Blog Tour & Giveaway ~ Catherine, Pride & Prejudice Continued #2, by Sue Barr

Catherine
Pride & Prejudice Continued, Book 2
by Sue Barr



Some secrets are not meant to be shared.

Catherine Bennet, known as Kitty to close friends and family, knows this better than anyone. She also knows that she will never marry and it never bothered her before she met Lord George Kerr at Elizabeth and Darcy’s wedding. He’s determined to breach the walls of defense she’d carefully constructed around her heart, and she’s just as determined to stay the course.

Some secrets cannot be shared

Lord George Kerr knows this better than anyone. For five years, as a spy for His Majesty the King, he played the part of a Rake, concealing his espionage activities beneath a blanket of brothels, drink and loose women. Even though he’s forced to resume his regular life within London’s finest society, he still must keep some things hidden.

One thing he does not hide is his attraction to Miss Catherine Bennet of Longbourn. Enraptured by her beauty and warmth of character, he plunges headlong into winning her heart, only to find it carefully guarded and she’s unwilling to give him even a small pinch of hope.

Some things are beyond your control

When circumstances bring Kitty’s secret into the open, she fears the tenuous bonds of friendship she’s forged with Lord George will be lost forever along with whatever love he proclaims to have for her. With the very lives of England’s vast network of spies working undercover in Bonaparte’s France hanging in the balance, she’s forced to face her worst nightmare.

Her secret is laid bare, can he love her enough to overcome what he learns?

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Review

Catherine Bennet isn't the same silly girl she used to be now that three of her sisters have left and married. While she dreams of finding a love match as Lizzy and Jane, she's been keeping a secret that she feels will prevent that from ever happening.

Lord George Kerr has a reputation of being something he's not, but if that is what it takes to keep is true motives hidden than so be it. And the last thing he wishes to deal with are the mamas looking for an advantageous marriage for their daughters. He plans to marry for love and not for status.

Through a simple twist of fate these two are brought together. While their first introduction was short, the interaction was profound. Luckily for them, fate will step in and bring them back to together in a rather intriguing manner.

Their connection is strong and feelings grow the more they are in each other's company, but secrets have a way of coming out.

Lord George wants Catherine and Catherine wants Lord George, but once their secrets are laid bare, will this be the end of their possible courtship? Or will these secrets only bring them closer together?

Catherine is a rather riveting read that captivates the reader with intrigue, romance, and witty banter.

I love how Kitty is still the silly girl we love, but there is more to her now that she's been given the opportunity to grow in a mature young woman. I especially love how she made an effort to get to know Mary and strengthen their sisterly bond. And given her secret, she could have gone down the same path as Lydia but instead she bore it well and tried to live a life on her own terms.

Lord George is everything you want in a gentleman suitor. He's kind, caring, loyal, smart, witty, and cuts a fine figure on a horse. He also goes above and beyond for his family and his King and country. I especially love how attentive he is towards his Catherine. Even when she refuses him, he doesn't give up because he knows she's the one for him. And when he learns her secret, it doesn't change his feelings for her. I really loved him.

This was my first book from Sue and I look forward to what comes next and also going back and reading Caroline. Catherine has a thrilling storyline, a charming and beguiling hero, a strong and compassionate heroine, and a swoon worthy romance.

If you love Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice, than you'll adore Catherine. So do yourself a favor and pick up this enchanting continuation today.

About The Author

Sue Barr, transplanted Prairie Girl, now lives in beautiful Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her retired Air Force hubby, close to their two sons and families. When not busy writing she loves to read and bake, watch cooking shows and Survivor (don’t judge).

When Sue retired in 2015 from the London Police Service, she re-discovered #JAFF. Prior to that she’d read Pamela Aiden’s trilogy and, like all of us here, watched every movie ever made of Jane Austen’s books, as well as the spin-offs. Her favorite is Lost in Austen.

About that time, her childhood friend (Suzan Lauder) introduced her to A Happy Assembly. It wasn’t too long before the plot bunnies escaped and Sue began to wonder ‘whatever happened to Caroline Bingley after Charles and Mr. Darcy became engaged to the Bennet sisters?’ From that, Caroline was born, followed by Catherine which we are talking about today. In the works is Georgiana and who knows what else will follow….

