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	<title>The Season Blog</title>
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		<title>Review: Mistress By Mistake</title>
		<link>http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/review-mistress-by-mistake/</link>
		<comments>http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/review-mistress-by-mistake/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:44:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Beverley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[debuts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[historicals]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/?p=2688</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Mistress By Mistake
Author: Susan Gee Heino
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Pub. Date: December 1, 2009
ISBN-13: 978-0425231517
Retail Price: $7.99
368 pages
Viscount Randolph Dashford isn’t a bad person;         he’s simply pretending to be one to avoid      matrimony.
Heiress Evaline Pinchley isn’t usually a sotted    wanton; she’s [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote style="border: ridge; border-color: #800080; padding-right: 15px;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-633" title="Mistress_by_Mistake_blog" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Mistress_by_Mistake_blog.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="339" /><span style="color: #800080;">Mistress By Mistake</span></strong><span style="color: #800080;"><br />
Author: <a href="http://www.susangh.com" target="_blank">Susan Gee Heino</a><br />
Publisher: Berkley Sensation<br />
Pub. Date: December 1, 2009<br />
ISBN-13: 978-0425231517<br />
Retail Price: $7.99<br />
368 pages</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ad0000;"><em>Viscount Randolph Dashford isn’t a bad person;         he’s simply pretending to be one to avoid      matrimony.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ad0000;"><em>Heiress Evaline Pinchley isn’t usually a sotted    wanton; she’s merely celebrating her birthday.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ad0000;"><em>One full moon and one empty Madeira bottle  later,      Evaline wakes to find herself in Dashford&#8217;s bed!</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ad0000;"><em>While Evaline tries to salvage what dignity  she can       from this colossal blunder, family secrets and would-      be fiancés run rampant around her.  Just when it       seems she might find a way out of the mess she&#8217;s       made, Evaline realizes things are worse than       imagined.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ad0000;"><em>She&#8217;s lost her heart to Dashford,      and that could be the biggest mistake of them all.</em></span></p></blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993366;">~*~*~</span></p>
<blockquote><p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2458" title="InMyWords" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/InMyWords.png" alt="" width="220" height="40" /></p>
<p>How many of follies can be summed up to a night of too might drinking and to be left in the morning with a feeling of “what the hell did I do last night”. This is pretty much what happens to heiress Evaline Pinchley. Evaline, who has playboy bunny blood flowing through her veins, indulges in bunny hood for one glorious night with the help of some wine. Too bad she can’t remember who her Hugh Hefner is in the morning when she wakes up in a stranger’s bed.</p>
<p>Lord Randolf Dashford is in a bind. In his grief over his father&#8217;s death years ago, he gets himself engaged to a Miss Claudia Graeley. Now he will do anything to get out of the engagement. His grand plan for this—made when he is drunk—is to make himself so wholly undesirable that Miss Graeley will call off the engagement. He spends years making himself appear a first class rogue, womanizer, and a very money poor one at that. Unfortunately for him, his plan is not working too well and his fiancée still wants to marry him.</p>
<blockquote style="background-color: #fef0d8;"><p><em>“Imagine what he could have come up with if he was sober when I was thinking of how to ditch the girl without getting shot.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>Lord Dashford’s mother calls him back home for an “<em>emergency</em>”, which he later learns is her “<em>up to her ears in shame and here is a nice young lady to marry”</em> lingo. Dashford, in an effort to avoid the new heiress his mother has caught for him, decides to take a trip to the gardens where he meets a very drunk <em>servant</em>—or so he believes.  The servant, being no servant of course,but Miss Pinchley. Thus the story truly begins.</p>
<p>I have to admit this book was quite an effort to read. The author had me hooked at the beginning, but the never ending talk of sex got old. Fast. Thoughts of sex and anything to do with sex shows up in almost every single chapter. I don’t see myself as a prude, but it was too much for my tastes.</p>
<p>Between Miss Graeley, Miss Pinchley’s ex-fiance, Miss Pinchley’s grandmother (who is a courtesan), a book about sex that is repeatedly found in the library,  and another young man we later learn has eyes for Miss Graeley, and you got a lot of sex. Talk of sex really drags down the main story and became so annoying, I got tired of reading the book.</p>
<p>I will give Ms. Heino her due and say she is quite capable of writing humorous scenes. There are many times in the book when I found myself laughing out loud. I will also give props to Ms. Heino because when she was not writing about the “s” word she can write very entertaining dialogue. There is also an entertaining side story about a lost “Dashford” treasure that I really wished she had spent more time on. Instead it felt a bit rushed. All in all, <strong>Mistress by Mistake</strong> was not really my cup of tea. Far too much spice in it and not enough sugar.  Those who like spicy tea will enjoy this book immensely though. Those who like sweeter and more subdued teas, will probably not.</p>
<p><strong>Rating:</strong> <span style="color: #0000ff;">6 (Satisfactory)</span> For those who like their teas spicy.</p>
<p><strong>Heat Level:</strong> <span style="color: #ff0000;">4 (Hot) </span></p>
<p><strong>Buy Links:</strong><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9780425231517/Mistress-by-Mistake" target="_blank"> Book Depository ~ $6.73</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mistress-by-Mistake-ebook/dp/B002DW930G/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&amp;m=AG56TWVU5XWC2" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle $6.39</a></p></blockquote>
<p><a href=" http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2814075 " target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2704" title="Melissa" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Melissa1.png" alt="" width="540" height="148" /></a></p>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<title>Review: To Sin With a Scoundrel</title>
		<link>http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/review-to-sin-with-a-scoundrel/</link>
		<comments>http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/review-to-sin-with-a-scoundrel/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:42:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Beverley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[historicals]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/?p=2659</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
To Sin With a Scoundrel
Author: Cara Elliott
Publisher: Grand Central
Pub. Date: February 23, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0446541299
Retail Price: $6.99
384 pages
A reclusive widow known for her scientific  scholarship, Lady Ciara Sheffield is shadowed by rumors that she  poisoned her husband . . .
