Tag Archives: Grace Burrowes

Spotlight – The Duke’s Disaster

30 Monday Mar 2015

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I love this preview and I can’t wait to get my hands on Burrowes’s latest historical romance!

*****

The Duke's DisasterThe Duke’s Disaster

by Grace Burrowes

Release Date: April 7, 2015

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Genre: Historical Romance

Blurb:

Noah Winters, Duke of Anselm, exercises the pragmatism for which he’s infamous when his preferred choice of bride cries off, and her companion, Lady Thea Collins, becomes his next choice for his duchess. Lady Thea’s mature, sensible and even rather attractive-what could possibly go wrong?

As a lady fallen on hard times, Thea doesn’t expect tender sentiments from His Grace, but she does wish Noah had courted her trust, lest her past turn their hastily arranged marriage into a life of shared regrets. Is His Grace courting a convenient wife, or a beautiful disaster?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ book/show/21996394-the-duke-s- disaster

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1FMKux4

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1xmRtvf

iTunes: http://apple.co/1MVrkoL

*****

Excerpt:

The Duke and Duchess are having a rocky start to their marriage, also to their day…

“Your tea, Duchess.”

Noah had woken up beside his wife—again, despite all plans to the contrary—creating another first for him. Thea had risen several times during the night to tend to herself. He hadn’t realized that monthly courses caused a woman’s rest to be interrupted.

Crashingly bad planning, for a lady’s sleep to be disturbed when she most needed rest.

“You’re not about to steal my tea?” Thea held out the cup, her gaze shy as she sat propped against the headboard.

“Where’s the fun in stealing what’s freely offered?” Noah settled in beside her and filched a bite of her cinnamon toast. “Would you rather have chocolate this morning?”

“Because?”

“You’re”— Noah waved a hand in the direction of her middle—“indisposed.”

“I am not indisposed.” Thea set her teacup down with a little clink. “The discomfort has passed, as it always does. You needn’t be concerned.”

“I am not concerned, Thea.” Not greatly concerned, now that she’d stopped ordering him to go away and was ready for a proper spat. “I am attempting in my bumbling way to dote. You will allow it.”

Drat. He’d given another order.

“You couldn’t bumble if one gave you written instructions, Anselm,” Thea said, looking a little less peaked for having run up her flags. “That was my toast you appropriated.”

“Appropriation is what happens when one’s wife can’t appreciate a little doting. You’re being stingy with the tea, just as you were stingy with the covers. How long does this indisposition last?”

Her chin came up. “I am the Duchess of Anselm. I am not stingy with anything, but you are a very presuming husband.”

“Doting.” Noah took Thea’s free hand to kiss her knuckles— lest she mistake his point. “Also in need of my duchess’s guidance on this one marital matter.”

“This is so personal.” Thea’s gaze was on their joined hands— for Noah would not have her haring off in a fit of mortification. “I didn’t think you’d be a personal sort of husband. You were supposed to appear in my dressing-room doorway a few nights a month, silently take a few marital liberties, and then leave me in peace. We’d trade sections of the Times over breakfast the next morning.”

“Prosaic.” Boring and exactly what Noah himself had envisioned. “Hard to see any doting going on, though.”

“Husband?” Thea’s tone was hesitant. “Thank you, for keeping me company last night. I would not have known how to ask.”

“I suppose that’s the definition of doting.” Noah lingered at the cart to assemble a plate. “It’s the little things you can’t bring yourself to ask for, that an attentive spouse will enjoy providing to you. Bacon or ham?”

“A little of both, please.”

“Feeling carnivorous?”

“I’m a trifle indisposed. I need the sustenance.”

Noah piled both ham and bacon on Thea’s plate, and stole better than half of it, because he needed the sustenance too.

*****

GraceBurrowesAuthor Info:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes’ bestsellers include The Heir, The Soldier, Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal, Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish and Lady Eve’s Indiscretion. The Heir was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2010, The Soldier was a PW Best Spring Romance of 2011, Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish won Best Historical Romance of the Year in 2011 from RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards, Lady Louisa’s Christmas Knight was a Library Journal Best Book of 2012, and The Bridegroom Wore Plaid was a PW Best Book of 2012. Her Regency romances have received extensive praise, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Grace is branching out into short stories and Scotland-set Victorian romance with Sourcebooks. She is a practicing family law attorney and lives in rural Maryland.