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Blog Tour Schedule

May 28 / My Jane Austen Book Club / Launch Post & Giveaway

May 29 / From Pemberley to Milton / Excerpt Post & Giveaway

May 30 / Just Jane 1813 / Guest Post & Giveaway

May 31 / More Agreeably Engaged / Author Spotlight & Giveaway

June 1 / So Little Time… / Excerpt Post & Giveaway

June 2 / Liz’s Reading Life / Book Review & Giveaway

June 4 / Diary of an Eccentric /Book Review & Giveaway

June 5 / My Vices and Weaknesses / Book Review & Giveaway

June 6 / Savvy Verse & Wit / Guest Post & Giveaway

June 7 / Margie’s Must Reads / Book Review Post & Giveaway

June 8 / Obsessed with Mr. Darcy / Book Review & Giveaway

June 9 / My Love for Jane Austen / Excerpt Post & Giveaway

June 10 / Babblings of a Bookworm / Excerpt Post & Giveaway

June 11 / Austenesque Reviews / Guest Post & Giveaway

Book Blast & Giveaway ~ The Vision of a Viscountess, The Widowers of the Aristocracy #2, by Linda Rae Sande

The Vision of a Viscountess

The Widowers of the Aristocracy Book 2

By Linda Rae Sande

Genre: Regency romance

Love looks with the mind, but not with the eye... which explains Cupid’s success

When Baron Jasper Henley is caught kissing a marquess’ niece in the gardens during a ball, he agrees to marry the girl. It’s not the first time he’s been forced to marry—he and his late wife had been caught kissing in front of the same fountain prior to his marriage proposal—but he had always intended to marry Sophie.

While on a visit to London to visit her uncle and his new wife, Marianne Slater is happy to attend the Season’s entertainments—even if she can’t see very well. The world is a blur unless it’s close-up. Usually a wallflower at balls, Marianne is stunned when a gentleman approaches and offers to escort her in the gardens. A clear-eyed innocent kiss suddenly results in the blurry whirlwind of a quick wedding and its subsequent aftermath.

Determined to show his new bride the wonders of the ancient world in Sicily as part of his next archaeological expedition—their wedding trip—Jasper will do whatever it takes to see to it Marianne can see more clearly. But as things come into focus for her, Jasper may find his own vision clouded by an unexpected revelation. Can the insights he discovers from bits of history open his eyes to future possibilities? He may prefer blindness in “The Vision of a Viscountess.”

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Excerpt

His phobia forgotten, Jasper weaved his way through the crowd to where the young lady sat, glancing about in search of a companion or chaperone who might introduce them.

“Hello,” she said, coming to her feet in a graceful move that segued into a deep curtsy. Her gown, a column of white silk de Naples embroidered with white silk threads, had obviously been made by one of the best modistes in London. The fact that it was white suggested she was unmarried.

“Hullo,” Jasper managed as he gave a bow. He dared a glance to his left and then to his right. “Pardon me, but I... it looks as if your companion, or chaperone—”

“Aunt,” she interrupted with a sly grin.

“Has gone missing,” he continued, worry evident in his voice. How could such a delectable creature be left alone among the palm trees at the back of Lord Attenborough’s ballroom?

“She’s dancing with Lord Devonville.”

One of Jasper’s eyebrows cocked up. “Ah. Poor thing,” he murmured, not intending for her to actually hear the comment. Her brilliant smile had him a bit mortified when he realized she had heard. Besides the dimple that appeared in her left cheek, her porcelain skin bloomed with a pretty shade of pink while her bright blue eyes focused on him to the point he realized she could see, although perhaps not well. “Oh, pardon me. I didn’t mean it like that,” he said with a shake of his head.

“Oh, I won’t tell him. I promise,” she countered, her face still displaying an expression of delight.

Jasper blinked. “You know him well enough to tell him should you wish to?” he wondered aloud, daring a glance at the dancers who were still performing the cotillion. They would continue to do so for at least another fifteen minutes.

The young lady nodded. “Devonville is my uncle.”

About The Author

A self-described nerd and lover of science, Linda Rae spent many years as a published technical writer specializing in 3D graphics workstations, software and 3D animation (her movie credits include Shrek and Shrek 2). An interest in genealogy led to years of research on the Regency era and a desire to write fiction based in that time.

A fan of action-adventure movies, she can frequently be found at the local
cinema. Although she no longer has any fish, she follows the San Jose Sharks.

