBC&ct=miracles_9781501145711_sscom&uo=8

KINDLE (ebook): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LZA7LUR?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B01LZA7LUR&linkCode=xm2&tag=sscom-ebooks1-20

NOOK (ebook): http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-7567305-11819508?SID=simonsayscom&url=http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781501145711

GOOGLE PLAY (ebook): https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Judith_Mcnaught_Miracles?id=PB0mDQAAQBAJ&PAffiliateId=110l3H&PCamRefID=miracles_9781501145711_sscom

Judith McNaught Contemporary Romances:

Discover the sensual and sweeping power of love in New York Times bestselling author Judith McNaught’s contemporary romances that will make “you laugh, cry, and fall in love again” (RT Book Reviews)!

STAND-ALONES

Tender Triumph

9781501145421

$7.99

On Friday, a sensuous stranger enters Katie’s life. By Sunday, her life is irrevocably changed forever.

Katie Connelly submerges her painful past in a promising career, an elegant apartment, and men she can keep at a distance. Yet something vital is missing from her life—until she meets proud, rugged Ramon Galverra. With his charm and his passionate nature, Ramon gives her a love she had never known. Still she is afraid to surrender her heart to this strong, willful, secretive man—a man from a different world, a man with a bold, uncertain future. Will Katie’s relationship with Ramon survive once the thrill of their simmering passion subsides?

S&S: http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Tender-Triumph/Judith-McNaught/9781501145421

IBOOKSTORE (ebook): http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781501145421?at=10lrBC&ct=tendertriumph_9781501145421_sscom&uo=8

KINDLE (ebook): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M0L420Q?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B01M0L420Q&linkCode=xm2&tag=sscom-ebooks1-20

NOOK (ebook): http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-7567305-11819508?SID=simonsayscom&url=http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781501145421

GOOGLE PLAY (ebook): https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Judith_McNaught_Tender_Triumph?id=ERsmDQAAQBAJ&PAffiliateId=110l3H&PCamRefID=tendertriumph_9781501145421_sscom

Double Standards

9781501145704

$7.99

In the exclusive, glittering world of business superstars, Nick Sinclair is a legend. The ruggedly handsome president of Global Industries handles his business the way he handles his women—with charm, daring, and ruthless self-control. A man used to the very best, Nick hires Lauren Danner and assumes the proud beauty will soon be another easy conquest. But Lauren’s flashing wit and rare spirit dazzles him and slowly, against his will, he’s intrigued, challenged, and in love. Yet he doesn’t know that Lauren is living a lie and, trapped in a web of deceit, she fights her growing love for Nick. Her secret could destroy his fragile trust and the promise of life with the most compelling man she has ever met.

S&S: http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Double-Standards/Judith-McNaught/9781501145704

IBOOKSTORE (ebook): http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781501145704?at=10lrBC&ct=doublestandards_9781501145704_sscom&uo=8

KINDLE (ebook): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LXC11YV?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B01LXC11YV&linkCode=xm2&tag=sscom-ebooks1-20

NOOK (ebook): http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-7567305-11819508?SID=simonsayscom&url=http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781501145704

GOOGLE PLAY (ebook): https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Judith_McNaught_Double_Standards?id=CTQjDQAAQBAJ&PAffiliateId=110l3H&PCamRefID=doublestandards_9781501145704_sscom

FOSTER SAGA

Remember When

9781439140802

$7.99

When multinational tycoon Cole Harrison approaches her on a moonlit balcony at the White Orchid Charity Ball, Diana Foster has no idea how life-changing the night ahead will be. The most lavish social event of the Houston season had brought out Texas aristocracy in glittering array but Diana only agreed to attend to save face after reading about her fiancé leaving her for an Italian heiress in a sleazy gossip magazine. Her Beautiful Living magazine is her family’s success story, and Diana knows that as a single, childless, and suddenly unengaged woman, she is not living up to its lucrative image of upscale domestic tranquility. But when she spots the pride of Dallas billionaires, Cole Harrison, closing in on her with two crystal flutes and a bottle of champagne, she has no idea that he has ulterior motives for seducing her tonight. And he certainly has no idea that a match made in what he considers logic’s heaven might be headed straight for an unexpected, once-in-a-lifetime love. “Judith McNaught once again works her unique magic in this charming, sparkling romance” (RT Book Reviews, 4 stars).