Website: http://www.graceburrowes.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4152482.Grace_Burrowes

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ pages/Grace-Burrowes/115039058572197

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

*****

Giveaway:

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*****

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Guest Post – Small Town, Large Hearts

09 Monday Mar 2015

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I am so excited that we are starting off the week with a little Q&A with some of the best contemporary romance authors around … Enjoy!

*****

What can you tell us about the small town setting of your new romance?

Samantha Chase (author of RETURN TO YOU): The south shore of Long Island had always been my heroine Selena’s home. Born and raised minutes from the beach, she always dreamed that it would be where she’d find love, raise a family and live happily ever after. The small coastal town really hadn’t been part of James Montgomery’s plan for his own life, after meeting Selena, it’s suddenly a very appealing part of his future.

Grace Burrowes (author of KISS ME HELLO): Damson Valley lies in rural Maryland, about an hour away from both Washington, DC, and Baltimore. The Appalachian Mountains give the town a protected, bucolic feel, despite the proximity of big city lights. My hero attorney MacKenzie Knightley loved growing up with his brothers on a farm right outside Damson Valley, and was all too happy to go into practice with both James and Trent. The Knightley farm is now owned by foster mom Sidonie Lindstrom, who has moved away from Baltimore to give her foster son a better start in life. Sid has no patience for small town life, though before too long, the scenery does catch her interest…

Andrea Laurence (author of FEEDING THE FIRE): If you’re willing to turn your car off the highway and venture from the beaten path, you might be lucky enough to run across a town like Rosewood, Alabama. Steeped in southern charm and the traditional values of God, Family and Football (although not always in that order), Rosewood is like a time capsule preserving everything modern cities have lost. Here, you’ll find homemade pies, perfectly brewed sweet tea, and beauty parlors filled with lively gossip. It’s the kind of town where everybody knows everybody – and everybody knows your business whether you like it or not! Thanks for stopping by. Sit a spell and tell us what you know.

What is your best advice for finding love in a small town?

Samantha Chase: Best advice?  Hmm…even though it didn’t work out like this for James and Selena, I think that you should give that boy-next-door or girl-next-door a chance. You never know where you’re going to find love and it can be as easy as looking at the person you’ve known all your life.

When your heroine and her friends go on a ‘girls night out’, where do they go?

Grace Burrowes: Sidonie is befriended by the wives of Mac’s two younger brothers, Hannah and Vera. While there’s plenty of opportunity for line dancing, quilting, or book clubbing, when the ladies really want to talk and spend time together, they congregate in each others’ kitchens over a pot tea and plate of brownies. Or they’ll bake cookies and take them to the porch with a glass of milk… No need to wait for evening, or go to a watering hole when there’s serious socializing to be done!

In a small town, it can be hard to plan a surprise. What’s the best romantic surprise your hero has ever planned for you heroine?

Andrea Laurence: Pepper bought an old house and has been slowly renovating it. Time and money is always an issue. One afternoon, Grant surprised Pepper with his whole firehouse. They all showed up one afternoon, ready to patch drywall, install windows and fix all those pesky issues around the house. It’s not candy or flowers, but to Pepper, it was so much better.

*****

ReturnToYouReturn to You

Montgomery Brothers Book 4

by Samantha Chase

Blurb:

She will never forget their past…

He can’t stop thinking about their future…

James Montgomery has achieved everything he’d hoped for in life…except marrying the girl of his dreams. After a terrible accident, Selena Ainsley left ten years ago. She took his heart with her and she’s never coming back. But it’s becoming harder and harder for him to forget their precious time together, and James can’t help but wonder what he would do if they could ever meet again.

KissMeHelloKiss Me Hello

Sweetest Kisses series

by Grace Burrowes

Blurb:

He loves her, she loves him not…?