A rakehell rogue notorious for his  devil-may-care antics, Lucas Bingham&#8211;the Earl of Hadley&#8211;is not [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote style="border: ridge; border-color: #57236c; padding-right: 15px;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-2660" title="tosinwithascoundrel" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/tosinwithascoundrel.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="324" /><span style="color: #57236c;">To Sin With a Scoundrel</span></strong><br />
<span style="color: #57236c;">Author: <a href="http://www.caraelliott.com" target="_blank">Cara Elliott</a><br />
Publisher: Grand Central<br />
Pub. Date: February 23, 2010<br />
ISBN-13: 978-0446541299<br />
Retail Price: $6.99<br />
384 pages</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #942c42;"><em>A reclusive widow known for her scientific  scholarship, Lady Ciara Sheffield is shadowed by rumors that she  poisoned her husband . . .</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #942c42;"><em>A rakehell rogue notorious for his  devil-may-care antics, Lucas Bingham&#8211;the Earl of Hadley&#8211;is not accused  of murdering anything&#8211;save for the rules of Polite Society. The only  thing they have in common is seeing their names featured in the lurid  gossip columns of London&#8217;s newspapers. Until an ancient manuscript draws  them together.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #942c42;"><em>Ciara needs a titled fiancé to quell the  slanderous speculations which may send her to the gallows. Lucas needs  a brilliant scholar to help his elderly uncle decipher the secrets of the  mysterious manuscript. So when her friends urge her to accept the earl&#8217;s  proposal of a temporary alliance, Ciara decides that she has no choice  but to make a deal with the Devil. And so begins a seductive dance of  sinful pleasures and hidden desires as the two of them waltz through the  mansions of Mayfair.</em></span></p></blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #57236c;">~*~*~</span></p>
<blockquote><p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2458" title="InMyWords" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/InMyWords.png" alt="" width="220" height="40" /></p>
<p><strong><em>What happens when a handsome carefree rogue meets a feisty, brilliant scientist?  They each gain an ally, but lose their hearts!</em></strong></p>
<p><strong>To Sin with a Scoundrel</strong><strong> </strong>is the first in the <span style="color: #000080;"><em>Circle of Sin Series</em></span> by <a href="http://www.caraelliott.com" target="_blank"><strong><em>Cara Elliott</em></strong></a>.  This series revolves around the romantic escapades of three brilliant and independent women.  In the first novel, we are introduced to Lady Ciara Sheffield who has a passion for only two things: science and her young son.</p>
<p>She has been gracing the pages of London&#8217;s premier tabloid thanks to her deceased husband&#8217;s awful family who insists on blaming her [publicly[ for his death.  They know that her son has inherited her family’s fortune and they will stop at nothing to get their hands on it.  She has made every attempt to take it all in stride, but should their slanderous accusations continue, it can land her in the gallows.</p>
<p>Lucas, Earl of Hadley, who is better known as "Mad, Bad, Had-ley" because of his outrageous antics and flip-skirt behavior, has been sharing the limelight with Ciara.  He is sly, sarcastic and doesn’t care what others think of him or his lifestyle.</p>
<p>Ciara and Lucas both need something from each other: Ciara needs a titled fiancé to help squash the terrible rumors once and for all and Lucas needs to have a mysterious manuscript deciphered for his uncle and only Ciara has the know-how. In an effort for them to both get what they want, they agree to alliance that lead them to lose their hearts.</p>
<p>I had a very hard time putting this book down!  Cara gave us delightful characters and witty, clever dialogue. Not to mention that the body language of each character spoke volumes; from their initial reluctance, to their quickly developing weakness for one another. I loved the banter between Ciara and Lucas. They are intelligent and funny and their conversations are a great diversion to the sizzling heat between them. He pretends he is attracted to her body when her mind turns him on more than he ever expected, while Ciara is put-off by his notorious reputation, but is surprised to find a much more sensitive man hidden underneath.  In addition, <span style="color: #800080;"><strong><em>Cara Elliott</em></strong></span> has a knack for describing the setting without overdoing it allowing the reader to be transported to another time and place.</p>
<div id="attachment_2664" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 110px"><img class="size-full wp-image-2664 " title="tosurrendertoarogue_sml" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/tosurrendertoarogue_sml.jpg" alt="" width="100" height="160" /><p class="wp-caption-text">June 2010 </p></div>
<p>If all this isn&#8217;t enough, we&#8217;ve got a little side action going on with the mystery of who broke into Ciara&#8217;s home to ransack her laboratory and who would want to kidnap her son.  The secondary characters are equally intriguing and I’m looking forward to their stories in the following books coming in June 2010 and March 2011.</p>
<p>If you liked <span style="color: #000080;"><em>Meredith Duran’s</em> </span><strong>Bound by Your Touch</strong>, then you’ll like <strong>To Sin with a Scoundrel</strong>!</p>
<p><strong>Rating:</strong> <span style="color: #008000;">9 (Excellent)</span></p>
<p><strong>Heat Level: </strong><span style="color: #ff00ff;">3 (Sensual)</span></p>
<p><strong>Buy Links: </strong><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9780446541299/To-Sin-with-a-Scoundrel" target="_blank">Book Depository ~ $5.49</a> | <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/To-Sin-with-a-Scoundrel/Cara-Elliott/e/9780446558587" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble ~ $5.59</a></p></blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.booksoulmates.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2673" title="isalys" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/isalys1.png" alt="" width="547" height="150" /></a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>13</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>And the winners are&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/and-the-winners-are-33/</link>
		<comments>http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/and-the-winners-are-33/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:41:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Beverley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Avon Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Giveaways]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[historicals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winners]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/?p=2652</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The winner of Cathy Maxwell&#8217;s THE MARRIAGE RING is&#8230;

JM LANGE
Congrats JM! Please email me your contact information at historicals at historicalromancereleases dot com.