S&S: http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Remember-When/Judith-McNaught/9781439140802

IBOOKSTORE (ebook): http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781439140802?at=10lrBC&ct=rememberwhen_9781439140802_sscom&uo=8

KINDLE (ebook): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M0L4H1H?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B01M0L4H1H&linkCode=xm2&tag=sscom-ebooks1-20

NOOK (ebook): http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-7567305-11819508?SID=simonsayscom&url=http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781439140802

GOOGLE PLAY (ebook): https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Judith_McNaught_Remember_When?id=dDMjDQAAQBAJ&PAffiliateId=110l3H&PCamRefID=rememberwhen_9781439140802_sscom

PARADISE SERIES

Paradise

9781439138793

$7.99

“Judith McNaught comes close to an Edith Wharton edge” (The Chicago Tribune) in this stylish and fast-paced classic. Ruthless corporate raider Matthew Farrell is poised to move in on the legendary department store empire owned by Chicago’s renowned Bancroft family. In the glare of the media spotlight, it’s a stunning takeover that overshadows the electric chemistry between Matt, once a scruffy kid from steel town Indiana, and cool, sophisticated Meredith Bancroft. Their brief, ill-fated marriage sparked with thrilling sensuality but ended with a bitter betrayal. Now, locked in a battle that should be all business, dangerous temptations, and bittersweet memories are stirring their hearts. Will they risk everything for a passion too bold to be denied?

S&S: http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Paradise/Judith-McNaught/9781439138793

IBOOKSTORE (ebook): http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781439138793?at=10lrBC&ct=paradise_9781439138793_sscom&uo=8

KINDLE (ebook): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M18K9UM?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B01M18K9UM&linkCode=xm2&tag=sscom-ebooks1-20

NOOK (ebook): http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-7567305-11819508?SID=simonsayscom&url=http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781439138793

GOOGLE PLAY (ebook): https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Judith_McNaught_Paradise?id=TzMjDQAAQBAJ&PAffiliateId=110l3H&PCamRefID=paradise_9781439138793_sscom

Perfect

9781439140710

$7.99

A rootless foster child, Julie Mathison has blossomed under the love showered upon her by her adoptive family. Now a lovely and vivacious young woman, she is a respected teacher in her small Texas town and is determined to give back all the kindness she has received, believing that nothing can ever shatter the perfect life she has fashioned. Zachary Benedict is an actor whose Academy Award-winning career was shattered when he was wrongly convicted of murdering his wife. After the tall, ruggedly handsome Zack escapes from a Texas prison, he abducts Julie and forces her to drive him to his Colorado mountain hideout. She’s outraged, cautious, and unable to ignore the instincts that whispers of his innocence. He’s cynical, wary, and increasingly attracted to her. Desire is about to capture them both in its fierce embrace but the journey to trust, true commitment, and proving Zack’s innocence is just beginning.“A mixture of virtue and passion that is almost—ahem—perfect” (Kirkus Reviews) this is a captivating tale that fans will adore.

S&S: http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Perfect/Judith-McNaught/9781439140710

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Night Whispers

9781439140833

$7.99

In this “exciting tale of loyalty, love, and danger” (Publishers Weekly), Sloan Reynolds, a small-town Florida policewoman, knows that her modest upbringing is a long way from the social whirl of Palm Beach, the world inhabited by her father and her sister, Paris. Total strangers to Sloan, they have never tried to contact her—until a sudden invitation arrives, to meet them and indulge in the Palm Beach social season. Reluctant to accept the long-overdue familial gesture, Sloan is convinced to visit when an FBI colleague informs her that her father and his associates are suspected of fraud, conspiracy, and murder. The only catch is she must hide her true profession from her family. Sloan is on top of her game until she meets Noah Maitland, a multinational corporate player and one of the FBI’s prime suspects. She finds herself powerfully attracted to him, against her deepest instincts. When a shocking murder shatters the seductive facade of the wealth and glamour surrounding her, Sloan must maneuver through a maze of deceit and passion in this superb and enthralling tale of breathtaking suspense.

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Someone to Watch Over Me

9781501145445

$7.99

Leigh Kendall is relishing her stellar Broadway acting career in her marriage to Logan Manning, scion of an old New York family, when her husband finds the perfect mountain property for their dream house. But while driving upstate on a winter’s night, Leigh is run off the road in the midst of a blinding blizzard. When she awakes in the local hospital, seriously injured, the police inform her that her husband has mysteriously disappeared, and Leigh becomes the focus of their suspicions. The more she discovers about her husband and his business affairs, the less she realizes she knew about Logan Manning. Now, Leigh is heading deeper and deeper into unknown territory—where friends and enemies are impossible to distinguish, and the truth becomes the most terrifying weapon of all in this thrilling tale filled with unrelenting suspense, unforgettable characters, and powerful traces of greed, ambition, and desire.