She makes her home in Cody, Wyoming. See her upcoming books on her
website.

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Blog Tour ~ The Laird of Blackloch, Highland Rogue #2, by Amy Rose Bennett

The Laird of Blackloch

Highland Rogue Series

by Amy Rose Bennett

The Laird of Blackloch, Book 2 in the Highland Rogue Series by Amy Rose Bennett, is due for release with Harlequin’s Escape Publishing on the 12th March 2018!

Revenge might be sweet, but love is far sweeter ...

Following the Battle of Culloden, Alexander MacIvor returns to his ancestral home, Blackloch Castle, only to find the Earl of Tay, chief of the rival Clan Campbell, has laid waste to everything he holds dear. In the face of such devastation, Alex seems doomed to live the life of a fugitive Jacobite ... until a stroke of good luck allows him to escape the Highlands and begin again.

Years later, styling himself as a wealthy Englishman, Alexander reclaims his forfeited estate, becoming the new Laird of Blackloch. But it’s not nearly enough to quench his thirst for vengeance. Hell-bent on destroying Lord Tay, he single-mindedly sets about driving his nemesis to bankruptcy. When he learns the earl intends to marry the very beautiful English heiress, Miss Sarah Lambert, thus escaping penury, he devises a devious plan: kidnap Miss Lambert and ransom her to hasten Tay’s ruin.

When Sarah Lambert learns Lord Tay is not the man she thought he was during a masquerade ball in Edinburgh, she is devastated. Reeling from her discovery, things go from bad to worse when a mysterious yet charming guest by the name of Alexander Black turns out to be a true devil in disguise. Abducted and whisked way into the wild Highlands by Black, Sarah is imprisoned in a remote, island-bound tower. Refusing to be a pawn in Black’s diabolical plan for revenge, she determines that somehow, some way, she will regain her freedom. If only she could unlock Black’s secrets ...

Living in such close quarters, Alexander quickly discovers the spirited Sarah is more than a match for him, and even the best laid plans can go awry when passion flares and the spark of love threatens to revive his long-dead heart. When the shadows of the past begin to gather, will Alexander and Sarah find their way forward ... or will the threatening darkness destroy them both?

Pre-Order The Laird of Blackloch Now

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For those interested in reviewing and ARC of The Laird of Blackloch, it’s now available for request on NetGalley

Amy Rose Bennett has always wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember. An avid reader with a particular love for historical romance, it seemed only natural to write stories in her favorite genre. She has a passion for creating emotion-packed—and sometimes a little racy—stories set in the Georgian and Regency periods. Of course, her strong-willed heroines and rakish heroes always find their happily ever after.

Amy is happily married to her own Alpha male hero, has two beautiful daughters, and a rather loopy Rhodesian Ridgeback. She has been a speech pathologist for many years but is currently devoting her time to her one other true calling—writing romance.

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Blog Tour & Author Interview ~ A Short Period of Exquisite Felicity by A. D'Orzaio

A Short Period of Exquisite Felicity

Author: A. D’Orzaio

Publisher: Meryton Press

Is not the very meaning of love that it surpasses every objection against it?

Jilted. Never did Mr. Darcy imagine it could happen to him.

But it has, and by Elizabeth Bennet, the woman who first hated and rejected him but then came to love him—he believed—and agree to be his wife. Alas, it is a short-lived, ill-fated romance that ends nearly as soon as it has begun. No reason is given.

More than a year since he last saw her—a year of anger, confusion, and despair—he receives an invitation from the Bingleys to a house party at Netherfield. Darcy is first tempted to refuse, but with the understanding that Elizabeth will not attend, he decides to accept.

When a letter arrives, confirming Elizabeth’s intention to join them, Darcy resolves to meet her with indifference. He is determined that he will not demand answers to the questions that plague him. Elizabeth is also resolved to remain silent and hold fast to the secret behind her refusal. Once they are together, however, it proves difficult to deny the intense passion that still exists. Fury, grief, and profound love prove to be a combustible mixture. But will the secrets between them be their undoing?

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Author Interview

I am pleased to welcome Amy to my little corner of cyberspace.

Greetings, Liz! It’s so nice to be here at Liz’s Reading Life to stop by today for a chat. As you know, I have just released my second JAFF story, A Short Period of Felicity and I am grateful for the opportunity to stop by to answer your questions so your readers can learn more about me and my writing process.