AND
The winner of Miranda Neville&#8217;s THE WILD MARQUIS is&#8230;

KAREN H.
Congrats, Karen! Please email your mailing address to Miranda at miranda at mirandaneville dot com to receive your book.
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;">The winner of <a href="http://www.cathymaxwell.com" target="_blank"><span style="color: #000080;"><em>Cathy Maxwell&#8217;s </em></span></a><span style="color: #ff00ff;"><strong>THE MARRIAGE RING</strong></span> is&#8230;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2677" title="TheMarriageRing_175" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/TheMarriageRing_175.jpg" alt="" width="156" height="251" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3366ff; font-size: 20px;"><strong>JM LANGE</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Congrats JM! Please email me your contact information at <span style="color: #800000;">historicals at historicalromancereleases dot com</span>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>AND</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The winner of <a href="http://www.mirandaneville.com" target="_blank"><span style="color: #008000;"><em>Miranda Neville&#8217;s</em></span></a> <span style="color: #800000;"><strong>THE WILD MARQUIS</strong></span> is&#8230;</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2653" title="thewildmarquess" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/thewildmarquess.jpg" alt="" width="155" height="250" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800000; font-size: 20px;"><strong>KAREN H.</strong></span></p>
<p>Congrats, Karen! Please email your mailing address to Miranda at <span style="color: #800080;">miranda at mirandaneville dot com</span> to receive your book.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<title>Review: Promise Me Tonight</title>
		<link>http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/review-promise-me-tonight/</link>
		<comments>http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/review-promise-me-tonight/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:31:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Beverley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[historicals]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/?p=2640</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Promise Me Tonight
Author: Sara Lindsey
Publisher: NAL / Signet
Pub. Date: February 2, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0451229373
Retail Price: $6.99
320 pages
Isabella is determined to marry James…
Isabella Weston has loved James Sheffield for as long as she can  remember. Her come-out ball seems the perfect chance to make him see her  in a new light.
James is determined never to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote style="border: ridge; border-color: #6E0A2E; padding-right: 15px;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-448" title="promise me tonight cover_blog" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/promise-me-tonight-cover_blog.jpg" alt="" width="202" height="328" /><span style="color: #9a3555;">Promise Me Tonight</span></strong><span style="color: #9a3555;"><br />
Author: <a href="http://www.saralindsey.net" target="_blank">Sara Lindsey</a><br />
Publisher: NAL / Signet<br />
Pub. Date: February 2, 2010<br />
ISBN-13: 978-0451229373<br />
Retail Price: $6.99<br />
320 pages</span></p>
<p><em><span style="color: #6e0a2e;"><strong>Isabella is determined to marry James…</strong></span></em></p>
<p><em><span style="color: #6e0a2e;">Isabella Weston has loved James Sheffield for as long as she can  remember. Her come-out ball seems the perfect chance to make him see her  in a new light.</span></em></p>
<p><em><span style="color: #6e0a2e;"><strong>James is determined never to marry…</strong></span></em></p>
<p><em><span style="color: #6e0a2e;">James is stunned to find the impish girl he once knew has blossomed  into a sensual goddess. And if he remembers his lessons, goddesses  always spell trouble for mortal men.</span></em></p>
<p><em><span style="color: #6e0a2e;"><strong>A compromise is clearly necessary.</strong></span></em></p>
<p><em><span style="color: #6e0a2e;">When Izzie kisses James, her artless ardor turns to a masterful  seduction that drives him mad with desire. But, no stranger to  heartbreak, James is determined never to love, and thus never to lose.  Can Isabella convince him that a life without love might be the biggest  loss of all?</span></em></p></blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993300;">~*~*~</span></p>
<blockquote><p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2458" title="InMyWords" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/InMyWords.png" alt="" width="220" height="40" /></p>
<p><em><strong></strong><strong>Readers will find this funny, heart-wrenching and promising debut a delightful read.</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>Promise Me Tonight</strong> is the first in a series of Shakespearean name siblings who each find love. In this romantic tale, readers meet Isabella Weston, the eldest daughter of the Weston clan, who is madly in love with her older brother’s best friend, the guy next door. Though this is a theme that has been used repeatedly,<strong><em> <a href="http://www.saralindsey.net" target="_blank">Sara Lindsey</a></em></strong> was able to hold my interest until the very last page.</p>
<p>Isabella is a persistent, beautiful and witty young woman. She has desired James for so long and now that she is all grown up, she will do whatever it takes to get her man. For the first half of the book, I disliked “Izzy” because she was constantly crying and begging. Some of her tactics were deceitful and selfish. However as the story progressed, I found myself rooting for her. She slowly started to mature and come into her own. I realized her tenacious behavior was inherited. Who wouldn’t be a romantic with parents who openly loved one another and set an example of a passionate marriage? By the end of the story, my opinions of Izzy evolved.</p>
<p>James is a very honorable and stubborn man. After suffering some painful incidents as a child, James closes his heart and vows never to love or marry.  For most of the book, James’s theories on love were tiresome. I understood and even sympathized with him at times, but I found myself becoming bored with his excuses. It was only toward the end that the author revealed more of his past and his reasons for fighting Isabella so hard.  Finally, he was able to confront his past and succumb to his desires for Isabella.</p>
<p>Some of the things I liked about the story were that there was a lot of seduction and sexual buildup in this book. The love scenes were hot, steamy and tasteful. Sara writes well written love scenes.  I also liked the introduction to the Weston family. They were well written and developed secondary characters that added to the story. The close knit family had some of the funniest lines in the book. They loved James as a part of the family and their hilarious well intentioned schemes left a warm fuzzy feeling inside.</p>
<p>For true romantics and die hard fans of historical romance, I recommend <strong>Promise Me Tonight</strong>. I eagerly await the second book in this series.</p>
<p><strong>Rating:</strong> <span style="color: #0000ff;">7 (Good)</span></p>
<p><strong>Heat Level:</strong> <span style="color: #ff00ff;">3 (Sensual)</span></p>
<p><strong>Buy Links: </strong><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9780451229373/Promise-Me-Tonight" target="_blank">Book Depository ~ $5.49</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Promise-Me-Tonight-ebook/dp/B0030CVQUS/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&amp;m=AG56TWVU5XWC2" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle ~ $4.36</a></p></blockquote>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2532" title="samantha" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/samantha2.png" alt="" width="540" height="148" /></p>