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*****

Excerpt:

Whitney My Love

As their elegant travelling chaise rocked and swayed along the rutted country road, Lady Anne Gilbert leaned her cheek against her husband’s shoulder and heaved a long, impatient sigh. “Another whole hour until we arrive, and already the suspense is positively gnawing at me. I keep wondering what Whitney will be like now that she’s grown up.”

She lapsed into silence and gazed absently out the coach window at the lush, rolling English countryside covered with wild pink Foxglove and yellow Buttercups, trying to envision the niece she hadn’t seen in almost eleven years.

“She’ll be pretty, just as her mother was. And she’ll have her mother’s smile, her gentleness, her sweet disposition . . .”

Lord Edward Gilbert cast a skeptical glance at his wife. “Sweet disposition?” he echoed in amused disbelief. “That isn’t what her father said in his letter.”

As a diplomat attached to the British Consulate in Paris, Lord Gilbert was a master of hints, evasions, innuendoes, and intrigues. But in his personal life, he preferred the refreshing alternative of blunt truth. “Allow me to refresh your memory,” he said, groping in his pockets and retrieving the letter from Whitney’s father. He perched his spectacles upon his nose, and ignoring his wife’s grimace, he began to read:

“ ‘Whitney’s manners are an outrage, her conduct is reprehensible. She is a willful hoyden who is the despair of everyone she knows and an embarrassment to me. I implore you to take her back to Paris with you, in the hope that you may have more success with the stubborn chit than I have had.’ ”

Edward chuckled. “Show me where it says she’s ‘sweet-tempered.’ ”

His wife shot him a peevish glance. “Martin Stone is a cold, unfeeling man who wouldn’t recognize gentleness and goodness if Whitney were made of nothing else! Only think of the way he shouted at her and sent her to her room right after my sister’s funeral.”

Edward recognized the mutinous set of his wife’s chin and put his arm around her shoulders in a gesture of conciliation. “I’m no fonder of the man than you are, but you must admit that, just having lost his young wife to an early grave, to have his daughter accuse him, in front of fifty people, of locking her mama in a box so she couldn’t escape had to be rather disconcerting.”

“But Whitney was scarcely five years old!” Anne protested heatedly.

“Agreed. But Martin was grieving. Besides, as I recall, it was not for that offense she was banished to her room. It was later, when everyone had gathered in the drawing room—when she stamped her foot and threatened to report us all to God if we didn’t release her mama at once.”

Anne smiled. “What spirit she had, Edward. I thought for a moment her little freckles were going to pop right off her nose. Admit it—she was marvelous, and you thought so too!”

“Well, yes,” Edward agreed sheepishly. “I rather thought she was.”

* * *

As the Gilbert chaise bore inexorably down on the Stone estate, a small knot of young people were waiting on the south lawn, impatiently looking toward the stable one hundred yards away. A petite blonde smoothed her pink ruffled skirts and sighed in a way that displayed a very fetching dimple. “Whatever do you suppose Whitney is planning to do?” she inquired of the handsome light-haired man beside her.

Glancing down into Elizabeth Ashton’s wide blue eyes, Paul Sevarin smiled a smile that Whitney would have forfeited both her feet to see focused on herself. “Try to be patient, Elizabeth,” he said.

“I’m sure none of us have the faintest idea what she is up to, Elizabeth,” Margaret Merryton said tartly. “But you can be perfectly certain it will be something foolish and outrageous.”

“Margaret, we’re all Whitney’s guests today,” Paul chided.

“I don’t know why you should defend her, Paul,” Margaret argued spitefully. “Whitney is creating a horrid scandal chasing after you, and you know it!”

“Margaret!” Paul snapped. “I said that was enough.” Drawing a long, irritated breath, Paul Sevarin frowned darkly at his gleaming boots. Whitney had been making a spectacle of herself chasing after him, and damned near everyone for fifteen miles was talking about it.

At first he had been mildly amused to find himself the object of a fifteen-year-old’s languishing looks and adoring smiles, but lately Whitney had begun pursuing him with the determination and tactical brilliance of a female Napoleon Bonaparte.

