Posts Tagged ‘Historical romance’

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The Rise of Miss Notley by Rachael Anderson

Synopsis

To escape an undesirable match, Miss Notley must give up her riches for rags.

When Miss Coralynn Notley’s father barters her off to the first titled gentleman to come along, she realizes she must flee her home or be forced to wed a despicable man. Driven by desperation, she applies for the position of housekeeper at Tanglewood Manor, the home of the handsome Mr. Jonathan Ludlow.

The moment Jonathan sees Miss Notley, he is intrigued. She is far too young and inexperienced for the position, yet there is something about her that that inspires a certain hope within him. Does he dare offer her the position of housekeeper or will doing so result in catastrophe?

The Rise of Miss Notley is the delightful tale of a mysterious gentleman and a determined young woman, caught together in a web so tangled it begs the question: Will they ever get out?

Coming February 2017

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RachaelAuthor Rachael Anderson

A USA Today bestselling author, Rachael Anderson is the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can’t sing, doesn’t dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.

Website

 

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amazon or paypal

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 1/25/17

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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The Fall of Lord Drayson

The Fall of Lord Drayson by Rachael Anderson

Who is he really? A high and mighty lord or a lowly servant?

When Colin Cavendish, the new earl of Drayson, informs Lucy Beresford that she and her mother need to vacate the house they’ve called home for the past two years, Lucy is fit to be tied. They have no money, no relations they can turn to for help, and nowhere to go. How dare the earl break the promise his father had made to the Beresfords without so much as a twinge of conscience?

Fate plays her hand when Lucy discovers the earl unconscious and injured in the middle of the road. When he awakens with no recollection of who he is, Lucy seizes the opportunity to teach the earl a much-needed lesson in humility and tells him that he is nothing more than a mere servant. Her servant, in fact.

And thus begins the charming tale of a pompous lord and an impetuous young woman, caught together in a web so tangled that it begs the question: Will they ever get out?
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Excerpt

He stared at her incredulously, as though she had escaped Bedlam. “Are you in your right mind, woman?”

Lucy leaned forward and planted her palms on his bed so that her eyes were level with his. “My name is Lucy Beresford. I have lived in Askern all my life. I’m the sole daughter of a vicar and a seamstress who lived most happily despite their differences in station. When my father passed away, I came here, to this dower house. So yes, I am in my right mind. It is you who are not.”

The earl’s jaw clenched, and Lucy took some pleasure at the sight. Perhaps he would come down off his high horse and show at least a small amount of kindness or respect.

“I may not know who I am or where I came from,” he finally said, “but at least I do not feel the need to tell tales.”

“Tell tales?” Lucy gaped at him. Was he accusing her of telling untruths? Her, of all people? What untruths? How dare he!

Lord Drayson glanced down at his fingers, frowning when he spotted grime under his nails. He began to scrape it out as he spoke. “Claiming to be the daughter of a vicar and seamstress is all very romantic, but it cannot possibly be the truth.”

“And why not?” she asked.

His gaze returned to hers. “In my experience, the daughter of a vicar would behave with more decorum, would know how to make a palatable broth, and would never allow herself to be alone in a room with a man who is not her relative. If there is one thing I know with absolute certainty, it is that you are no relation of mine.”

Lucy’s jaw clenched as she fought to control the rage building inside her. Ever so slowly, she pushed herself up to standing and glared down at the earl. “You are correct in thinking I am no ordinary vicar’s daughter. I do not love unconditionally. I show decorum only when I wish to. And I despise those who care for no one but themselves. But I do not tell tales.”

He actually chuckled, but it was more of a scoff than a show of humor. “Did you learn those traits from your father?”

“Do not speak of my father.”

“I would prefer to speak of myself, but you do not seem to share that preference, so perhaps we should speak of your father instead. Where is he, by the by? I would very much like to meet him.”

Lucy’s fingers became fists while her conscience became a battleground between all that was good and evil inside her. It was a short battle, with evil making a quick triumph.