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		<title>Review: Knight of Glory</title>
		<link>http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/review-knight-of-glory/</link>
		<comments>http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/review-knight-of-glory/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:14:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Beverley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[historicals]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/?p=2613</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Most authors have thick skins because opinions are so subjective when it comes to their work. That said, I&#8217;d like to briefly explain how I tackle the dreaded DNF reviews I receive from the reviewers. If I can find another reviewer to read the book, I will have someone else have a go at it. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Most authors have thick skins because opinions are so subjective when it comes to their work. That said, I&#8217;d like to briefly explain how I tackle the dreaded DNF reviews I receive from the reviewers. If I can find another reviewer to read the book, I will have someone else have a go at it. Once I receive that new review, I will post both&#8211;one will be the DNF and one won&#8217;t (2nd reviewer must complete the book). So, to some degree, readers will then get two takes on the book. If I can&#8217;t find another reviewer to review the book I will post the DNF review and of course readers will know they are getting an opinion based only on a partial reading of the book and not the whole picture.</p>
<p>I&#8217;d like to avoid DNF as much as I can. They have a place, <em>but </em>I think it should be a very, very small percentage of reviews posted. Readers want the whole take on the book, not a partial read.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800000;">~*~*~</span></p>
<blockquote style="border: ridge; border-color: #003300; padding-right: 15px;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333300;"><strong><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-2614" title="knightofglory" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/knightofglory.jpg" alt="" width="203" height="298" />Knight of Glory</strong><br />
Author: <a href="http://www.nicolezoltack.com/" target="_blank">Nicole Zoltack</a><br />
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing<br />
Pub. Date: March 1, 2010<br />
ISBN-13: 978-1936000494<br />
Novella</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6e2400;"><em>Sir Geoffrey, along with some  companions, has been sent away from Arnhem, entrusted by Queen Aislinn  for a special mission, and has to leave behind the mysterious lady  Celestia. On his journey, he uncovers seeds of a sinister plot, learns a  horrible secret, and makes a new friend in exile Jenanna.</em></span></p>
<p><em>Their  mission completed, Geoffrey and his companions rush to two different  kingdoms to ask for aid. Danger and betrayal lurks around every corner,  and even allies have secrets that could prove deadly. Geoffrey&#8217;s  feelings for Celestia grow and wane. After learning some of Celestia&#8217;s  secrets, he begins to have second thoughts about his love for her and is  even drawn to Jenanna.</em></p>
<p><em>Rumors abound that the Speicans have  enlisted a mage of their own, to work unspeakable, forbidden magic. The  war between Speica and Arnhem has just begun. Will Geoffrey survive the  battle to live another day and discover which woman he truly loves?</em></p></blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800000;">~*~*~</span></p>
<blockquote><p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2458" title="InMyWords" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/InMyWords.png" alt="" width="220" height="40" /><br />
<em><strong>Lack of emotion, poor characterization and poor world-building amounted to a DNF for me.</strong></em></p>
<p>Let me preface this review by saying I enjoy fantasy. I have lost myself in Middle-earth many, many times during my life. I have also lost myself is such disparate fantasy worlds as J. K. Rowling&#8217;s and Guy Gavriel Kay&#8217;s.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I cannot say that <a href="http://www.nicolezoltack.com/" target="_blank"><strong><em>Nicole Zoltack&#8217;s</em></strong></a> fantasy realm of Arnhem had the same effect on me. I read about a quarter of<span style="color: #008000;"><strong> Knight of Glory</strong></span>, when I decided that the story&#8217;s problems made reading onward more trouble than it was worth.</p>
<p>I do not completely fault the author for this, by the way. The ebook contained numerous typos and confusing sentences, enough to make me see it required much tighter editing.</p>
<p>The story involves Sir Geoffrey, a knight for the mythical kingdom of Arnhem, and his quest for love. He is also involved in a secret mission for the current king and queen of the land to bring back news of the former king and queen, who are thought by the general populace to be dead but who have actually gone into hiding. In typical fantasy fashion, he picks up companions along the way, including Jenanna, a mysterious girl from another land.</p>
<p>My issues with the story-telling began in the opening chapter, in which the hero attends a ball and finds himself attracted to a woman named Celestia. How do I know of his attraction? Because the author tells me about it without actually showing any of the emotional impact that ought to accompany such an event. The characters talk, but no chemistry exists between them. That&#8217;s all right, actually, because I got the idea from the outset that Celestia isn&#8217;t the heroine of the story.</p>
<p>If anything, she&#8217;s an enemy spy.</p>
<p>Which brings me to my next point. For a fantasy hero, Geoffrey comes across as awfully dense. He doesn&#8217;t pick up on anything <em>off</em> about Celestia when she keeps directing the conversation away from her origins. Later in the story, Geoffrey lets Jenanna (the heroine) join what is supposed to be a top-secret mission, even though he tells her to her face that he does not trust her. Mere paragraphs later, he accepts food from her, even though it&#8217;s a sort of food he is unfamiliar with.</p>
<p>Any good fantasy relies on solid world-building to keep the reader engaged. Unfortunately, here again, this story falls short. The kingdom of Arnhem seems to rely on a medieval-level of technology. There are a lot of knights running around with swords, involved in sieges and such. Add to this a few mentions of mythical creatures, such as dragons and kelpies, the use of magic, a holy order, and you&#8217;ve got your typical Dungeons-and-Dragons sort of fantasy world.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s jarring to me as a reader, then, to read about the northern hemisphere, say, or to have one of the characters talking about going through puberty. Such instances (and there were others) read as too modern for the world.</p>
<p>The chapter where Geoffrey and his companions finally come upon the king and queen in hiding, only to find the queen dead and the old king nearly so, turned into the deal-breaker for me. It was written in such a way that I was supposed to believe the former monarchs were popular and beloved. When both of them died without any of the characters showing the least bit of grief or remorse, or, really, any emotion at all, I was done.</p>
<p>How am I supposed to believe in an emotionless romance?</p>
<p><strong>Rating:</strong> DNF</p>
<p><strong>Heat Level:</strong> N/A (I didn&#8217;t actually get to anything resembling kissing, but the rating on the publisher&#8217;s website is &#8220;sweet&#8221;)</p>