If he rode off the grounds of his estate, he could almost depend on meeting her en route to his destination. It was as if she had some lookout point from which she watched his every move, and Paul no longer found her childish infatuation with him either harmless or amusing.

Three weeks ago, she had followed him to a local inn. While he was pleasantly contemplating accepting the innkeeper’s daughter’s whispered invitation to meet her later in the hayloft, he’d glanced up and seen a familiar pair of bright green eyes peeping at him through the window.

Slamming his tankard of ale on the table, he’d marched outside, grabbed Whitney by the elbow, and unceremoniously deposited her on her horse, tersely reminding her that her father would be searching for her if she wasn’t home by nightfall.

He’d stalked back inside and ordered another tankard, but when the innkeeper’s daughter brushed her breasts suggestively against his arm while refilling his ale and Paul had a sudden vision of himself lying entangled with her voluptuous naked body, a pair of green eyes peered in through yet another window. He’d tossed enough coins on the planked wooden table to mollify the startled girl’s wounded sensibilities and left—only to encounter Miss Stone again on his way home.

He was beginning to feel like a hunted man whose every move was under surveillance, and his temper was strained to the breaking point. And yet, Paul thought irritably, here he was standing in the April sun, trying for some obscure reason to protect Whitney from the criticism she richly deserved.

A pretty girl, several years younger than the others in the group, glanced at Paul. “I think I’ll go and see what’s keeping Whitney,” said Emily Williams. She hurried across the lawn and along the whitewashed fence adjoining the stable. Shoving open the big double doors, Emily looked down the wide gloomy corridor lined with stalls on both sides. “Where is Miss Whitney?” she asked the stableboy who was currying a sorrel gelding.

“In there, Miss.” Even in the muted light, Emily saw his face suffuse with color as he nodded toward a door adjacent to the tack room.

With a puzzled glance at the flushing stableboy, Emily tapped lightly on the designated door and stepped inside, then froze at the sight that greeted her: Whitney Allison Stone’s long legs were encased in coarse brown britches that clung startlingly to her slender hips and were held in place at her narrow waist with a length of rope. Above the riding britches she wore a thin chemise.

“You surely aren’t going out there dressed like that?” Emily gasped.

Whitney fired an amused glance over her shoulder at her scandalized friend. “Of course not. I’m going to wear a shirt, too.”

“B-but why?” Emily persisted desperately.

“Because I don’t think it would be very proper to appear in my chemise, silly,” Whitney cheerfully replied, snatching the stableboy’s clean shirt off a peg and plunging her arms into the sleeves.

“P-proper? Proper?” Emily sputtered. “It’s completely improper for you to be wearing men’s britches, and you know it!”

“True. But I can’t very well ride that horse without a saddle and risk having my skirts blow up around my neck, now can I?” Whitney breezily argued while she twisted her long unruly hair into a knot and pinned it at her nape.

“Ride without a saddle? You can’t mean you’re going to ride astride—your father will disown you if you do that again.”

“I am not going to ride astride. Although,” Whitney giggled, “I can’t understand why men are allowed to straddle a horse, while we—who are supposed to be the weaker sex—must hang off the side, praying for our lives.”

Emily refused to be diverted. “Then what are you going to do?”

“I never realized what an inquisitive young lady you are, Miss Williams,” Whitney teased. “But to answer your question, I am going to ride standing on the horse’s back. I saw it done at the fair, and I’ve been practicing ever since. Then, when Paul sees how well I do, he’ll—”

“He’ll think you have lost your mind, Whitney Stone! He’ll think that you haven’t a grain of sense or propriety, and that you’re only trying something else to gain his attention.” Seeing the stubborn set of her friend’s chin, Emily switched her tactics. “Whitney, please—think of your father. What will he say if he finds out?”

Whitney hesitated, feeling the force of her father’s unwaveringly cold stare as if it were this minute focused upon her. She drew a long breath, then expelled it slowly as she glanced out the small window at the group waiting on the lawn. Wearily, she said, “Father will say that, as usual, I have disappointed him, that I am a disgrace to him and to my mother’s memory, that he is happy she didn’t live to see what I have become. Then he will spend half an hour telling me what a perfect lady Elizabeth Ashton is, and that I ought to be like her.”

“Well, if you really wanted to impress Paul, you could try . . .”

Whitney clenched her hands in frustration. “I have tried to be like Elizabeth. I wear those disgusting ruffled dresses that make me feel like a pastel mountain, I’ve practiced going for hours without saying a word, and I’ve fluttered my eyelashes until my eyelids go limp.”

