The  Hellion and the Highlander
Author: Lynsay Sands
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Pub. Date: February 23, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0061344794
Retail Price: $7.99
416 pages

Only one man could set her heart ablaze . . .

Lady Averill Mortagne learned to control her fierce temper as a young girl. But if her father insists on parading her before one more English lord who looks askance at her flame-colored hair, she’ll simply scream! Her only respite is the time she spends with Kade Stewart, the wounded Scot her brother brought home from the Crusades. Who could have imagined a Highland warrior would be the only gentleman around?

Lady Averill helped save his life, and for that Kade is truly grateful. She is also almost unbearably beautiful, but he could never subject such a sweet and gentle lady to the rough life of a Stewart laird’s bride . . . or could he? When she braves an unexpected danger by his side, Averill will prove to Kade that her heart is as fiery as her hair . . . and that submitting to their scorching passion would be heaven indeed.

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The Hellion and the Highlander is a fast-paced highland escapade with some great twists and turns to keep you flipping through the pages.

Book #1

I am not  regular with Lynsay Sands, having only read a selected few of her historical novels and none of her more well known paranormal contemporary books like her Argeneau Vampire Series. I have read the other two books in The Devil of the Highland series – Devil of the Highlands and Taming the Highland Bride – and enjoyed them both. However, this book lacked that little something extra that would make me want to keep it on my book self. That is not to say that I didn’t enjoy the read, it just wasn’t one of my favorites.

The plot moved quickly, getting right into the story, which is an element I liked about this book. Too often you look up, its page 212, and you are just getting into the main theme or plot of the book. The love story is nice, a lukewarm kinda nice, but not the fan-myself heat you get with other books and that is not a bad thing. I think it was well suited to the storyline and the characters.

Book #2

Our hero Kade is a sensitive, caring man yet still the strong Scottish warrior we expect. It is not often that we find a leading man who works hard to raise the self-esteem of his lady. Averill, our heroine, is a pleasant mix of the shy and unsure paired with a backbone of steel and some hidden depth.  That being said however, I did not feel the character development made you want to become part of the story. You did not really feel any empathy for the characters or their plight.

The intimate scenes in this book are very few but still a little steamy.

Overall, this was not a book I would read again but would recommend to anyone who enjoys a historical set in Scotland.

Rating: 6 (Satisfactory)

Heat Level: 3 (Sensual)

Buy Links: Book Depository~$6.49 |   Amazon (Kindle ebook) ~ $5.59

Comment to enter to win your own copy of The Hellion and the Highlander.

I read GOTH and loved it! It features one of my favourite tropes: heroine in love with brother’s bestfriend but with a twist–wrong best friend. If you haven’t had an opportunity to read Jeremy and Lucy’s story, comment to enter to win a copy of Tessa Dare’s debut novel today.

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Goddess of the Hunt
Author: Tessa Dare
Publisher: Ballantine
Pub. Date: July 28, 2009
ISBN-13: 978-0345506863
Retail Price: $6.99
Pages: 384

Ever the bold adventuress, Lucy Waltham has decided to go hunting for a husband. But first she needs some target practice. So she turns to her brother’s best friend, Jeremy Trescott, the Earl of Kendall, to hone her seductive wiles on him before setting her sights on another man. But her practice kisses spark a smoldering passion—one that could send all her plans up in smoke.

Jeremy has an influential title, a vast fortune, and a painful past, full of long-buried secrets. He keeps a safe distance from his own emotions, but to distract Lucy from her reckless scheming, he must give his passions free rein. Their sensual battle of wills is as maddening as it is delicious, but the longer he succeeds in managing the headstrong temptress, the closer Jeremy comes to losing control. When scandal breaks, can he bring himself to abandon Lucy to her ruin? Or will he risk his heart, and claim her for his own?

I’m writing this post as I begin posting regular reviews on this blog. I would like nothing better than for visitors to feel more informed about a book than when they were before they visited. But what visitors will get is one person’s opinion. You might share that opinion when all is said and done and begin to trust that reviewer; feel that you and said reviewer share the same tastes. Bravo! Or, you may end up having the opposite reaction to the book than the reviewer did, and decide their tastes don’t coincide with yours. At the end of the day, book reviews are a tool that you, the readers, can do with what you will.

What I do want from the reviews I post on this blog is honesty. Whether the reviewer loved the book or couldn’t stand it, I will make sure it’s done in a fair and honest manner. Their reasons for loving the book will be spelled out as well as their reasons for disliking it. And you will never see a review from a reviewer who doesn’t particularly like the ‘hidden baby’ trope, reviewing precisely that sort of book. I don’t think it’s fair to an author that someone already prejudiced against their storyline should be the one to review it.

Okay, that said, I’d like to find out from you how you view book reviews. How much weight do you put on them?

**You can select up to 3 answers.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Secrets of Sin
Author: Chloe Harris
Publisher: Aphrodisia
Pub. Date: January 26, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0758238535
Retail Price: $14.00
Pages: 320

THREE DAYS… ENDLESS PLEASURE

On a Caribbean island of alluring delights, Emiline du Ronde-Barhydt commands a large estate, vast wealth, and unwavering devotion. Her inheritance and dazzling beauty ensure that she’s granted her every wish… or almost. The one thing she can’t get is freedom from her proud wayward husband.