Ever so slowly, her body still trembling with anger, she lifted her chin. If he was going to accuse her of telling tales, then tell them she would. “Very well, Collins. If you must know, I am your employer. And though you may not remember me, or this house, or your position in it, or the fact that you are perfectly susceptible to coming off a horse, just like any other human, I still expect some kindness and respect from you.”

“What on earth are you talking about? What position?”

There was not a hint of hesitation in her voice when she answered. “You are a servant in this house.”

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RachaelAuthor Rachael Anderson

A USA Today bestselling author, Rachael Anderson is the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can’t sing, doesn’t dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.

Website

 

amazon or paypal

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 9/18/16

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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Dilemma in Yellow Silk Book Banner
 I haven’t read a hisorical romance in a while. Used to spend all of my summers devouring them. This looks like the perfect book to start reading this genre again.
Come see more!
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Title: Dilemma in Yellow Silk: The Emperors of

London

Author: Lynne Connolly

Release Date: April 12, 2016

Publisher: Lyrical Press

Genre: Historical Romance

Format: Ebook

Ever ready to do the right thing, The Emperors of London act bravely—and when it

comes to matters of the heart, impetuously…

Despite her cover as the daughter of the land steward for Lord Malton, Marcus

Aurelius, spirited Viola Gates is tied by birth to the treacherous Jacobite legacy. Not

that this keeps her from falling for the dashing Lord from afar. Despite his staid

demeanor, Marcus is devastatingly handsome—and hopelessly beyond her reach.

Then Viola’s father is mortally wounded and her secret identity revealed, sending

her straight into danger’s path—and Marcus’s arms…

For years, he’d only known her as a wild child, the tempting—and

forbidden—daughter of his trusted steward. But when Viola’s life is threatened,

Marcus must act as duty—and his barely contained passion—dictates. Ferrying the

bold beauty on an eventful journey to safer quarters, he offers her the protection of

his name. Their tempestuous union might succeed in vanquishing their enemies, but

will the chivalrous lord and his unsuitable wife surrender to the power of love?

“Lynne Connolly writes Georgian romances with a deft touch. Her characters amuse,

entertain and reach into your heart.” —Desiree Holt

“Plots, deviousness and passion galore…a truly enjoyable read.” –Fresh

Fiction on Temptation Has Green Eyes

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Meet Author Lynne Connolly

Lynne Writing

I write sensuous historical romance as Lynne Connolly, and contemporary and

paranormal romance as L.M. Connolly

I was born in Leicester, England, and lived in our cobbler’s shop with my parents

and sister. It was an old house and most definitely haunted, but I didn’t find out until

I left that my great uncle had hung himself in the living room! But I think our ghost

might have been older than that. It was built on the site of the old Roman cemetery,

and the land had been constantly inhabited, being in the centre of town. Then, when

the council bought the house from us to build a road, my grandfather retired and my

father went and worked for the Post Office. My mother was a sample machinist; that

is, she worked with designers on the prototypes (models or samples) of garments.

So I was very well dressed! We bought a relatively modern house in the country, and

my mother was blissfully happy. It’s all very well living in a large old house, but it’s a

dreadful task to keep it clean and warm!

My mother’s side of the family are Romany gypsies, although sadly we haven’t any of

the old trailers that are so astonishingly beautiful. I was taught to read the Tarot

cards, and I usually use two packs; the Rider pack for simple readings and the

Crowley Thoth pack for the complex stuff.

I’ve always had an interest in the paranormal and it’s been a delight to be able to put

some of this into my novels.

My other huge interest is the historical. I love all periods of history, but my favorites

are the Tudor and Georgian eras. I research and research, because I love it. I will

travel miles to see a new variation on the Palladian mansion! I am fascinated in

finding out how people lived then, and creating a credible story with people who

lived in past ages.