In the third novel of The Sweetest Kisses series, single mom Sidonie Lindstrom has her hands full with a troubled foster son, an abrupt adjustment to country living, and an unforeseen lack of funds. When her taciturn neighbor, MacKenzie Knightley, repeatedly offers practical help, Sid reminds herself she’s not interested in the neighbor-despite his kindness, pragmatism and quiet charm. MacKenzie sees the vulnerability beneath her pride, and he’s determined to change her mind…

FeedingtheFireFeeding the Fire

The Rosewood Series Book 2

by Andrea Laurence

Blurb:

Pepper has no interest in Grant Chamberlain…until she accidentally wins him at a school auction and finds the mega-hot firefighter impossible to ignore. Find out what happens next in the second playful and sexy ebook romance in the Rosewood series!

Living in the small town of Rosewood, Alabama, hairdresser Pepper Anthony has one rule—never date a Chamberlain. She’s always said, “the only thing worse than being ignored by a Chamberlain is being dumped by one.” But Grant Chamberlain, town fireman, isn’t used to rejection, and Pepper has consistently turned him down since high school. She isn’t intimidated by his family; she’s one of the few who refuses to take their crap.

When Grant volunteers at the charity bachelor auction, to his surprise, Pepper buys him. She hadn’t meant to, but Adelia Chamberlain dropped a cold drink in her lap, sending her leaping into the air at precisely the wrong moment. Suddenly she had a massive bill to the town and Grant at her disposal. Since the money has to come from her “restore the house” fund, she decides to use Grant for manual labor instead of romantic dinners. Grant is happy to help, sweaty and shirtless, because one way or another, he’s going to get Pepper to admit she’s attracted to him. All it takes is a small spark, and soon they’ll be fanning the flames.

*****

Author Info:

Samantha Chase

New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Samantha Chase released her debut novel, Jordan’s Return, in November 2011. Although she waited until she was in her 40’s to publish for the first time, writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that step was her students: teaching creative writing to elementary age students all the way up through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as well.  When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading contemporary romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.

RETURN TO YOU releases March 3, 2015. You can order the title here: http://amzn.to/1EV1EpC

Grace Burrowes

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes’ bestsellers include The Heir, The Soldier, Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal, Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish and Lady Eve’s Indiscretion. The Heir was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2010, The Soldier was a PW Best Spring Romance of 2011, Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish won Best Historical Romance of the Year in 2011 from RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards, Lady Louisa’s Christmas Knight was a Library Journal Best Book of 2012, and The Bridegroom Wore Plaid was a PW Best Book of 2012. Her Regency romances have received extensive praise, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Grace is branching out into short stories and Scotland-set Victorian romance with Sourcebooks. She is a practicing family law attorney and lives in rural Maryland.

KISS ME HELLO releases March 3, 2015. You can order the title here: http://amzn.to/1GzO387

Andrea Laurence

Andrea Laurence has been a lover of reading and writing stories since she learned to read at a young age. She always dreamed of seeing her work in print and is thrilled to finally be able to share her special blend of sensuality and dry, sarcastic humor with the world. A dedicated West Coast girl transplanted into the Deep South, she’s working on her own “happily ever after” with her boyfriend and their collection of animals including a Siberian Husky that sheds like nobody’s business.

FEEDING THE FIRE releases March 16, 2015. You can preorder the title here: http://amzn.to/1ADp431

*****

Giveaway:

Enter to win a small town contemporary romance prize pack

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54ca7af780/

*****

Small Town Blog Tour

Ethan

14 Sunday Jul 2013

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cover22197-mediumWhen Ethan Gray was just a boy, his father sent him to boarding school, separating him from his family.  Soon after arriving, he was assaulted by a bully, Hart Collins, and his mob.  Ashamed and traumatized, he did everything he could to bury it and move forward, cutting himself off from everyone he held dear.  Alice Portman became a governess to escape from her own childhood trauma, scarred by the same bully.  She is now part of Ethan’s staff, looking after his two small sons, and they soon find a chance to heal together.  But just when it looks like they could make a life together, Collins appears to ruin everything.