<p><strong>Buy Links: </strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Arnhem-Book-Two-ebook/dp/B003AKY5U8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1268830368&amp;sr=8-3" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-69/%3Ci%3EKingdom-of-Arnhem-Book/Detail.bok" target="_blank">Desert Breeze Publishing ~ $5.99</a></p></blockquote>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2621" title="Anne" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Anne.png" alt="" width="540" height="148" /></p>
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		<title>Best Historical of 2009 Giveaway!</title>
		<link>http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/best-historical-of-2009-giveaway/</link>
		<comments>http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/best-historical-of-2009-giveaway/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:00:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Beverley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Best of the Year]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Giveaways]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Contests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[historicals]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/?p=2604</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As promised, today I&#8217;m giving away 3 copies of Jennifer Ashley&#8217;s, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, The Season&#8217;s 2009 Best Historical recipient. I have to say that I bought this book because of all the great buzz it was getting when it was released. I was a tad squeamish because the hero had been [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As promised, today I&#8217;m giving away 3 copies of <span style="color: #800000;"><em>Jennifer Ashley&#8217;s</em></span>, <span style="color: #333300;"><strong>The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie</strong></span>, <span style="color: #800080;">The Season&#8217;s 2009 Best Historical recipient</span>. I have to say that I bought this book because of all the great buzz it was getting when it was released. I was a tad squeamish because the hero had been in asylum due to his <em>&#8216;rages&#8217;</em>. Premises like that usually don&#8217;t appeal to me, but I was in the mood to try something different, and I&#8217;m so happy I did. I completely understand why this book won. It&#8217;s the first book in Jennifer&#8217;s <span style="color: #3366ff;"><em>Mackenzie</em></span> series and I&#8217;m anticipating the second book, <span style="color: #8e3900;"><strong>Lady Isabella&#8217;s Scandalous Marriage </strong></span>with bated breath. No, seriously, I&#8217;m not kidding. You will too once you read this book. So, if you don&#8217;t win a copy today,<span style="color: #808000;"> <span style="color: #333300;"><strong>The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie</strong></span> </span>is definitely worth a visit to an online book store.</p>
<p><strong>Speaking of the Best of 2009, which book(s) made your list?<br />
</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800000;">~*~*~</span></p>
<blockquote style="border: double; border-color: #850000; padding-right: 20px;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2605" title="LordIan_LgWeb" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/LordIan_LgWeb.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" /><span style="color: #8e0000;">The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie</span></strong><span style="color: #8e0000;"><br />
Author: <a href="http://www.jennifersromances.com/" target="_blank">Jennifer Ashley</a><br />
Publisher: Leisure Books<br />
Pub. Date: April 28, 2009<br />
ISBN-13: 978-0843960433<br />
320 pages</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #000080;"><em>The youngest brother, Ian, known as the Mad Mackenzie, spent  most of  his young life in an asylum, and everyone agrees he is  decidedly odd.  He&#8217;s also hard and handsome and has a penchant for Ming  pottery and  beautiful women.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em>Beth Ackerley, widow, has recently come into a  fortune. She  has decided that she wants no more drama in her life. She  was raised in  drama&#8211;an alcoholic father who drove them into the  workhouse, a frail  mother she had to nurse until her death, a fussy old  lady she became  constant companion to. No, she wants to take her money  and find peace,  to travel, to learn art, to sit back and fondly  remember her brief but  happy marriage to her late husband. </em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em>And then Ian Mackenzie decides he wants her.</em></span></p></blockquote>
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		<title>Review: Lessons From a Scarlet Lady</title>
		<link>http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/review-lessons-from-a-scarlet-lady/</link>
		<comments>http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/review-lessons-from-a-scarlet-lady/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:30:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Beverley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[historicals]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[
Lessons From a Scarlet Lady
Author: Emma Wildes
Publisher: NAL / Signet Eclipse
Pub. Date: January 5, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0451228796
Retail Price: $6.99
336 pages
The Duke of Rolthven&#8217;s new wife, Brianna, is the perfect aristocratic  bride. So what would society say if they saw her with a copy of Lady  Rothburg&#8217;s Advice&#8211;a courtesan&#8217;s lessons for the boudoir? When his [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote style="border: ridge; border-color: #850000; padding-right: 15px;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://www.emmawildes.com" target="_blank"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-2586" title="lessonsfromascarletlady" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/lessonsfromascarletlady.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="324" /></a><span style="color: #660000;">Lessons From a Scarlet Lady</span></strong><span style="color: #660000;"><br />
Author: <a href="http://www.emmawildes.com" target="_blank">Emma Wildes</a><br />
Publisher: NAL / Signet Eclipse<br />
Pub. Date: January 5, 2010<br />
ISBN-13: 978-0451228796<br />
Retail Price: $6.99<br />
336 pages</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #003300;"><em>The Duke of Rolthven&#8217;s new wife, Brianna, is the perfect aristocratic  bride. So what would society say if they saw her with a copy of Lady  Rothburg&#8217;s Advice&#8211;a courtesan&#8217;s lessons for the boudoir? When his  innocent wife suddenly becomes a vixen in the bedroom, the proper Duke  is truly astounded by her seductive powers. Following a courtesan&#8217;s  advice might lead to trouble-but will it lead to Brianna&#8217;s ultimate  desire: winning her husband&#8217;s love?</em></span></p>
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800000;">~*~*~</span></p>
<blockquote><p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2458" title="InMyWords" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/InMyWords.png" alt="" width="220" height="40" /><br />
<strong>Emma Wildes takes the historical romance genre and adds a touch of erotic.  <em>Lessons From a Scarlet Lady</em> is an intriguing read that begins with one heck of a steamy sex scene! </strong><span style="color: #800000;"> </span></p>
<p>Having never read <em>Wildes</em> previous novel,  <span style="color: #800080;"><strong><em>An Indecent Proposition</em></strong></span>, I wasn’t quite sure what I was about to read. At the start, we’re introduced to Brianna Northfield (newly married to Colton Northfield, Duke of Rolthven) who is attempting to seduce her prim and proper husband by wearing a very revealing gown to the opera… And succeeds.  We soon learn that Brianna has acquired a book of advice on seducing a man and pleasing him sexually in all types of manners.</p>