Let's start with, do you have any unique or quirky writing habits?

Unfortunately I don’t think I do anything too unique or interesting when I write! Its just me, my computer and whatever quiet corner I can claim for myself.

Describe what your ideal writing space looks like.

My porch. Its an old fashioned wrap around porch and I have a very comfy big wicker chair and a good view of my pond. Being that I live in Pittsburgh, I can only write out there about 6 months out of the year, but its a glorious 6 months and its definitely the time I do my best writing.

What's the strangest thing you have ever had to research online for your book?

I have an odd but intense need to match the weather in my books with the weather such as it really was. So if I say there was driving rain on March 10, you can be fairly certain that I looked it up and made sure there really was driving rain on March 10. I’ve spent a lot of hours on that sort of thing and to be honest, I am sure no one really cares! But I do it anyway :)

If you were deserted on an island, which three people would you want to have with you? Why?

Oh this is an easy one! I’d bring Viscount Saye from my book and from Pride and Prejudice, I’d bring Darcy of course! (Can I bring Elizabeth Bennet too?) And last but not least, Jane Austen herself.

Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

Oh absolutely. There are names of people I know, places I’ve been, even songs I like! A Short Period of Exquisite Felicity has the names of the pets of myself and one of my beta readers and The Best Part of Love was titled after an old Air Supply song.

What writing advice do you have for other aspiring authors?

Find a community that will help you grow and develop as a writer. I was really fortunate to stumble upon A Happy Assembly at meryton.com early on in my JAFF journey and feel super blessed for all the people who supported and encouraged me along the way, but at the same time taught me how to find plot holes and write realistic dialogue as well as adhere to the standards of regency England. I think the support of a group like that, along with a great team of beta readers, is really critical and I would urge any aspiring author to do the same. Writing seems like a solitary venture but its not, its absolutely a team sport.

Speed Round:

Tea or coffee? I’ll take both thanks :) Coffee to start, then iced tea, all day long.

Morning Person or Night Owl? Morning person, 100%. I become incoherent somewhere around 930 PM

Cats or Dogs? Dogs! Particularly Jack Russell Terriers, I have three of them, and A Short Period of Exquisite Felicity is dedicated to the memory of my dog Maggie who died last year

Movies or TV? TV! Cheesy sitcoms, trashy reality shows with some PBS mixed in to keep myself sane

What came first, the chicken or the egg? Chicken. Not a doubt in my mind :)

Thank you for stopping by Amy, I've really enjoyed spending this time getting to know you better. Congrats on the release of A Short Period of Exquisite Felicity, I look forward to reading it.

About The Author

Amy D’Orazio is a former breast cancer researcher and current stay at home mom who is addicted to Austen and Starbucks in about equal measures. While she adores Mr. Darcy, she is married to Mr. Bingley and their Pemberley is in Pittsburgh PA.

She has two daughters who are devoted to sports which require long practices and began writing her own stories as a way to pass the time she spent sitting in the lobbies of various gyms and studios. She is a firm believer that all stories should have long looks, stolen kisses and happily ever afters. Like her favorite heroine, she dearly loves a laugh and considers herself an excellent walker.

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A Short Period of Exquisite Felicity Tour Schedule

February 21st

More Agreeably Engaged

February 22nd

From Pemberley to Milton

February 23rd

Austenesque Reviews

February 24th

My Vices and Weaknesses

February 25th

My Love for Jane Austen

February 26th

Babblings of a Bookworm

February 27th

Savvy Verse and Wit

February 28th

Laughing with Lizzie

March 1st

So Little Time

March 2nd

Of Pens and Pages

March 3rd

Liz’s Reading Life

March 4th

Just Jane 1813

March 5th

Diary of an Eccentric

March 6th

Margie’s Must Reads

Blog Tour & Giveaway ~ Devil's Run, Scandalous Miss Brightwell #3, by Beverley Oakley

Devil's Run
Scandalous Miss Brightwell series

By Beverley Oakley

Beverley is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Certificate to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Please use the RaffleCopter below to enter. Remember you may increase your chances of winning by visiting the other tour stops. You may find those locations here.

Blurb

A rigged horse race - and a marriage offer riding on the outcome. When Miss Eliza Montrose unexpectedly becomes legal owner of the horse tipped to win the East Anglia Cup, her future is finally in her hands – but at what cost?

