Blogger Report: Tessa Dare in the Philippines #tessadareinph

Poster of the event. Taken from the Powerbooks Facebook Page.

When one of your favorite authors travels from across the oceans and has scheduled a talk and book signing, you meet her halfway -- granted, it was Tessa Dare who went the greater distance (with her 14-hour flight vs my 55-minute one).

They had all of Tessa's books out.  I registered at 11ish and was already #15 in the book signing queue.

I know many romance authors have done tours and attended conferences in Australia, but this was the first time an author was visiting my country, so I considered this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Small token ready, flight and hotel booked, and fan-girl heart switched to "on", I brought my husband with me to the event.


PowerBooks and National Bookstore did a good job of organizing the book signing. They gave each one of us a queue number, that indicated the number of books they were having signed. Seats and venue were set up early and everything looked so beautiful -- and surreal. On Twitter, Tessa Dare jokingly compared it to an Oprah set.

It's like an Oprah set! Wow! RT @formerlys: .@TessaDare today! pic.twitter.com/TiCRDHIwHM

— Tessa Dare (@TessaDare) June 27, 2015

For me, this was something I had only seen in photos online from fellow bloggers in the U.S. It sunk in ... Really sunk in, that Tessa Dare was here ... And I would finally get to hear her talk. And I would finally get to talk to her.

As early as 11, when registration started, some of Tessa's fans had already staked out seats. I was so, so excited! I took my seat at around 2:30 and could see fellow readers with stacks of her books beside them. I sat beside this lovely lady who was actually reading Tessa's book while waiting for the event to start (book 3 of The Stud Club Trilogy, I think).

The talk was facilitated by Mina V. Esguerra and the following topics were covered:
- Tessa Dare's journey to being a writer
- where she gets her ideas
- Tacloban/Leyte and Typhoon Yolanda (Tessa Dare lived and worked there in her early 20s, and she has a very personal connection to the province.)
- historical accuracy vs. individual voice
- the research into detail and language
- how she develops characters, character pairings, and Youtubing blacksmiths
- readers reaction to her books and who fans loved from the Spindle Cove series (Minerva and Colin)

More topics were covered, but it took me a while before I recovered from my starstruckness and started taking notes.

Thank you, @70616f6c6f for this photo

I loved when Tessa Dare talked about Romancing the Duke. Tessa Dare cited 2 trending hashtags in the Philippines: #mayforever (there's a forever) to describe Izzy and #walangforever (there's no forever) to describe Ransom. She also talked about her upcoming book, When a Scot Ties a Knot, which comes out this August, and I could sense the excitement and anticipation of my fellow fans as Tessa went on to narrate the really fun premise of the third book in her Castles Ever After series.

Fans were able to ask Tessa some questions as well:
- how did she pick her pseudonym? (Fun Fact #1: She was almost Tessa Darcy)
- the idea of Regency LARPing, and how people during that period actually did have mock battles and large-scale role playing
- how does she stay faithful to the period, but still have a more contemporary feel?
- personal quirks: writing rituals, favorite pens, music she listens to while writing, etc. (Fun Fact #2: Tessa loves blue ink, doesn't like spiral notebooks because she is left-handed, and sometimes writes in longhand before transferring them to her computer.)
- does she have a say on cover design?

There were three moments during the talk that left a deep impression on me:
1. When Tessa said, "There are as many love stories as there are couples in the world."

I have read several times on the blogosphere that the romance novel is dead. That a sub-genre of romance is dead (paranormal, historical, etc) -- that there isn't anything new. That everything reads and sounds the same. I loved how certain and confident Tessa Dare sounded, and how true it is -- as a long-time reader, I am amazed by the creativity and insight and freshness that each new story offers. I've often said that romance is a tricky genre to write because there are fixed parameters (hero + heroine + obstacle + happy ending) -- but our beloved romance writers have proven time and time again the boundlessness of the genre.

2. "My goal is to make the reader laugh, cry, sigh and blush."

3. As I was lining up to have my book signed, I was able to chat with a few people ahead of me -- and the first thing we all said was, "I didn't know there were so many Tessa Dare fans here." --

It's this last one that really made my heart "sigh" (to borrow Tessa's words) -- just by being here, Tessa has made us realise that we aren't solitary in our love for romance novels. That we are many, and as diverse (and as quirky) as the characters she has created in her beautiful stories.