<p>The storyline also introduces Colton’s brothers Robert and Damien as well as Brianna’s closest friends, married Arabella Smythe and single Rebecca Marston.   I found that as the story went on the main focus shifts to a budding love between Robert and Rebecca, and the storyline with Brianna and Colton, while still being important, fades into the background.  <em>Wildes</em> shift in focus still keeps Brianna and Colton in play through group interactions and very detailed, borderline erotic love scenes.  The scandalous book also changes hands, allowing the reader to follow both Brianna and Rebecca, as they explore its advice. There are also tidbits from the book at the start of each chapter, allowing the reader to gather a bit more of what the book is all about aside from what the ladies are either discussing or putting into action.</p>
<p>In all the other historical romances I’ve read, the author will take her time to build sexual tension between the characters, allowing the reader to start to anticipate when the main characters will unite. Not Wildes! From the very beginning there are many steamy scenes, which I am perfectly fine with, but those readers who like gentle, less descriptive love scenes, beware!</p>
<p>The only issue I found with Lessons is that the main focus is shifted quite abruptly, and I found myself having to stop and gather my thoughts to follow along. It was surprising, as I was expecting to only follow Brianna and her trials, not both hers and Rebecca’s.</p>
<p>In the end, I found myself wanting more, much more. I wanted to know more about Robert and Rebecca’s story as well as the continuation of Brianna and Colton’s.  I certainly hope that Wildes has plans of revisiting them in the future! Emma if you are reading this, remember Damien still has a story to be told! <img src='http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><strong>Rating:</strong> <span style="color: #800000;">7.5 (Good +)</span></p>
<p><strong>Heat Level:</strong> <span style="color: #ff0000;">5-6 (Bordering on Erotic)</span></p>
<p><strong>Buy Links: </strong><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9780451228796/Lessons-from-a-Scarlet-Lady" target="_blank">Book Depository ~ $5.99</a><strong> | </strong><a href="http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/cgi-bin/item/parent-9780451228796/Lessons-From-a-Scarlet-Lady-eBook.html" target="_blank">Diesel eBook Store &#8211; $4.57</a></p>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/dreamy6501" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2599" title="Rebecca" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Rebecca3.png" alt="" width="540" height="148" /></a></p></blockquote>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/dreamy6501" target="_blank"><br />
</a></p>
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		<title>When to cry &#8216;Uncle&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/when-to-cry-uncle/</link>
		<comments>http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/when-to-cry-uncle/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:42:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Beverley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Polls]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[editorial]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/?p=2571</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve adored many writers in my time. I&#8217;ve read and loved their books as they&#8217;ve taken me from the American West to the Regency ballrooms, and the medieval times through Georgian escapades. I would buy their books without bothering to read the back cover blurb because I trusted them. Trusted they would deliver a story [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;ve adored many writers in my time. I&#8217;ve read and loved their books as they&#8217;ve taken me from the American West to the Regency ballrooms, and the medieval times through Georgian escapades. I would buy their books without bothering to read the back cover blurb because I trusted them. Trusted they would deliver a story and characters I could immerse myself in thoroughly for hours of reading pleasure.  I preferred some books more than others, which is completely normal, for every book can&#8217;t elicit the exact emotion.</p>
<p>Then one day I bought and read one of their books and was left&#8230;less than satisfied. Something in the book didn&#8217;t work for me. But hey, every author can&#8217;t deliver, what I consider, stellar reads every time, right? Next book is sure not to disappoint. My instant-buy author has only failed me this one time. They won&#8217;t fail me again. I&#8217;m sure of it.</p>
<div id="attachment_2578" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 250px"><img class="size-full wp-image-2578 " title="headbent" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/headbent.jpg" alt="" width="240" height="206" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Please, say it aint so. You&#39;re killing me!</p></div>
<p>Unfortunately, I&#8217;m proven wrong because next book doesn&#8217;t work for me either. What&#8217;s going on? Have they lost their <em>mojo</em>? Or maybe I&#8217;ve changed&#8211;something in my tastes have shifted? I go back and read one of their older books. Perhaps, I&#8217;ll discover it&#8217;s not as good as I thought it was. Nope, I read several older books and the magic is there. I&#8217;m just as captivated as I was when I read it the first and second time before.</p>
<p>I decide I&#8217;m once again going to give my much loved author the benefit of the doubt. Two strikes doesn&#8217;t put you out of the game. I&#8217;m sure the next book will have all the elements that drew me to her books to begin with.</p>
<p>And the next book&#8230;? Sigh, another strike.  What on earth is going on? Why isn&#8217;t she writing the kind of books I love anymore? Do I continue buying her books and pray that she&#8217;ll write the stories I&#8217;ve come to expect from her? When should I throw up the white flag and cry <strong><em>&#8216;Uncle&#8217;</em></strong>?</p>
<p>Have you ever had this happen to you&#8211;your favorite author starts writing books that you just don&#8217;t like? Whatever magic captivated you before is gone? The story, the characterization is different, <em>and</em> not to your liking? <strong>How many <em>&#8216;duds&#8217; </em>do you permit before you stop buying their books completely?</strong></p>
<p>Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.<br />
<span style="font-size: 10px;">**Two answers permitted.</span></p>
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		<title>Miranda Neville ~ Writer Envy</title>
		<link>http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/miranda-neville-writer-envy/</link>
		<comments>http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/miranda-neville-writer-envy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:00:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Beverley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Authors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Avon Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Giveaways]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Avon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guest blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[historicals]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/?p=2545</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you&#8217;re a writer, you&#8217;ve experienced it at one time or another. If it was a disease, we&#8217;d all be wiped out by it. Thank goodness it only makes us human. Today please welcome Miranda Neville to the blog as she discusses the writers she most envies and celebrates the release of her sophomore book, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you&#8217;re a writer, you&#8217;ve experienced it at one time or another. If it was a disease, we&#8217;d all be wiped out by it. Thank goodness it only makes us human. Today please welcome <a href="http://www.mirandaneville.com" target="_blank"><span style="color: #993366;"><em><strong>Miranda Neville</strong></em></span></a> to the blog as she discusses the writers she most envies and celebrates the release of her sophomore book, <strong>THE WILD MARQUIS</strong> (You know you wouldn&#8217;t have your marquises any other way <img src='http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' />  ).<br />