Emily bit her lip to hide her smile at Whitney’s unflattering description of Elizabeth Ashton’s demure mannerisms, then she sighed. “I’ll go and tell the others that you’ll be right out.”

Gasps of outrage and derisive sniggers greeted Whitney’s appearance on the lawn when she led the horse toward the spectators. “She’ll fall off,” one of the girls predicted, “if God doesn’t strike her dead first for wearing those britches.”

Ignoring the impulse to snap out a biting retort, Whitney raised her head in a gesture of haughty disdain, then stole a look at Paul. His handsome face was taut with disapproval as his gaze moved from her bare feet, up her trousered legs, to her face. Inwardly, Whitney faltered at his obvious displeasure, but she swung resolutely onto the back of the waiting horse.

The gelding moved into its practiced canter, and Whitney worked herself upward, first crouching with arms outstretched for balance, then slowly easing herself into a standing position. Around and around they went and, although Whitney was in constant terror of falling off and looking like a fool, she managed to appear competent and graceful.

As she completed the fourth circle, she let her eyes slant to the faces passing on her left, registering their looks of shock and derision, while she searched for the only face that mattered. Paul was partially in the tree’s shadow, and Elizabeth Ashton was clinging to his arm, but as Whitney passed, she saw the slow, reluctant smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, and triumph unfurled like a banner in her heart. By the time she came around again, Paul was grinning broadly at her. Whitney’s spirits soared, and suddenly all the weeks of practice, the sore muscles and bruises, seemed worthwhile.

* * *

At the window of the second floor drawing room overlooking the south lawn, Martin Stone stared down at his performing daughter. Behind him, the butler announced that Lord and Lady Gilbert had arrived. Too enraged at his daughter to speak, Martin greeted his sister-in-law and her husband with a clenched jaw and curt nod.

“How—how nice to see you again after so many years, Martin,” Lady Anne lied graciously. When he remained icily silent, she said, “Where is Whitney? We’re so anxious to see her.”

Martin finally recovered his voice. “See her?” he snapped savagely. “Madam, you have only to look out this window.”

Bewildered, Anne did as he said. Below on the lawn there stood a group of young people watching a slender boy balancing beautifully on a cantering horse. “What a clever young man,” she said, smiling.

Her simple remark seemed to drive Martin Stone from frozen rage to frenzied action as he swung on his heel and marched toward the door. “If you wish to meet your niece, come with me. Or, I can spare you the humiliation, and bring her here to you.”

With an exasperated look at Martin’s back, Anne tucked her hand in her husband’s arm and together they followed Martin downstairs and outside.

As they approached the group of young people, Anne heard murmurings and laughter, and she was vaguely aware that there was something malicious in the tone, but she was too busy scanning the young ladies’ faces, looking for Whitney, to pay much heed to the fleeting impression. She mentally discarded two blondes and a redhead, quizzically studied a petite, blue-eyed brunette, then glanced helplessly at the young man beside her. “Pardon me, I am Lady Gilbert, Whitney’s aunt. Could you tell me where she is?”

Paul Sevarin grinned at her, half in sympathy and half in amusement. “Your niece is on the horse, Lady Gilbert,” he said.

“On the—” Lord Gilbert choked.

From her delicate perch atop the horse, Whitney’s eyes followed her father’s progress as he bore down on her with long, rapid strides. “Please don’t make a scene, Father,” she implored when he was within earshot.

“I make a scene?” he roared furiously. Snatching the halter, he brought the cantering horse around so sharply that he jerked it from beneath her. Whitney hit the ground on her feet, lost her balance, and ended up half-sprawling. As she scampered up, her father caught her arm in a ruthless grip and hauled her over toward the spectators. “This—this thing,” he said, thrusting her forward toward her aunt and uncle, “I am mortified to tell you is your niece.”

Whitney heard the smattering of giggles as the group quickly disbanded, and she felt her face grow hot with shame. “How do you do, Aunt Gilbert? Uncle Gilbert?” With one eye on Paul’s broad-shouldered, retreating form, Whitney reached mechanically for her nonexistent skirt, realized it was missing, and executed a comical curtsy without it. She saw the frown on her aunt’s face and put her chin up defensively. “You may be sure that for the week you are here, I shall endeavor not to make a freak of myself again, Aunt.”

“For the week that we are here?” her aunt gasped, but Whitney was preoccupied watching Paul help Elizabeth into his curricle and didn’t notice the surprise in her aunt’s voice.