George Bramley, nephew to the Earl of Quamby, will wager anything. Even his future bride.

Miss Eliza Montrose will accept any wager to be reunited with the child she was forced to relinquish after an indiscretion — even if it means marrying a man she does not love.

But when the handsome and charming Rufus Patmore buys a horse from her betrothed, George Bramley, whose household her son visits from the foundling home, her heart is captured and the outcome of the wager is suddenly fraught with peril.

**This is book 3 in the Scandalous Miss Brightwell series, though it can be read as a stand-alone.

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Excerpt

This excerpt begins after Eliza has just plunged into the lake to rescue three drowning children and their nanny. Having dragged them – and herself – to shore, she makes a shocking discovery.

Chapter Two

Eliza had forgotten what it felt like to enjoy a man’s attention. He’d started to dry her in a vigorous attempt to warm her but then his touch gentled and he simply stared down at her.

The wonder in his eye as he murmured words of praise was a rare sensation. Embarrassed, she turned away. Yes, turned away because she could not afford to be so obviously disquieted by another man when she was affianced to George Bramley who stood a few feet away from her. He was also staring but there was no softness in his countenance.

Hoping to avoid any more gestures of admiration or kindness from Mr Patmore, Eliza politely extricated herself and put out her hand to arrest the progress of the Foundling Home lad whom Nanny Brown was pursuing with a piece of dry linen.

His impish grin reminded her of young Miss Katherine’s, Lady Fenton’s daughter. Clearly the two had had a great adventure unlike Young George who was lying on his stomach upon the grass, shaking with sobs.

“Did you drink a lot of water, Young George?” Eliza asked, looking down at the crying boy but he ignored her. “I said we shouldn’t go out! I said!” He pounded his fists. “No one ever listens to what I say!”

Eliza shared a wry smile with the rather lovely Mr Patmore whom she found still staring at her but, as he looked about to approach her again, she turned her back on him and instead brought the Foundling Home boy to stand in front of her now that she’d succeeded in catching him. Eliza would not have Mr Bramley – or anyone else – accuse her of encouraging the attentions of a man not her betrothed.

“Jack – that’s your name, isn’t it? Well, you’ll have something to tell them back at the Foundling Home.” She’d seen him only from a distance and now, mud bespattered and with his hair matted over his forehead it was difficult to make out his features though she knew from various anecdotes that young Jack distinguished himself for keeping Miss Katherine’s wilfulness in check and peace between Katherine and her cousin, Young George.

Jack stood obediently before her as he started to wring out his threadbare shirt. “Nah, I’m fine, m’lady,” he said, glancing up to reveal a pair of small white teeth in a freckled face. “But thanks for savin’ me, an’ all.”

Eliza was about to let him go. Releasing her grip a second later might have changed the course of her life, she thought later that evening, and perhaps it would have been better if she had. Why repeat the trauma she’d already experienced?

But for now she was acting on instinct and instead of letting him go when it would have seemed natural, her grip on his wrist tightened while the air in her lungs disappeared, and she had to open and close her eyes three times before she was ready to believe what she saw.

“Gideon?” There seemed still no air to say his name. A great pressure was building in her head. Finally she was able to gasp in a breath, forcing herself to resist the urge to draw him into her embrace and wail her joy.

And pain.

How many other boys of seven years sported a tiny extra claw on their left hand? Or had been thrust into the cold, unloving world of the Foundling Home, she thought bitterly.

He stopped what he was doing to look at her uncomprehendingly and she added faintly, “Though that’s not what they call you, of course.”

An amused look crossed his face, making him look older and wiser than his seven years. Nearby, the weeping and wailing George was a puling infant. Smiling at her was a little man.

He pushed out his chest and said in a tone that was neither boastful nor self pitying, “There’s some ‘at call me Devil’s Cub, or bastard, but at the manor here they call me Jack.”

Devil’s Cub? The sixth finger accounted for the nickname, of course.

“Miss Montrose?” In the distance, Lady Fenton was calling her. Eliza was suddenly shaking like one suffering the ague. “Jack,” she repeated in a whisper, still staring at him as she clenched her own fists. Was the child tormented by his deformity? It looked as if not much troubled him though Eliza couldn’t remember how many times Eliza had been told the sixth finger was God’s punishment upon her bastard babe.