<strong><br />
Writer Envy: Who Do I Wish I Was?</strong></p>
<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2547" title="Miranda2" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Miranda2.jpg" alt="" width="324" height="243" />I just read (I know, years late) <strong>The Smoke Thief</strong> by <span style="color: #000080;"><em>Shana Abé</em></span>. One reason I knew it was a good book was that I kept thinking “This is so good. I should write a book like this.”</p>
<p>Of course I can’t. Abé’s prose is lyrical and lush and her subject matter is paranormal. My own writing style is more earthbound and ironic. But that doesn’t save me from committing the sin of writer envy. Certain writers regularly inspire me with jealous torments.</p>
<p>I love the way <span style="color: #008000;"><em>Liz Carlyle</em></span> sets a scene, especially a sordid scene. The opening of <strong>Tempted All Night</strong>, for example. Without going into a lot of description, she makes you see the shady pub – and incidentally tells you a whole lot about her hero.</p>
<blockquote><p><span style="color: #003300;"><em>“It’s generally said that a man can be known by the company he keeps, and Tristan Talbot was likely the only fellow in London who went dicing with his manservant. That his servant disdained the Three Shovels as beneath his dignity served only to further illuminate the level to which Tristan sometimes sank. And illumination was direly needed at the Shovels, for the place was dark as a den of thieves.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #003300;"><em>Actually, it was a den of thieves. And rogues and sharps and bawds—even the occasional gentleman out for a low-class lark. From somewhere deep inside the low-ceilinged alehouse, raucous laughter rang out….”</em></span></p></blockquote>
<p>I’m always telling people <span style="color: #800000;"><em>Janet Mullany</em></span> is the funniest historical writer around, though why I bother to qualify the statement I don’t know. Can’t think of any funnier in any genre. Only Janet—in the <strong>Rules Of Gentility</strong>&#8211; would set her marriage proposal in the bathroom.</p>
<blockquote><p><span style="color: #003300;"><em>“What are you doing in there?”</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #003300;"><em>“It’s a water closet. What sort of question is that?”</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #003300;"><em>“Well hurry up. I want to propose to you.’ He thumps on the door again and mutters something about women taking so long in there. It must be all the petticoats.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #003300;"><em>My papa comments that he’s always thought it so too.</em></span></p></blockquote>
<blockquote style="border: double; border-color: #850000; padding-right: 20px;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-2558" title="thewildmarquis" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/thewildmarquis.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="324" /><span style="color: #800000;"><strong>The  Wild Marquis</strong><br />
Author: <a href="http://www.mirandaneville.com" target="_blank">Miranda Neville</a><br />
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins<br />
Pub. Date: March 9, 2010<br />
ISBN-13: 978-0061808708<br />
384 pages</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #333300;"><em>He is notorious for his wretched morals and  never received in respectable houses. The ladies of the ton would never  allow him in their drawing rooms . . . though some of them have welcomed  him into their bedchambers. Rejected from his father’s house at the age  of sixteen, he now lives a life of wanton pleasure. So what could the  Marquis of Chase possibly want with Juliana Merton, a lovely, perfectly  upstanding shopkeeper with a mysterious past?</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #333300;"><em>A moment’s indiscretion?</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #333300;"><em>A night’s passion?</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #333300;"><em>Or a lifetime of love?</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #333300;"><em>Even the wildest rakes have their  weaknesses . . .</em></span></p></blockquote>
<p>I envy <span style="color: #ff0000;"><em>Eloisa James</em></span>’ ability to effortlessly convey romantic deliciousness, as in this random page from <strong>Desperate Duchesses</strong>, perhaps my favorite Eloisa.</p>
<blockquote><p><span style="color: #003300;"><em>“Damon was well aware he was consumed by lust. It was a dangerous state. He’d never before experienced it as a sort of waking fever dream, as the past few days when he walked the halls of Beaumont House merely so that he could catch a whiff of Roberta’s perfume, or see the flutter of her dress retreat around a corner.”</em></span></p></blockquote>
<p><span style="color: #003366;"><em>Anna Campbell’s</em></span> dark sensuality leaves me gaping. How does she do that?</p>
<blockquote><p><span style="color: #003300;"><em>“He told himself her body was all he wanted.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #003300;"><em>The declaration sounded laughably hollow. The feverish encounter had bitten more deeply than the fleeting demands of flesh alone ever could, however much he wished it otherwise.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #003300;"><em>She took a shuddering breath as he settled at her side. He fought the urge to stroke the damp black hair back from her brow. She wouldn’t welcome his tenderness, he knew with piercing regret. (<strong>Claiming the Courtesan</strong>)</em></span></p></blockquote>
<p>Among the many things I envy in <span style="color: #0000ff;"><em>Susan Elizabeth Phillips</em></span> is her ability to construct a big multi-character ensemble scene. The most fun may the one where a horde of giant professional sportsmen invade the heroine’s house (“<span style="color: #003300;"><em>Get your big-ass shoes off my sofa cushions.</em></span>”) My favorite is the dinner party in <strong>Ain’t She Sweet</strong> when Sugar Beth turns an event designed to humiliate her into a triumph. We see her emerge with grace and dignity and Colin’s emotions turn from revenge to shame to love. There’s nothing I find more satisfying than seeing the tables turned.</p>
<p>And then there’s <span style="color: #ff6600;"><em>Loretta Chase</em></span>. I’d kill to write like Chase. All I can do after devouring one of her books is to pray that some of her genius rubs off on me.</p>
<p><strong>Among your favorite authors, can you pinpoint exactly what aspects of their work you like the most? One answer will win a signed copy of <span style="color: #800000;">The Wild Marquis</span>.</strong></p>
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		<title>Review: Taming the Highland Bride</title>
		<link>http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/2010/03/review-taming-the-highland-bride/</link>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:33:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Beverley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Avon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[historicals]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/?p=2522</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Taming the Highland Bride
Author: Lynsay Sands
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Pub. Date: January 26, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0061344787
Retail Price: $7.99
384 pages
She was ready to let her heart run wild .  . .