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Tour Schedule

Tuesday, April 12 – Interviewed at Room with Books

Wednesday, April 13- Book featured at 3 Partners in

Shopping

Thursday, April 14 – Book featured at Leigh Anderson

Romance

Friday, April 15 -Book featured at Urban Girl

Reader

________

Monday, April 18 – Guest blogging at Curling Up with a Good

Book

Tuesday, April 19 -Book featured at A Holland

Reads

Wednesday, April 20 – Book featured at Quest forMore

Thursday, April 21 -Book featured at FU Only Knew

Friday, April 22 -Book featured at E Romance

News

________

Monday, April 25 -Book featured at Deal Sharing

Aunt

Tuesday, April 26 -Book featured at Mikky’s World

of Books

Wednesday, April 27 – Book featured at Authors and

Readers Book Corner

Thursday, April 28 – Book featured at Harmonious

Publicity

Friday, April 29 – Book featured at A Title Wave

________

Monday, May 2 -Book featured at Write and Take

Flight

Tuesday, May 3 – Book featured at Bent Over

Bookwords

Wednesday, May 4 – Guest blogging at The Noise

Beneath the Apple

Thursday, May 5 – Book featured at The LiteraryNook

Friday, May 6 – Book featured at The Dark

Phantom

________

Monday, May 9 – Book featured at Voodoo

Princess

Tuesday, May 10 – Book featured at Around the World

in Books

Wednesday, May 11 – Book featured at The Bookworm

Lodge

Thursday, May 12 – Book featured at I’m Shelf-ish

Friday, May 13 – Book reviewed at Live Love Books

Blog

Book reviewed at Doing Some Reading

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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Coming soon from USA Today Bestselling Author Rachael Anderson

The Fall of Lord Drayson

Who is he really? A high and mighty Lord, or a lowly servant?

When Colin Cavendish, the new earl of Drayson, informs Lucy Beresford that she and her mother have two months to vacate the house they’ve called home for the past two years, Lucy is fit to be tied.They have no money, no relations they can turn to for help, and nowhere to go. How dare the earl break the promise his father had made to the Beresfords without so much as a twinge of conscience?

Mere hours later, Lucy discovers the earl unconscious and injured in the middle of the road. Grudgingly, she takes him into her home to tend to his wounds, but when he awakens with no recollection of who he is, Lucy seizes the opportunity to teach a much-needed lesson in humility. Pushing her own twinge of conscience aside, she informs the earl of Drayson that he is nothing more than a mere servant. Her servant, in fact.

And thus begins the charming tale of a pompous lord and an impetuous young woman, caught together in a web so tangled that it begs the question: Will they ever get out?

The Fall of Lord Drayson

Coming late-summer 2016

add to goodreads

RachaelAuthor Rachael Anderson

A USA Today bestselling author, Rachael Anderson is the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can’t sing, doesn’t dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.

Website

Cover Reveal Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Code or Paypal Cash

Ends 2/17/16

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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Unraveling of Lady Fury VBT

Every now and then I step outside my reading box and read something different.

I usually read horror and suspense, but how could I resist The Unraveling of Lady Fury!

The title caught my attention and when I saw this cover art, I had to have it.

I was reminded of my younger years, lying on the pier, reading a smexy romance while the waves lapped at the shore. I became lost in the adventure.

I’m looking forward to reliving that experience.

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Rule One: There will be no kissing.

Rule two: There will be no touching…

Widowed Lady Fury Shelton hasn’t lost everything—yet. As long as she produces the heir to the Beaumont dukedom, she just might be able to keep her position. And her secrets. But when the callously irresistible Captain James “Flint” Blackmoore sails back into her life, Lady Fury panics. She must find a way to protect herself—and her future—from the man she’d rather see rotting in hell than sleeping in her bed. If she must bed him to keep her secrets, so be it. But she doesn’t have to like it. A set of firm rules for the bedroom will ensure that nothing goes awry. Because above all else, she must stop herself from wanting the one thing that Flint can never give her. His heart.