“Good-bye, Paul,” she called, waving madly. He turned and raised his arm in silent farewell.

Laughter drifted back as the curricles bowled down the drive, carrying their occupants off to a picnic or some other gay and wonderful activity, to which Whitney was never invited because she was too young.

Following Whitney toward the house, Anne was a mass of conflicting emotions. She was embarrassed for Whitney, furious with Martin Stone for humiliating the girl in front of the other young people, somewhat dazed by the sight of her own niece cavorting on the back of a horse, wearing men’s britches . . . and utterly astonished to discover that Whitney, whose mother had been only passably pretty, showed promise of becoming a genuine beauty.

She was too thin right now, but even in disgrace Whitney’s shoulders were straight, her walk naturally graceful and faintly provocative. Anne smiled to herself at the gently rounded hips displayed to almost immoral advantage by the coarse brown trousers, the slender waist that would require no subterfuge to make it appear smaller, eyes that seemed to change from sea-green to deep jade beneath their fringe of long, sooty lashes. And that hair—piles and piles of rich mahogany brown! All it needed was a good trimming and brushing until it shone; Anne’s fingers positively itched to go to work on it. Mentally she was already styling it in ways to highlight Whitney’s striking eyes and high cheekbones. Off her face, Anne decided, piled at the crown with tendrils at the ears, or pulled straight back off the forehead to fall in gentle waves down her back.

As soon as they entered the house, Whitney mumbled an excuse and fled to her room where she flopped dejectedly into a chair and morosely contemplated the humiliating scene Paul had just witnessed, with her father jerking her ignominiously off her horse and then shouting at her. No doubt her aunt and uncle were as horrified and revolted by her behavior as her father had been, and her cheeks burned with shame just thinking of how they must despise her already.

“Whitney?” Emily whispered, creeping into the bedroom and cautiously closing the door behind her. “I came up the back way. Is your father angry?”

“Cross as crabs,” Whitney confirmed, staring down at her trousered legs. “I suppose I ruined everything today, didn’t I? Everyone was laughing at me, and Paul heard them. Now that Elizabeth is seventeen, he’s bound to offer for her before he ever has a chance to realize that he loves me.”

“You?” Emily repeated dazedly. “Whitney Stone, Paul avoids you like the plague, and well you know it! And who could blame him, after the mishaps you’ve treated him to in the last year?”

“There haven’t been so many as all that,” Whitney protested, but she squirmed in her chair.

“No? What about that trick you played on him on All Soul’s—darting out in front of his carriage, shrieking like a banshee, and pretending to be a ghost, terrifying his horses.”

Whitney flushed. “He wasn’t so very angry. And it isn’t as if the carriage was destroyed. It only broke a shaft when it overturned.”

“And Paul’s leg,” Emily pointed out.

“But that mended perfectly,” Whitney persisted, her mind already leaping from past debacles to future possibilities. She surged to her feet and began to pace slowly back and forth. “There has to be a way—but short of abducting him, I—” A mischievous smile lit up her dust-streaked face as she swung around so quickly that Emily pressed back into her chair. “Emily, one thing is infinitely clear: Paul does not yet know that he cares for me. Correct?”

“He doesn’t care a snap for you is more like it,” Emily replied warily.

“Therefore, it would be safe to say that he is unlikely to offer for me without some sort of added incentive. Correct?”

“You couldn’t make him offer for you at the point of a gun, and you know it. Besides, you aren’t old enough to be betrothed, even if—”

“Under what circumstances,” Whitney interrupted triumphantly, “is a gentleman obliged to offer for a lady?”

“I can’t think of any. Except of course, if he has compromised her—absolutely not! Whitney, whatever you’re planning now, I won’t help.”

Sighing, Whitney flopped back into her chair, stretching her legs out in front of her. An irreverent giggle escaped her as she considered the sheer audacity of her last idea. “If only I could have pulled it off . . . you know, loosened the wheel on Paul’s carriage so that it would fall off later, and then asked him to drive me somewhere. Then, by the time we walked back, or help arrived, it would be late at night, and he would have to offer for me.” Oblivious to Emily’s scandalized expression, Whitney continued, “Just think what a wonderful turnabout that would have been on a tired old theme: Young Lady abducts Gentleman and ruins hisreputation so that she is forced to marry him to set things aright! What a novel that could have made,” she added, rather impressed with her own ingenuity.