Merry Stewart has had enough! Enough of her  brothers, whose behavior would make even the most improper lady blush.  Enough of their highland home, which would surely [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote style="border: ridge; border-color: #850000; padding-right: 15px;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-2523" title="tamingthehighlandbride" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/tamingthehighlandbride.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="324" /><span style="color: #000080;">Taming the Highland Bride</span></strong><span style="color: #000080;"><br />
Author: <a href="http://www.lynsaysands.net" target="_blank">Lynsay Sands</a><br />
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins<br />
Pub. Date: January 26, 2010<br />
ISBN-13: 978-0061344787<br />
Retail Price: $7.99<br />
384 pages</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #800080;"><em><strong>She was ready to let her heart run wild .  . .</strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #800080;"><em>Merry Stewart has had enough! Enough of her  brothers, whose behavior would make even the most improper lady blush.  Enough of their highland home, which would surely have fallen to ruin  were it not for her. She dreams of escaping into the arms of her  betrothed, Alexander d’Aumesbery—even though they haven’t yet met. But  when they do, Merry is devastated. It seems he’s no better than the men  in her family.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #800080;"><em><strong>So beautiful, so brazen . . . </strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #800080;"><em>From the moment he meets Merry, Alexander is  overcome with desire. Desperate to convince her he’s nothing like the  members of her roguish clan, he will prove he is every bit the  well-mannered gentleman. Yet beneath it all beats a heart as intense and  uncontrollable as hers. And finally, when his life is threatened, Merry  realizes he’s the husband she’s been waiting for . . . and their  passion becomes the one thing that cannot be tamed.</em></span></p></blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993300;">~*~*~</span></p>
<blockquote><p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2458" title="InMyWords" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/InMyWords.png" alt="" width="220" height="40" /></p>
<p><strong><em>Taming the Highland Bride is a</em><em> page turner in which the hero and heroine must overcome many obstacles to find love.  Lynsay Sands&#8217; light and easy prose makes this fast-paced story about mistrust and misunderstandings, a fluid read.</em></strong></p>
<p>Alex is patient, sweet and loyal man and I like that a lot about him. Even though he has misgivings about Merry from rumors that she is a shrew, from the beginning he is attracted to her. He wants to make her happy to be his wife. My only problem with Alex is that he is not portrayed as a warrior. For the better part of the book, Merry runs the household and holds the men together, while Alex is constantly in harm’s way and banged up.</p>
<p>Merry is a strong, independent and caring woman. After suffering through years of taking care of her drunken brothers and father, she is desperately seeking a new life. I honestly felt Merry’s disappointment at her first encounter with her Alex, knowing she feels as though she’s traded one horrible situation for another.</p>
<p>As they both try to move forward from their awkward first encounter, they both have to learn to let go and find love. I enjoyed the way Alex worked to lower Merry’s guard and prove that he is not like the men in her family. He takes his time and doesn’t force her but rather shows her that he is a man of honor.  Sure enough, on their adventure to Scotland, Merry sees her husband for the man he truly is and allows him to slowly enter her heart.</p>
<p>While they are both discovering their newfound feelings for one another, mystery and danger lurks around every corner. I felt the mystery incorporated throughout the story was interesting and at the end I was a little surprised at the villain. But I wanted them to dig around to discover who was behind the “mysterious” incidents, and was slightly disappointed that they just happen to stumble across the truth.  No one else seemed to be concerned about the danger they were in except Merry.</p>
<p>Overall, I would recommend <strong>Taming the Highland Bride </strong>to anyone who wants a quick and enjoyable read. I look forward to reading more book in this series.</p>
<p><strong>Rating:</strong> <span style="color: #0000ff;">6 (Satisfactory)</span></p>
<p><strong>Heat Level:</strong> <span style="color: #ff00ff;">3 (Sensual)</span></p>
<p><strong>Buy Links: </strong><a href="http://www.bookrak.com/index.php?page=shopping&amp;genre=3&amp;current_page=8" target="_blank">Bookrak ~ $6.40</a> | <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Taming-the-Highland-Bride/Lynsay-Sands/e/9780061966330" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble (ebook) ~ $5.59</a></p></blockquote>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2532" title="samantha" src="http://historicalromancereleases.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/samantha2.png" alt="" width="540" height="148" /></p>
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