Ex-privateer Flint Blackmoore has never been good at following the rules. Now, once again embroiled in a situation with the aptly named Lady Fury, he has no idea why he doesn’t simply do the wise thing and walk away. He knows he’s playing with fire, and that getting involved with her again is more dangerous than anything on the high seas. But he can’t understand why she’s so determined to hate him. He isn’t sure if the secret she keeps will make things harder—or easier—for him, but as the battle in the bedroom heats up, he knows at least one thing. Those silly rules of hers will have to go…

Unraveling of Lady Fury VBT

Excerpt:

Fury sat down and dipped the quill into the ink. She detected the faintest trace of nerves. It must be the fact Thomas lay in the cellar. Why else would a man, so great, so stalwart, so worldly as Captain Flint be nervous of her?

“Well, yes,” she said, listening to the pleasing scratch of the nib on the soft paper.

“Babies are not always made in a night. Of course, you wouldn’t know that, being you. It will take time.”

“All the more reason then to just get going. After all this time, sweetheart, you don’t know how eager I am.”

He strode across the tiled floor and the ink trailed a long dark path across the paper as he dragged her to her feet. Had it blobbed it might have been something to worry about. But she was very set on this. And calm. As calm as one could be having this man in her bedroom, knowing what was coming next out of dire necessity, her husband in a box in the cellar and her cast off, potential lovers on their way out the door.

“No, James.” She held a hand up between their lips. “There will be no kissing.”

“No kissing? Why in hell not?”

It displaced her calm to see him grin. She would have preferred that he was indignant. Especially as he was a man who thought he could settle all his arguments—with women anyway—with a kiss. But she kept her face cold, blank.

“Because.” In some ways she was cold. Cold with rage.

“Aw, come on Fury, didn’t you like my kissing? Hmm?” His breath, hot and male, brushed her fingertips. He wrapped his arms around her, splaying his hands across her back, so her hand might as well not have been there for all the protection it was.

But she was calm. Didn’t she have to get into bed with him after all? So, even the impulse to squirm was one she would squash. When she thought of all he had done to her, she would give him nothing. Not even the knowledge she found his proximity so unsettling that she sought to pull away.

“Your kissing was fine, in its way, I suppose. But kissing is a sign of affection.”

“How do you make that out?”

She knew exactly why he scratched his head. Their love-making had been torrid. It had been sensual. It had been shaming. And it had been absent of any affection. Certainly on his part. So, why on earth would a kiss be a sign of anything? To him anyway. She was the damn fool who had thought it had. Who even now was forced to concede the pleasure it would be to take her hand across his face to assist his understanding of her feelings. The impertinence of the damn man, the stinging ignorance.

“It just is.” She eased the distance between them a whisper. “So there will be none. Not now. Not at all.”

“All right then. Saves time. It means—”

“Rule two.” She saw his eyes freeze as he readied himself to yank off his shirt. She persisted anyway. Why not? In many ways she walked a tightrope here. If she paused it might be to her detriment. “You will be fully dressed at all times.”

“What? How the hell am I meant to—”

“I am sure you will manage. You managed plenty before. But I do not desire to look at your body before, during, or after. Nor in any shape or form wandering about this house in just your breeches. Is that understood?”

He dropped his hands from his shirt and glared, so he must have. “You wanted to look at it plenty before. In fact, it makes my head spin, just how often you—”

    True. But that was then. “Rule three.” Clasping her fingers around the cool edge of the dressing table to create another inch of distance, she continued.

   “Rule three? You mean there’s more?”

    “I will not touch you in any place, intimate or otherwise. I will lie. You will perform.”

Buy Links:   Amazon   Barnes and Noble   All Romance Ebooks

About the Author: 

Shehanne Moore, a Scottish author, who writes gritty, witty, as much risky as risqué, historical romance, set wherever takes her fancy. Stories that detail the best and worst of human behaviour, as opposed to pouts and flounces. For years she worked at various things, while pursuing her dream of becoming a published writer, so she was gobsmacked to sell her book, The Unraveling of Lady Fury, written in three months,  to U.S. publishers, Etopia Press,  six days after subbing it.

