Lovestruck Giveaway Hop (INT)

Welcome to my stop on the Lovestruck Giveaway Hop hosted by Under the Covers Book Blog.

There are 130 blogs participating in this hop and that's lots of chances to win something so, have fun hopping and discovering new blogs! (Linky is below.)

What can you win from my stop? I'm offering a $10 Amazon Gift Card or a book from The Book Depository for up to $10.

But first --

The theme of this hop is about being lovestruck -- and one hero came to mind immediately: Julian Spenser, the Marquess Dryden from Julie Anne Long's How the Marquess Was Won.

I had thought myself immune to romance novel book covers and was never affected by the Fabio covers of the 80s and 90s -- and had happily thought I would continue that way until now. But then, I saw the cover for Julie Anne Long's book -- I read the excerpt and then I read the book -- and then, the unthinkable happened: I fell. Hard. For the hero of the book.

What was it about Julian Spenser? The cover and the story portray him as the Regency equivalent of a rock star: people emulate him: his style, his manners, everything -- but Jules isn't impressed with himself and is looking for a sincere connection -- and he finds it in the most unlikely place: far from London, in Pennyroyal Green -- with a schoolteacher named Phoebe Vale.

And it didn't stop there. That one instance opened the floodgates and I started paying attention -- started reading other authors' and bloggers' imaginary casting calls for novels.

And started falling in love with more romance novel heroes along the way.

Dr. Rowan West from Renee Bernard's Ecstasy Wears Emeralds and Piers Yelverton from When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James



What's not to love about doctors? I love how dedicated Rowan and Piers are to medicine. I love that they were brave enough (and intelligent enough) to defy the conventions of their period and practice medicine the way they believe it ought to be practiced. Eloisa James has said that Piers is her tribute to Dr. House -- and she captures the essence of House in Piers Yelverton. I love how cranky and grumpy he was -- how he tried to resist Linnet but then he realizes he isn't immune to her grace and beauty. Dr. Rowan West had a horrible, life-changing experience in India (with the rest of the Jaded) -- when he returned home, he dedicated himself to helping others. How can you not love someone so noble? =^_^=

Leo Marsden from Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas

I love, love, love intelligent heroes and Leo is a math genius. And he's handsome to boot. It is this combination that puzzles Bryony, who has never felt beautiful in her entire life. She proposes marriage to Leo and Leo says yes -- because Leo has always, always loved Bryony, and has tried to make her realize this.

Despite their estrangement, Leo travels to the far end of the world to find her and bring Bryony back home to her sister. The trip is outside Leo's realm of experience and comfort, but he braves the dangers of India for her -- in the process, both discover a love and passion for the other that bring them together (and home) in the end.

Griffin Remmington, Lord Reading from Elizabeth Hoyt's Notorious Pleasures

Ah, Griffin is my anti-hero of sorts. He's a lord who runs an illegal gin distillery -- but not for nefarious reasons. No, he does it to save his family from his older brother's recklessness.

Hero Batten is the perfect lady who is doing charity work at the foundling house run by the Makepeace siblings. It's a case of opposites-attract and sparks fly whenever our hero and heroine are together.




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Now, it's your turn to share a moment that has left you lovestruck. ^_^

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*This giveaway is via Rafflecopter and is open to International Readers.
*This giveaway will run until August 20.
*One entry per household per IP.
*Rafflecopter will select 1 winner:

Who will receive either a $10 Amazon Gift Card
or
1 book of their choice from Book Depository (max value $10)
a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Hop on to the other blogs! Enjoy!