Burrowes once again brings readers a troubled and endearing hero.  We first met Ethan in Nicholas and now we get his story – and what a heartbreaker it is.  Ethan is a good man, but one who has lived with the bastard tag all of his life.  Separated from his family and sent to a harsh school run by uncaring adults, he had a terrible thing happen to him, one that affects the rest of his life.  Alice’s life has also been impacted by a devastating event in her childhood, one that has impacted her decisions ever since.  These two are very compelling as they work through their pain and learn how to overcome it together.  These are awful events, but ones that have a positive outcome as they bring these two together.

Ethan is definitely not for the faint of heart – I cried as Ethan learned to relate to his sons and move beyond his past.  It’s definitely a tear-jerker but one that is worth it.  Having loved every one of Burrowes’s “Lonely Lords” so far (see Darius & Nicholas), I’m definitely looking forward to future books in the series.  Burrowes keeps giving readers heroes and heroines that tug at the heart and make you smile when they get their happy ending.

Nicholas

30 Thursday May 2013

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cover21396-mediumNicholas Haddonfield, Lord Reston, promised his dying father he would marry before the end of the Season.  And Lady Leah Lindsey, who needs rescuing from being wedded to an old lecher, is the perfect choice for a marriage of convenience.  Only Nick never counted on his heart getting involved.

Nicholas is a companion book to Darius, released last month.  Given the barest of details of Leah’s marriage to Nick in that book, readers are now treated to the details of what really happened.  Nick has a secret – one that prevents him from giving himself fully to his marriage, one that he refuses to share with Leah.  I love Nick, almost as much as Darius.  He’s big, strong, smart and lethally handsome.  But he really needs to work on his communication skills.  A couple of conversations with the right people, a sharing of his burden and his guilt, would have changed his life completely.  But then he wouldn’t have married the lovely Leah.  She’s had a hard life and is facing a difficult future, then a chance encounter with Nick at a ball changes everything.  She just has to be strong enough to handle him and everything that he throws at her.

I adore these two together.  There might have been a couple of times that I had to shake my head at the poor confused man, but their relationship is sweet and fun, while handling serious problems on both sides at the same time.  Nick is so conflicted but Burrowes does a fantastic job of wrapping up everything in a HEA.  Nicholas is a must for readers of historical romances, especially those about big, strong, deluded men and the women smart enough to love them long enough for them to come to their senses.

Note:  This is one of those series where I don’t think it is necessary to read all of the books (although I definitely recommend it because so far they are fantastic).  Nicholas is complete by itself and I don’t think any of the nuances would be lost on new readers.  But those who read Darius will enjoy the revelation of exactly how Nick and Leah got together and how they go forward, and will find it fun to see Darius’s story from an outsider’s perspective.   Knowing what is happening with his life, it just adds that little bit of extra flavor to have someone else’s take on his actions.  Readers are also given glimpses of future characters – Nick’s brothers and his friend Val.  Based on how enjoyable I’ve found these two books, I’m can’t wait for future installments.

Darius

20 Saturday Apr 2013

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cover21356-mediumA penniless second son, Darius Lindsey has been seeing to the pleasure of ladies for coin, but he’s getting more desperate every day.  Then he receives a most unusual request – William Longstreet has lost both of his sons and his first wife.  Now the aging Lord needs an heir.  If Darius can get the new, and young, Lady Longstreet pregnant, all of his financial problems will be over.  But can Darius resist the pretty young wife and find a way out with his heart intact?

I was a little hesitant about reading Darius.  I wasn’t sure how appealing a whore of a hero would actually be … oh, how I underestimated Grace Burrowes.  As is right, the story is mainly about the man it is named after.  We are given Vivian’s side too but the heart of the story is all Darius.  He is an amazing man – a good man who has to do questionable things.  And he does these desperate things without completely giving up his honor, solely for the people he loves and is responsible for.  He’s a strong man, but one that needs the love and attention that only a woman who loves him can provide.  He’s dedicated to his family and staff, and those are the people that he sacrifices so much for.  We’re given hints and innuendo to what he suffered (and his siblings suffer) at the hands of his father, with just enough details to make it heartbreaking.  We’re also shown exactly what he has to do to earn his keep and the fact that he is treated in such a way, after everything he does for others, just breaks my heart.