Shehanne still lives in Scotland,  with her husband Mr Shey. She has two daughters. When not writing intriguing historical romance, where goals and desires of sassy, unconventional heroines and ruthless men, mean worlds do collide, she fantasizes about cleaning the house, plays the odd musical instrument and loves what in any other country, would not be defined, as hill-walking.

Author Links:  Site      Facebook      Twitter       Pinterest

SOR Tour Host 3

To Tame a Montana Heart Button 300 x 225

I love a series. You get to see your favorite characters grow and get into and out of all kinds of situations. Each new book is like meeting old friends again. You feel instantly comfortable, like you’ve never been apart.

I look forward to seeing the Montana Girls and their guys again.

To Tame a Montana Heart
Montana Girl Series, Book One

Dawn Luedecke

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Genre: Western Historical

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

ISBN-10: 1612172016

ISBN-13: 978-1612172019

ASIN: B008MZR7DS

Number of pages: 308

Word Count: 87,193

Cover Artist: Tina Lynn

The Wild Rose Press ebook             The Wild Rose Press print

Amazon kindle edition  Amazon paperback edition

Barnes and Noble ebook

Book Description:

Running from a past of privilege, deceit, and danger, Travis Simms is ready to settle down. What better place to forget all he left behind than the quiet little Montana town of Lolo   Hot Springs? His goal is clear — build a hotel and his own destiny without complications —until one of the town’s most troublesome women captures his attention.

Dusty Larson is hell bent on independence, helping her sister run the Triple D Ranch. She can do anything a man can, and do it better, so she certainly doesn’t need one in her life. The only problem is she seems to attract bad luck and danger…and Travis. Can he tame her wild ways and keep his bachelor status intact — or does he risk losing his heart?

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Excerpt

She watched him with care. “I don’t know if I love you. I like you, a lot, but I don’t have the slightest idea what love feels like.”

 Travis’ smile grew slowly across his face. “I understand. I’m not sure if I love you or not, but I also don’t think I could live without you. So you will always have that.” His voice was almost a whisper when he said the last.

“Truly?” Her voice cracked and she had to force herself to breathe easy.

“Truly.”

She inclined her head and took two brisk steps toward him. She leaned over and kissed him with all the fever of a thousand fires. He reached up and intertwined his hand through her hair to hold her still as he plundered her mouth.

She released him with a shaky breath and jumped back to turn on her heels. “Put something nice on. I’ll be back with a preacher man.”

“You know, I heard you only have to say ‘I marry you’ three times and then you’re hitched.”

She threw him a sassy look and slammed the door shut.

My review

To Tame a Montana Heart fed my hunger for a lighter, more humorous read.

Welcome to Lolo Springs.

Dusty comes from a large family. Lolo Springs is a small town. Impropriety is frowned upon and Dusty, along with a few of her sisters and her younger brother, give the town enough to raise their eyebrows.

Dusty and her younger brother, Dalon, help DeEtte run the Triple D Ranch. Something else frowned upon by the town gossips. Women get married, have babies, and tend the home. They don’t run around in men’s pants, doing men’s work.

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That doesn’t stop Dusty. She shoots like Annie Oakley and can bust broncos as well as any man. And she has a passion for fishing. That’s how she gets in a pickle with newcomer, Travis.

Travis doesn’t realize he’s in a race when he joins two riders running their horses on the plain. He loses by a nose and the pert, sassy, woman on her black stallion claims his horse. He laughs it off, but later his horse disappears.

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He later encounters her again, fishing in his stream. He spots his horse and sneaks around to get him. Then he decides to have some fun with her and fines her for trespassing. He takes her catch of fresh fish and leaves, chuckling.

Thus begins the game of who can keep the horse and the beginning of a romance.

I loved Travis and Dusty. He’s the jilted man and she’s the independent tomboy. What a match.

Dusty’s siblings go from refined, to rebellious and independent in character, with one older sister even becoming a bounty hunter. Scandalous!