When her husband, sea captain Reinier Barhydt finally agrees to give his determined wife the divorce she craves – it’s for a price: three days of total submission to his every erotic demand. Both fall under the spell of the most forbidden sensations that reignite every delicious inch of their bodies… and Reinier soon realizes that he is no longer master of his carnal game. At the mercy of his own raw shattering needs, the three red hot days may just turn into a lifetime of smoldering passion…

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If you couldn’t tell Secrets of Sin is an erotic romance. And wow. My first thought when I read the first couple pages of Secrets of Sin is ‘You had me at hello.’ This book is erotic without being porny. It was really hot and descriptive. I mean if you want a complete idiot’s guide to spicing up your sex life, get this book. Really. I think my eyes popped out of their sockets a couple times, but in a good way. There was a time or two when reading that I thought, ‘Oh, so that’s how that’s really done.’ And I don’t recall ever thinking that when reading an erotic romance before.

Secrets of Sin is a compelling read. What really piqued my interest is the location and history of the country where the story takes place. After reading Secrets of Sin, I spent over an hour on the internet goggling Grenada, its culture and its history. Very few books engaged me so completely in that way.

That leads to the plot. The plot engaged me because it’s amazing that I would spend so much time on the internet. Secrets of Sin is more than a marriage reunion story. It’s about finding yourself and accepting yourself and the person you love for who they are. That’s the strength of Secret of Sin.

There were a couple things that bothered me about Secrets in Sin. There’s a subplot involving Reinier’s best friend that distracted from Emiline and Reinier’s story, especially in the beginning. This could’ve just been me, because when I first start reading a novel, I want to get to the hero/heroine’s story and conflict. There is a scene in the beginning of the book that I felt could’ve been left out, but once I got to the end of the book, it was explained and I had a ‘Oh, I see why you did that’ moment. I know I’m being annoyingly vague but to go any deeper would reveal too much. Although I understood why something was done, I still believed Secrets of Sin would have been stronger if the majority of the best friend’s story was left to his own book. It was certainly a strong enough subplot to do so.

Another thing that annoyed me about Secrets of Sin is the conflict that pulled Reiner and Emiline apart. I understand why it might have ruined the marriage in the beginning, but all these years later they never talk about what drew them apart. After awhile I got a little annoyed that they didn’t just sit down and talk to each other, because Secrets of Sin had so much more going for it that even if they talked about what drew them apart, they had so many other issues they needed to work through. Overall, I loved this book and would definitely read it again.

Rating: 7 (Good)

Heat Level : 6 (Erotic)

Buy Links: Book Depository – $9.58 ~  B&N (eBook) – $8.00

Answer:
Mrs. Delacroix

The winner of the $25 Amazon Gift Certificate for answering the above question from SINFUL SURRENDER is…

Sue Ahn

Congrats, Sue Ahn! I will be contacting you my email.

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Readers’ Top Pick for February is

Congratulations Lavinia!

First, I put up a new page on The Season website titled Marketplace. After receiving a request to include an additional bookseller link to purchase books (currently I have direct buy links for all the books on the site to Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon, Indie Bound, Powell’s and Books-a-Million) I decided to do one better and give online booksellers their own page.

Now, if you’re like me and buy lots of books, this is the perfect reference page for you as I’ve included a small note to let you know what the savings are for each bookseller. And again, if you’re like me and also buy ebooks, I have a slew of places where you can purchase your favourite authors in the various electronic format. I used to buy my ebooks in the digital .pdf format but after hearing that the iPad would be using the ePub format, I switched to that format as I have every intention of getting an iPad once the kinks from the initial version are worked out. If after checking out the page, you can think of another online bookseller that should be there, please contact me and let me know.

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Time is winding down to enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate simply by answering a question about my debut, SINFUL SURRENDER. If you have the book, just flip to page 304, the answer is there. It’s that easy. Click here for entry details. March 5th is entry deadline.

Oh and good news on this front. SINFUL SURRENDER was voted Borders Book Club selection in Rockford, IL for the month of March. I was ecstatic when I heard. Thank you, ladies. I’m completely flattered and so happy you enjoyed the book.

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Have you voted for the February Top Pick? March 6th is the last day to cast your vote. As it stands, the top three ranked are:

Bound By Temptation ~ Lavinia Kent
A Midwife Crisis ~ Lisa Cooke
Secrets of Sin ~ Chloe Harris

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Good news. I’ve found another person to review books for the blog. YAY! Her name is Sherry M and she loves historical and contemporary romance. She’s been an avid reader for the past fifteen years and the best news is she lives down the street from me. I can literally walk the books over to her to review. How sweet is that? This will be her first crack at actually writing reviews but she has good and strong opinions. I’m hoping I can have a review from her next week. Welcome Sherry! (Now she has to start following my blog. LOL)

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Tips:
Did you know that on The Season website, if you click THE SEASON on the top of any page, it will take you to the front page.