This is the first in Burrowes’s “Lonely Lords” series and I am very much looking forward to the rest.  Keep an eye out because there will be a review of Nicholas, the next book, here in the next handful of weeks.  Readers will get a peek at what is coming as Nicholas marries Darius’s sister in Darius.  Nicholas looks to be just as touching a character as Darius and I can’t wait to find out.

The Bridegroom Wore Plaid

22 Saturday Dec 2012

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Grace Burrowes begins a new historical romance series with a bang. In order to help his clan, Ian MacGregor, the Earl of Balfour, must marry an heiress. Genie Daniels’s parents want a title for her. The match should be perfect, except it is Genie’s penniless cousin, Augusta, that Ian can’t resist.

The Bridegroom Wore Plaid is a thrilling story, full of intrigue, danger, love and heartache. There isn’t much of a mystery – readers are given the villain right away and his reasons are made obvious – but the way it plays out is still very thrilling and the ending is quite satisfying.

Ian is all you could want in a sexy Scottish hero. He’s loyal, dedicated to his family, hard working, and handsome. He’s willing to sacrifice his own happiness but he won’t make anyone else suffer if he can help it. Some may be uncomfortable that he’s trying to woo one girl while secretly seeing her cousin, especially because they believe it can lead nowhere, but there has been no agreement made to actually wed Genie. They are just supposed to be getting to know one another to see if they would suit. Ian is desperate for her money but he is too honorable to intentionally hurt her.

Augusta has had a hard life as the family’s poor relation, since the death of her family. Spending time with Ian, though, reminds her of the person she used to be and helps her grow into someone more. She’s smart, interesting, and pretty. She cares about those around her and only wants to see them happy.

There are a handful of secondary characters that add depth and interest to the story – Ian’s brothers (Con and Gil), their sister (Mary Fran), Genie, Genie’s sister (Hester), their aunt (Julia), Genie’s brother (Matthew) and Mary Fran’s fun-loving daughter (Fiona). The developing relationships among them don’t get a lot of detail but Mary Fran and Matthew have a novella coming soon, so there might also be ones in the works for the others. Regardless, they provide some added emotion to an already heartwarming story.

If you like a little suspense and heat in your historical romances, The Bridegroom Wore Plaid is a perfect choice.

Lady Louisa’s Christmas Knight

21 Sunday Oct 2012

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Lady Louisa’s Christmas Knight is the newest in Grace Burrowes’s Windham family Series. Lady Louisa is the oldest of the Duke’s single daughters and should be the next to get married. However, she is hiding a secret that she believes limits her prospects until it can be resolved. Sir Joseph Carrington fought in the war with a couple of Lady Louisa’s brothers and is a family friend. The two begin to get closer but Sir Joseph thinks his lack of title puts him beneath Lady Louisa’s notice, plus he has a secret of his own. A rake’s attempt at ruining her has Sir Joseph offering marriage and the two must decide if their secrets can be shared or if they will destroy everything.

This story is the perfect balance – a heartwarming romance, with a dash of intrigue to keep things interesting and a touch of holiday cheer. The characters are well-developed and their romance is slow & sweet as they start to see each other in a different light. Lady Louisa is unique and quirky, an original with a sharp mind and big heart. She’s found her perfect match in Sir Joseph and their interactions are funny, playful and touching. He’s honorable, intelligent, and witty, with a strong heart and deep character which makes him perfect hero material. They have great chemistry and you find yourself rooting for them from the very beginning.

Lady Louisa’s family plays a huge part in her life so they are all well represented in this story. Many of them have had their own story so readers are given an update on their lives, however it will not affect your enjoyment of this one if you’ve never read another of Burrowes’s books. The secondary characters are fantastic though, unique and entertaining, and the writing is beautifully done, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself finishing this story and heading out to get the previous books.