“I’m leaving,” Emily said. She marched to the door, then she hesitated and turned back to Whitney. “Your aunt and uncle saw everything. What are you going to say to them about those trousers and the horse?”

Whitney’s face clouded. “I’m not going to say anything, it wouldn’t help—but for the rest of the time they are here, I’m going to be the most demure, refined, delicate female you’ve ever seen.” She saw Emily’s dubious look and added, “Also I intend to stay out of sight except at mealtimes. I think I’ll be able to act like Elizabeth for three hours a day.”

* * *

Whitney kept her promise. At dinner that night, after her uncle’s hair-raising tale of their life in Beirut where he was attached to the British Consulate, she murmured only, “How very informative, Uncle,” even though she was positively burning to ply him with questions. At the end of her aunt’s description of Paris and the thrill of its gay social life, Whitney murmured, “How very informative, Aunt.” The moment the meal was finished, she excused herself and vanished.

After three days, Whitney’s efforts to be either demure or absent had, in fact, been so successful that Anne was beginning to wonder whether she had only imagined the spark of fire she’d glimpsed the day of their arrival, or if the girl had some aversion to Edward and herself.

On the fourth day, when Whitney breakfasted before the rest of the household was up, and then vanished, Anne set out to discover the truth. She searched the house, but Whitney was not indoors. She was not in the garden, nor had she taken a horse from the stable, Anne was informed by a groom. Squinting into the sunlight, Anne looked around her, trying to imagine where a fifteen-year-old would go to spend all day.

Off on the crest of a hill overlooking the estate, she spied a patch of bright yellow. “There you are!” she breathed, opening her parasol and striking out across the lawn.

Whitney didn’t see her aunt coming until it was too late to escape. Wishing she had found a better place to hide, she tried to think of some innocuous subject on which she could converse without appearing ignorant. Clothes? Personally, she knew nothing of fashions and cared even less; she looked hopeless no matter what she wore. After all, what could clothes do to improve the looks of a female who had cat’s eyes, mud-colored hair, and freckles on the bridge of her nose? Besides that, she was too tall, too thin, and if the good Lord intended for her ever to have a bosom, it was very late in making its appearance.

Weak-kneed, her chest heaving with each labored breath, Anne topped the steep rise and collapsed unceremoniously onto the blanket beside Whitney. “I-I thought I’d take . . . a nice stroll,” Anne lied. When she caught her breath, she noticed the leather-bound book lying face down on the blanket and, seizing on books as a topic of conversation, she said, “Is that a romantic novel?”

“No, Aunt,” Whitney demurely uttered, carefully placing her hand over the title of the book to conceal it from her aunt’s eyes.

“I’m told most young ladies adore romantic novels,” Anne tried again.

“Yes, Aunt,” Whitney agreed politely.

“I read one once but I didn’t like it,” Anne remarked, her mind groping for some other topic that might draw Whitney into conversation. “I cannot abide a heroine who is too perfect, nor one who is forever swooning.”

Whitney was so astonished to discover that she wasn’t the only female in all of England who didn’t devour the insipid things, that she instantly forgot her resolution to speak only in monosyllables. “And when the heroines aren’t swooning,” she added, her entire face lighting up with laughter, “they are lying about with hartshorn bottles up their nostrils, moping and pining away for some faint-hearted gentleman who hasn’t the gumption to offer for them, or else has already offered for some other, unworthy female. I could never just lie there doing nothing, knowing the man I loved was falling in love with a horrid person.” Whitney darted a glance at her aunt to see if she was shocked, but her aunt was regarding her with an unexplainable smile lurking at the corners of her eyes. “Aunt Anne, could you actually care for a man who dropped to his knees and said, ‘Oh, Clarabel, your lips are the petals of a red rose and your eyes are two stars from the heavens’?” With a derisive snort, Whitney finished, “That is where I would have leapt for the hartshorn!”

“And so would I,” Anne said, laughing. “What do you read then, if not atrocious romantic novels?” She pried the book from beneath Whitney’s flattened hand and stared at the gold-embossed title. “The Iliad?” she asked in astonished disbelief. The breeze ruffled the pages, and Anne’s amazed gaze ricocheted from the print to Whitney’s tense face. “But this is in Greek! Surely you don’t read Greek?”

Whitney nodded, her face flushed with mortification. Now her aunt would think her a bluestocking—another black mark against her. “Also Latin, Italian, French, and even some German,” she confessed.

“Good God,” Anne breathed. “How did you ever learn all that?”