]]> http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/odds-and-ends-news/feed/ 4 http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/and-the-winners-are-30/ http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/and-the-winners-are-30/#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:59:28 +0000 Beverley http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/?p=2356

AND

Congratulations, ladies! Please contact me at historicals at historicalromancereleases dot com with your contact information to collect your book.

Several weeks ago I discovered that How to Dazzle a Duke was part of the Courtesan Chronicles series. Have I ever told you how much I love series? Generally, I’m not a huge fan of the heroine being a courtesan and initially, I balked at even looking further into the series because of that. Then I decided to give it a little peek, and lo and behold, the heroines were not in fact courtesans. And yet even better news, the books also came in mass market paper back. That, of course, was music to my ears. So this weekend, I ordered the first book in the series, The Courtesan’s Daughter.

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Book #1

The Courtesan’s Daughter
Author: Claudia Dain
Publisher: Berkley
Pub. Date: October 7, 2008
ISBN-13: 978-0425224229
320 pages

Young Lady Caroline’s prospects for a suitable match are severely limited by her mother’s infamous past. Before Lady Sophia Dalby entered London society, she was a highly desired courtesan. What man of title, position, and wealth would marry a courtesan’s daughter?

Sophia’s solution is to purchase a husband for Caroline-the Earl of Ashdon-agreeing to settle his gambling debts if he will take her daughter’s hand. Insulted, Caroline refuses to have a husband who was bought for her.

But after meeting the fiery Lord Ashdon, she wonders if it wouldn’t be satisfying to have him pay for her, perhaps with a priceless pearl necklace? With Sophia pulling the strings, Lord Ashdon may get more than he bargained for and Caroline may get just what she wants.

~~~

After The Courtesan’s Daughter found her happily ever after, Claudia gave us The Courtesan’s Secret and The Courtesan’s Wager.

Book #2

Lady Louisa fell in love with Lord Dutton exactly three years ago and never fell out. It was past time for him to fall in love with her. Long past time. What was wrong with Dutton? Couldn’t he see that she was the very ideal sort of wife for him? The picture of ginger haired beauty and sparkling wit? And her bosom was quite nice, too.

After watching the speed with which Caroline, Sophia’s daughter, managed to snag a husband, Louisa has come to the logical conclusion that if she could only have Sophia help her then Louisa and Dutton would find themselves quickly married. With Dutton as her goal, Louisa swallows her pride and asks Sophia for help in acquiring the man of her dreams.

Sophia is more than happy to help a woman get the man of her dreams, but is Dutton that man? Lord Henry Blakesley seems a much better match for the fiery Louisa. And Sophia, an ex-courtesan, has no qualms at all in arranging things so that Louisa sees Blakesley in a new light. But it’s a secret…no one can know that Louisa sought help in snaring a man from a former courtesan.

But in London, secrets are as rare as hen’s teeth.

~~~

Book #3

Lady Amelia is the daughter of a duke and, unlike her cousin Louisa, is not at all distracted by a rakish wit or a pair of seductive blue eyes. She is going to be a duchess, which means that she must marry a duke. In the three years that she’s been out in Society, she has, to her complete dismay, not found a single duke who appears even slightly interested in her. Being a sharp girl of a very determined nature, Amelia cannot ignore that both Caroline and Louisa made very quick and very happy marriages. It was beyond obvious that Sophia Dalby had a firm hand in each match. Swallowing her considerable anxiety about approaching a former courtesan, Amelia asks Sophia for help in snagging a duke.

Sophia is delighted to help. But, as is becoming obvious to even the most casual observer, Amelia gets more than she anticipated from her alliance with Sophia. Will Amelia marry a duke, after all?

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And finally, we come full circle to the most recent installment in the Courtesan Chronicles, How to Dazzle a Duke, whose mass market paperback edition will be released in June 1, 2010.

Book #4

Miss Penelope Prestwick wants a duke for a husband and clearly the dashing Duke of Edenham is the best choice. Just as Lady Dalby is clearly the best person to arrange the match. But how exactly should Penelope go about dazzling a duke? Surely a show of cleavage never hurt anyone. Perhaps a kiss or two, just to make a lasting impression. And a bit of competition usually helps move things along.

To that end, Penelope approaches the Marquis of Iveston with a request. Would he kindly appear interested in her so that the Duke of Edenham will take note of it? Alternately amused and annoyed, Lord Iveston agrees; he even places a wager on White’s betting book to draw attention to the fact that he is pursuing Penelope.

Soon, it’s wagers and counter wagers as all of Society tries to determine who will actually marry Penelope. Edenham she’s been hotly pursuing or Iveston she’s been hotly kissing? Who will claim the lady’s heart…all in all it’s the most entertaining—and most contested–dance to the altar Sophia has yet choreographed.

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I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to immerse myself in this series and ‘discover’ Claudia Dain. If you’d like to read excerpts from the respective books, I’ve linked the covers to the excerpt page on Claudia’s website. Okay, so who else is ready to join me? Comment and you’ll be entered to win the first book in the series, The Courtesan’s Daughter.