With trying to complete the building of the hotel, run the Triple D Ranch, bust the broncos for delivery, deal with the rustlers that stole their herd, and the threat of an Indian uprising, their’s never a dull moment for these guys.

It was really fun to see Justine, the prim, older sister, let her hair down and even put on some pants. The author has set this up perfectly to feature different siblings in their own stories. It’s great this is a series.  I’ll read every one and have a rip-tearing time.

To tame a Montana Heart is relaxing and funny and reads like a swift flowing stream. Sit back and enjoy.

Four shiny spurs.

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About the Author:

Dawn Luedecke

A country girl born and bred, Dawn Luedecke has spent most of her life surrounded by horses, country folk, and the wild terrain of Nevada, Idaho and Montana. As a child she would spend many afternoons reading books, watching western classics, and Rogers and Hammerstein movies.

When she grew up she decided to leave the quiet country life for a chance to find adventure by serving a successful tour in the United States Coast Guard. During that time she found her soul mate (and alpha male) and started a family and writing career. She enjoys writing historical and paranormal romance and spends as much time as she can working on her current manuscript.

For more information visit www.dawnluedecke.com

I am once again drawn to another Historical Romance.

Willow Vale reads like a true story, but Alethea assures us it is not. In her words:

“There is a legend growing around my novel, Willow Vale. While I am flattered that readers think Willow Vale is a true story, the fact is that my fictional account of Francesca Sittoni’s adventures of coming to America is truly just that: fiction…”

Alethea takes you back in time. Back to the 1920’s.

Willow Vale follows the life of Francesca Sittoni. Trapped in a loveless marriage, she and her young daughter are forced to immigrate to America with her husband. They settle into a life of hardship in a coal mining town in Wyoming.

Frances, pregnant, is left to fend for herself and her young daughter when she loses her husband to a mining accident. Fear and desperation drive her to answer an ad from Kent Reed, a twice burned Wyoming rancher.

 Amidst crowded quarters, these two grow to understand and respect each other, and maybe more.

Alethea has done her research. You can feel it in the richness of her detailed scenes, the familiarity they bring.

Here are some scenes that reached out to me:

“How she missed that sense of belonging to the land. Even though in the end Val di Non has failed to sustain her, she still loved the lush valley of her birth and wished she could find that love of place once again. That sense of belonging which she had yet to find in America.”

“If he had been a praying man, he never would have imagined that the answers to his prayers would be a pregnant Italian war survivor with a small child. It was all too strange, too unbelievable that after all they had endured, in France, Italy and then the raw new land of Wyoming in the United States, he and Francesca should both end up on his small ranch in Willow Vale. Strange…and wonderful…and terrifying.”

A superbly written tale of survival, of loss and of hope, Willow Vale is an easy, smooth read all the way to a most satisfying ending.

If you like reading about days gone by and romance with all its raw emotions, you really must read Willow Vale. My descriptions pale in comparison to Alethea’s writing. I really enjoyed the adventure.

4 STARS

From Alethea:

Western history has been the great interest of my adult life. I’ve lived in Wyoming, Colorado, and now Oregon. Although an amateur historian, I am happiest researching different times and places in the historical West. And while staying true to history, I try not to let the facts overwhelm my stories. Story always comes first in my novels, and plot arises from the relationships between my characters.  I’m always open to your response to my writing. You can comment on Willow Vale or ask questions about me or my work at:

http://www.actuallyalethea.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/AletheaWilliams.author

I look forward to hearing from you.

Other books by Alethea Williams

First published as a monthly series of columns in the Green River Star, Green River, Wyoming, 1999 and 2000.

To purchase either of these books, just click on the cover images.

I had the honor of receiving this book for an early review. Hope’s Betrayal is a historical romance in every sense of the word. It takes you back to the first romance book you read and evokes those feelings of wonder and anticipation. I can still feel the sun baking my skin as I lay on the pier, enthralled by the story of Hope and George.