“Despite what Father thinks, Aunt Anne, I am only foolish, not stupid, and I plagued him to death until he allowed me tutors in languages and history.” Whitney fell silent, remembering how she’d once believed that if

she applied herself to her studies, if she could become more like a son, her father might love her.

“You sound ashamed of your accomplishments, when you should be proud.”

Whitney gazed out at her home, nestled in the valley below. “I’m sure you know everyone thinks it’s a waste of time to educate a female in these things. And anyway, I haven’t a feminine accomplishment to my name. I can’t sew a stitch that doesn’t look as if it were done blindfolded, and when I sing, the dogs down at the stable begin to howl. Mr. Twittsworthy, our local music instructor, told my father that my playing of the pianoforte gives him hives. I can’t do a thing that girls ought to do, and what’s more, I particularly detest doing them.”

Whitney knew her aunt would now take her in complete dislike, just as everyone else always did, but it was better this way because at least she could stop dreading the inevitable. She looked at Lady Anne, her green eyes wide and vulnerable. “I’m certain Papa has told you all about me. I’m a terrible disappointment to him. He wants me to be dainty and demure and quiet, like Elizabeth Ashton. I try to be, but I can’t seem to do it.”

Anne’s heart melted for the lovely, spirited, bewildered child her sister had borne. Laying her hand against Whitney’s cheek, she said tenderly, “Your father wants a daughter who is like a cameo—delicate, pale, and easily shaped. Instead, he has a daughter who is a diamond, full of sparkle and life, and he doesn’t know what to do with her. Instead of appreciating the value and rarity of his jewel—instead of polishing her a bit and then letting her shine—he persists in trying to shape her into a common cameo.”

Whitney was more inclined to think of herself as a chunk of coal, but rather than disillusion her aunt, she kept silent. After her aunt left, Whitney picked up her book, but soon her mind wandered from the printed page to dreamy thoughts of Paul.

That night when she came down to the dining room, the atmosphere in the room was strangely charged, and no one noticed her sauntering toward the table. “When do you plan to tell her she’s coming back to France with us, Martin?” her uncle demanded angrily. “Or is it your intention to wait until the day we leave and then just toss the child into the coach with us?”

The world tilted crazily, and for one horrible moment, Whitney thought she was going to be sick. She stopped, trying to steady her shaking limbs, and swallowed back the aching lump in her throat. “Am I going somewhere, Father?” she asked, trying to sound calm and indifferent.

They all turned and stared, and her father’s face tightened into lines of impatience and annoyance. “To France,” he replied abruptly. “To live with your aunt and uncle, who are going to try to make a lady out of you.”

Carefully avoiding meeting anyone’s eyes, lest she break down then and there, Whitney slid into her chair at the table. “Have you informed my aunt and uncle of the risk they are taking?” she asked, concentrating all her strength on preventing her father from seeing what he had just done to her heart. She looked coldly at her aunt and uncle’s guilty, embarrassed faces. “Father may have neglected to mention you’re risking disgrace by welcoming me into your home. As he will tell you, I’ve a hideous disposition, I’m rag-mannered, and I haven’t a trace of polite conversation.”

Her aunt was watching her with naked pity, but her father’s expression was stony. “Oh Papa,” she whispered brokenly, “do you really despise me this much? Do you hate me so much that you have to send me out of your sight?” Her eyes swimming with unshed tears, Whitney stood up. “If you . . . will excuse me . . . I’m not very hungry this evening.”

“How could you!” Anne cried when she left, rising from her own chair and glaring furiously at Martin Stone. “You are the most heartless, unfeeling—it will be a pleasure to remove that child from your clutches. How she has survived this long is a testimony to her strength. I’m sure I could never have done so well.”

“You refine too much upon her words, Madam,” Martin said icily. “I assure you that what has her looking so distraught is not the prospect of being parted from me. I have merely put a premature end to her plans to continue making a fool of herself over Paul Sevarin.”

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Author Info:

Judith McNaught is the New York Times bestselling author who first soared to stardom with her stunning bestseller Whitney, My Love, and went on to win the hearts of millions of readers with Once and Always, Something Wonderful, A Kingdom of Dreams, Almost Heaven, Paradise, Perfect, Until You,Remember When, Someone to Watch Over Me, the #1 bestseller Night Whispers, and other novels. There are more than thirty million copies of her books in print. She lives in Houston. Please visit her at JudithMcNaught.com and on Facebook at AuthorJudithMcNaught.

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Promo Code Giveaway:

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