“Miss Montrose! Come away! Susan is waiting in the house with a warm bath and blankets. You must be chilled to the bone!”

Vaguely, she could hear the sounds of concern all around her but all Eliza could focus on was the impish face before her: that of her lost child.

Other Books in the Series

Book 1: Rake’s Honour
Book 2: Rogue’s Kiss
Book 3: Devil’s Run

About The Author

Beverley Oakley was seventeen when she bundled up her first her 500+ page romance and sent it to a publisher. Unfortunately drowning her heroine on the last page was apparently not in line with the expectations of romance readers so Beverley became a journalist.

Twenty-six years later Beverley was delighted to receive her first publishing contract from Robert Hale (UK) for a romance in which she ensured her heroine was saved from drowning in the icy North Sea.

Since 2009 Beverley has written more than thirteen historical romances, mostly set in England during the early nineteenth century. Mystery, intrigue and adventure spill from their pages and if she can pull off a thrilling race to save someone’s honour – or a worthy damsel from the noose – it’s time to celebrate with a good single malt Scotch.

Beverley lives with her husband, two daughters and a Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy the size of a pony opposite a picturesque nineteenth century lunatic asylum. She also writes Africa-set adventure-filled romances tarring handsome bush pilot heroes, and historical romances with less steam and more sexual tension, as Beverley Eikli.

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Book Tour & Giveaway ~ The Most Dangerous Duke In London, Decadent Dukes Society #1, by Madeline Hunter

The Most Dangerous Duke in London

by Madeline Hunter

Genre: Historical Romance

Notorious Nobleman Seeks Revenge

Name and title: Adam Penrose, Duke of Stratton. Affiliation: London’s elite Society of Decadent Dukes. Family history: Scandalous. Personality traits: Dark and brooding, with a thirst for revenge. Ideal romantic partner: A woman of means, with beauty and brains, willing to live with reckless abandon. Desire: Clara Cheswick, gorgeous daughter of his family’s sworn enemy.

Faint Of Heart Need Not Apply

Clara may be the woman Adam wants, but there’s one problem: she’s far more interested in publishing her women’s journal than getting married—especially to a man said to be dead-set on vengeance. Though, with her nose for a story, Clara wonders if his desire for justice is sincere—along with his incredibly unnerving intention to be her husband. If her weak-kneed response to his kiss is any indication, falling for Adam clearly comes with a cost. But who knew courting danger could be such exhilarating fun?

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The Duke of Stratton was becoming a serious inconvenience. Part of the joy of being an older woman known to be uninterested in marriage was that people tended not to notice what she did. Clara had enjoyed that freedom even before her father’s death and now did so even more because she occupied Gifford House alone.

Stratton’s curiosity about her complicated that. Now here she was, sitting in his carriage when she should have been visiting the decorator she had hired to make some changes at her house on Bedford Square. Since no one knew about the house, she could hardly have the duke trailing her there.

She did not care for how he maneuvered her into spending this time with him. She resented that he had won a little contest.

“Do you prefer town? You spend a good deal of time here,” he said once they were seated across from each other and the coachman had opened the carriage to the air.

From anyone else she would think it small talk. From this man, she heard an intrusive question. “I like both town and the country. I spend time in both places. However, after all the months at Hickory Grange after my father’s funeral, it was time to see some friends here and dip one foot into society again.” Even as she said it, she worried that she gave him too much information.

“Your bluestocking friends?”

“Yes.”

“What do you do when you are not talking letters with them?”

“If I told you, I would no longer be intriguing and mysterious.”

It was a mistake to say that. She knew it as soon she said it. His dark eyes settled on her, amused and too confident that he saw more than she wanted. That gaze unsettled her. She found it stark, almost naked, in its demand for her attention. It implied intimacies of the spirit that she did not want to have or acknowledge.

She hurried to brush her own provocation aside. “You will find my interests very boring and feminine. I visit drapers and feast my eyes on the fabrics I cannot wear now. I stroll through warehouses and covet silk cords and laces.”

“Why not buy them now and store them until you can use them?”

“Because the anticipation is part of the fun. There is the danger it will build to a fever, however, and when I finally remove these black ensembles, I will be so reckless in my spending on a new wardrobe that Theo will have to bail me out of debt.”