Sometimes I like to comment on the cover art. This cover is seductive and the woman is now firmly implanted in my mind as Hope. I love it when the cover compliments the story inside.

Excerpt borrowed from Goodreads

One wild, winter’s night two worlds collide.

Known for his ruthless efficiency, Captain George Huntley is sent to stamp out smuggling on the south coast of England. On a night raid, the Captain captures a lanky lad, but finds his troubles are just beginning when the lad turns out to be a lass, Hope Tyler.

With Hope as bait, the Captain sets a trap to catch the rest of the gang. But in a battle of wills, with his reputation at stake, George Huntley starts to respect feisty, independent Hope. Challenged by her sea-green eyes and stubborn loyalty; Huntley now faces a new threat – his growing attraction to a sworn enemy. And a love where either Hope betrays her own kind, or Captain Huntley is court-marshalled, is not an easy destiny to follow.

I truly enjoyed Hope’s Betrayal. A sweet tale of falling in love despite their different places in society,  the risks of a damaged reputation and the loss of a dream profession.

Hope is forced to join the free traders to feed her family. Smuggling is not her first choice, but what else can she do. To protect herself, she wears a disguise.

Captain Huntley is hell-bent on furthering his career and will not stop until the smugglers gang are all rounded up. He manages to catch one of them, but the lad is injured and he is forced to take him to his estate lest the boy dies.

At first the captain thinks he is going crazy.Upon cleaning up the unconscious lad, he gazes upon his face and feels stirred by him. He leans closer and laughs in relief when he recognizes the lad is a lass. And a beautiful one at that.

The physical attraction might be quick, as it can be in real life, but the emotional attraction is developed slowly. There are many obstacles to overcome for Hope and George if they are to be together and the way will not be easy.

 

Grace Elliot‘s writing is like a wave, building to a crest as it approaches shore, then crashing down.  As you read the undertow pulls you deeper into the story, tossing you about and then gently depositing you safely on land.

There are a few places in the story where I felt it could have been explained in more detail, but maybe that is because I felt the need for more.

Historical romance has not been my first genre of choice since I was younger, but recently I have discovered some wonderful stories and I am left wondering, when did I wander away from reading them and what took me so long to come back?

Hope’s Betrayal is romance with a touch of innocence and I recommend it to anyone that enjoys falling in love, with all its angst and fervor.

5 STARS

I do not usually read the second book in a series first, so I am going to quickly get reading Eulogy’s Secret (The Huntley Trilogy – Book 1) so that I can tell you all about it.

More exciting news! Grace has graciously(grins) given me a working blurb of the third book in this trilogy, Verity’s Lie. Want to read it? Okay!

Lord Charles Huntley, notorious rogue…and government agent. His latest assignment is to protect a politicians daughter, Verity Verrinder, while her father negotiates an alliance against Napoleon. Huntley embarks on a campaign of seduction to keep Verity under his watchful eye, but hasn’t anticipated falling in love with his charge. When Lord Huntley turns his bone-melting charms on her, Verity suspects she’s exchanging an overbearing parent for a domineering rogue. Denying her attraction to the handsome Huntley, Verity goes in search of freedom, only to run into the clutches of French kidnappers. This leaves Lord Huntley with a stark choice between trying to save Britain’s peace negotiations or the life of the only woman he has ever loved.

I can’t wait to read more. I am hopelessly entangled in the Huntley family saga and these three brothers. What is really great is that each novel is written so that they can stand alone but why would you not want to read them in order. It is so much more fun! 

About Grace Elliot

Grace Elliot leads a double life as a veterinarian by day and an author of historical romance by night. Grace is an avid reader and believes intelligent people need to read romance – as an antidote to the modern world. She works in a companion animal practice near London and is housekeeping staff to five demanding felines.

She has now written three historical romance novels.

 

To purchase any of these books, just click on the cover images.

You can find out more about Grace Elliot and her books here:

https://www.amazon.com/author/graceelliot

http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.com