“Oh, I doubt that.”

She knew then that this man had learned about the size of her inheritance. Had Theo told him? Perhaps he had only heard gossip, but that would be enough.

It entered her mind that his only reason to pursue her with that stupid proposal was her fortune. As if the Duke of Stratton needed that! Although, really, who knew if he did or did not? She had not investigated him the way he had obviously investigated her, although she intended to.

Still, a man after her fortune. How predictable. How commonplace. How disappointing.

Once they were in the park she asked her own questions, while she encouraged their stroll to leave the main path so they might not be seen together.

“Would you truly not mind if the woman you proposed to had a lover before you? You keep implying as much.” She thought it a sophisticated and arch query and waited for him to avoid the meal once she set it squarely on a plate in front of him.

“You are what, twenty-four years in age? Only a fool would require innocence of a woman of that maturity.”

“What a liberal outlook you have.”

“I like to think so. I am only being a bit strict with you because I cannot risk my heir being the son of another man. I am sure you understand.”

She looked over at him, hoping to see that little smile or anything that indicated his continued references to his proposal were now a private joke. Regrettably, he appeared most serious. She decided that objecting would only dignify the ridiculous notion, so she ignored it.

Since he had coerced her into spending this time with him, he could not object to some frank questions about his life and his family, especially if he really believed they would marry. Althea was charged with investigating this man, but every bit added to the pile would help.

“Why did you leave?” she asked while they strolled through a little copse of budding trees.

“It was time to come back.”

“I did not mean why did you leave France. Why did you leave England?”

His mood altered in a snap, as if the question opened a door to the dark humor she sensed in him. “My mother did not want to remain here after my father’s death, so I took her away and ensured she was settled in Paris.”

“She wanted to go home, you mean. That is understandable.”

“She had lived here for decades. This should have been her home, not a foreign land to escape. There were those who never welcomed her, however, or allowed her to make her place here.”

“If she is happy in France now, that is what matters, isn’t it?”

“I did not say she was happy. She did not want to return to France. She just did not want to remain here.”

His sharp tone made her stop walking. “I am sorry if I misunderstood. I was careless in my response. Of course she could not be happy to leave her home of so many years.” She swallowed the question that begged to be asked. Why did she not want to remain here?

They stood under one of the trees, in the tangle of linear shadows its branches made.

“Do you really know so little about my life?” he asked. “Did you never hear the talk about my mother? You were out before she left. Before my father died.”

She did not have to search her memory long to remember some of the talk she had heard. Her grandmother’s voice always dripped with disdain when she mentioned Stratton’s French duchess. Grandmother was one of the people who suspected the worst of everything and everyone French during the war.

Others had sniffed when the Duchess of Stratton walked by at a ball, however. Clara had always assumed they envied her beauty and sought bad gossip out of spite. In truth she had not much cared what people said, however. The old war between her family and Stratton’s had left her unsympathetic to whatever slights were visited on his mother.

“I will admit, now that you speak of it, that I do know something of what she endured,” she admitted. “If that drove her away, it was not fair.”

To her surprise he took her hand and raised it to a kiss. “That alone did not do it. However, it is good of you to see how unfair it was.”

That kiss on her hand, brief though it was, created a bridge of intimacy. She felt that kiss all the way up her arm and down her body. His gaze captured hers before he kissed her hand yet again, slowly.

She did not pull her hand away. She did not avert her eyes, as she most definitely should. Instead she stared while that kiss and those dark eyes enlivened her whole body.

He drew her closer, closer, until she either had to step toward him or fall. She did a bit of both, stumbling awkwardly, and found herself in his arms.

He was going to kiss her. She was sure of it. That must not happen. Instead of pushing away, however, she could not move. His gaze paralyzed her and incited an unseemly excitement.

His arms embraced her. He looked down. Dazed, she closed her eyes and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

When nothing happened, she opened her eyes. Instantly the euphoria lifted, and she felt a fool. She tried to extricate herself from his embrace, but he did not allow it.

“Do you want me to kiss you?” he asked.

“Of course not. You are the last man I want kissing me, I assure you.” She refused to look at him and continued trying to pull away.

“That is not true. Let us be honest with each other in this if nothing else.” His head dipped and his lips hovered over hers.

Her breath caught. Heavens, but he was beautiful. And exciting. Even that darkness seduced. Thrills kept spiraling through her, begging to have excuses to become something more powerful.

“Part of the fun is the anticipation,” he said quietly, imprisoning her with his gaze. “Although there is always the danger of it building to a fever.” His lips brushed hers, ever so faintly, but enough to create a starburst of sensation.

It was a terrible tease. A provocative promise.

Madeline Hunter is a New York Times bestselling author with more than six million copies of her books in print. She has twenty-nine nationally bestselling historical romances in print, including most recently, The Wicked Duke, Tall, Dark, and Wicked, His Wicked Reputation, and The Accidental Duchess. A member of RWA’s Honor Roll, she has won the RITA Award twice and been a finalist seven times. Her books have appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly, and have been translated into thirteen languages. She has a PhD in art history, which she has taught at the university level. Madeline also writes the Romance Unlaced column for USAToday.com’s Happy Ever After site.

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Book Blast & Giveaway ~ It Stared With A Kiss, The Worthingtons #3, by Ella Quinn

It Started With a Kiss

The Worthingtons Series, Book 3

by Ella Quinn

Genre: Historical Romance

Blurb

What is a young Worthington woman to do when the man of her dreams is not who she thinks he is?

This season, all eyes are on the Earl of Worthington’s spirited, beautiful sister, Lady Louisa Vivers. Many gentlemen are vying for her attention in and around the ton. Yet, Louisa longs for someone who can take her beyond the ballroom—a man who is worldly, adventurous, and passionate. She won’t settle for just any suitor. She wants her true soul mate—and she’ll know him when she sees him.

Is Gideon, the Duke of Rothwell, him? The moment he and Louisa meet, they share a powerful attraction. Rides at sunrise and waltzes at dusk follow. Finally, Gideon can no longer resist the urge to embrace her, and Louisa is sure he will ask for her hand. But Gideon believes he is in no position to marry. The Rothwell estate has gone bankrupt, a scandal simmers in its wake, and he has nothing left to offer. Now, he must decide if he will let pride stand in the way of true love—or if he will risk everything, and let the lady decide for herself…

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Excerpt

“Rothwell.”

A pair of showy dark bay horses drew even with him, followed by an extremely fashionable curricle.

“Bentley.” Resisting the urge to smile, Gideon raised his quizzing glass, reviving a long-standing joke between him and his cousin. “When are you going to learn to select decent horseflesh?”

“If you really cared,” Bentley retorted, “you would have been here to help me, and not off in Canada dressing in bearskins or whatever it is you wore over there.”

The carriage came to a stop.

“Harrumph,” Gideon scoffed. “While you are here and obviously have nothing better to do, I would appreciate a ride to Doctors’ Common.” He needed to tell Templeton about this latest development. Not waiting for his cousin to answer, Gideon climbed onto the curricle. “You may also tell me what is so urgent I must drop everything and come to Town immediately. As it is, you’ve left me kicking my heels for two days.”

Bentley started the horses, but immediately turned to face Gideon and dropped his ribbons.

“Watch what you’re doing!” He grabbed the reins from his cousin’s slack fingers.

“Blast. I forgot.”

Bentley reached for the ribbons, but Gideon shook his head. “I think I’ll keep them until you’re finished.”

His cousin heaved a sigh worthy of Drury Lane. “I am in love, and I need help convincing her to marry me.”

Gideon loved his cousin like a brother, but he had no idea how he could assist in matters of the heart. Then again . . . “Happy to do whatever I can. Who is the lucky woman?”

“Didn’t I tell you?” Bentley asked, surprised.

“No,” Gideon replied with all the patience he could muster. “I received a letter from you telling me you needed my help, but you failed to give the reason.”

“You probably don’t know her in any event. She came out just this year.”

He raised a brow, hoping to hurry his cousin along.

“Lady Louisa Vivers.” Bentley said her name as if she was the sum of all his dreams.

Hell and damnation! Could my luck get any worse?

About The Author

Bestselling author Ella Quinn’s studies and other jobs have always been on the serious side. Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, were her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start writing them. She has just finished her first series, The Marriage Game, and her new series, The Worthingtons, began in April 2016.

She is married to her wonderful husband of over thirty years. They have a son and two beautiful granddaughters, and a dog. After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North Africa, England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make their dreams come true and are now living on a sailboat cruising the Caribbean and North America. Europe is next!

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