Thank you, Tessa Dare (and her wonderful family) for taking the time to meet and talk to all of us. Thank you National Bookstore and Powerbooks for believing in the genre, and for trusting the fans.

It's been a few days, but, every time someone asks me how the event went, I really break out in a giggle and can't stop gushing. =^_^=

Final fun fact: More than 40 people turned out for the event and Tessa signed more than a hundred books. (Some people bought the entire series that were on display and had them signed. I saw some get multiple copies and had planned to give them to friends. All in all, as a fan and advocate of historical romances, this was a wonderful, wonderful thing to see.)

Almost my turn.  Not sure if I was going to pass out or cry, or do both.

And then she hugged me, and all was right in the world.

* * *

What I gave Tessa --

Last summer, I attended an introductory workshop on Letter Art and our facilitator was the very young, and very talented Denise Silva. I asked her to copy out the letter that Izzy received informing her of the castle she inherited.

When Denise showed me the work, I got so excited! It turned out sooooo beautifully, don't you think?

Find Denise (and her works) on:

Instagram

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ARC Review: The Beautiful One by Emily Greenwood

Click here to pre-order the book on Amazon, release date: June 2, 2015
Click here to pre-order the paperback at The Book Depository
Anna Black has had her image stolen from her, and the villain wants more. Her trust and privacy betrayed, Anna is now hiding under a different name and identity, hoping to shake off the men who are pursuing her. The Beautiful One is a painting of Anna, that she had neither willingly posed for or known about -- until it was presented to her by the Marquess of Henshaw, who plans to showcase the painting and reveal Anna's identity during his annual ball. But the painting is not complete, and Henshaw wants Anna back. Anna has hidden herself safely at Rosewood, a finishing school and she'd been content with her life -- until she was tasked to accompany a student back to her guardian.

Anna had hoped to deliver the student and then quickly return to Rosewood, but the situation proves to be more complicated: the Viscount Grandville is still grieving over the death of his wife, and wants to be left alone. Lizzie is his late wife's niece, and the daughter of Will's best friend. He had thought he could keep the girl at arms length by sending her away to school and paying for her bills, but Lizzy has a different plan for herself. Unhappy with Rosewood, she planned a rendezvous with a gentleman, knowing that she would be caught and then expelled. She had hoped her uncle would allow her to stay with him -- but his response wasn't what she had expected.

Anna has to serve as mediator between uncle and niece, and finds herself getting slowly and more deeply involved with both her ward, and her ward's guardian. With the unveiling of The Beautiful One drawing ever closer, Anna realises just how much she stands to lose if she doesn't act quickly.

My favourite aspect of this book is that Emily Greenwood decided to take a different approach to her heroine's problem -- indirectly. Like the Sword of Damocles, the threat of Anna's identity revealed (and ruined) loomed menacingly over her, Instead of focusing on the pursuit/chase and the thwarting of the villain, the author decided to show that Anna had other problems (and the other aspects of her life) to consider as well -- making the threat a shadow that followed Anna. I think it added to the suspensefulness of the story: When would Will discover Anna's true identity? When would The Beautiful One be unveiled? What will happen next?

In the meantime, life went on. Emily Greenwood weaves a complex domestic drama:

Lizzie is Will's niece by marriage. It's difficult for Will to have Lizzie in his house, a constant reminder of his beloved wife. Will can't help his attraction and fascination for Anna, and vice versa. Anna tries to maintain a respectful distance between her and Will, because of her secret and out of respect for Will's late wife, who is portrayed as a paragon. Then Will's stepmother, Judith, and Will's brother, Tommy, enter the picture.

I thought the author was planning to pursue a secondary love story between Tommy and Lizzie, because their initial meeting had sparks -- but it doesn't seem to be the case. Which leads me to one of the few problems in the story:





***** SPOILER ALERT *****
***** SPOILER ALERT *****
***** SPOILER ALERT *****
***** SPOILER ALERT *****
***** SPOILER ALERT *****




Lizzie overhears a conversation between Will and his brother, and it devastates her. This scene scream for a confrontation between Lizzie and Tommy, but it never happens. There is a resolution to this particular issue, but it seemed vague -- I'm not sure if there was an apology, but I'm certain there was no forgiveness. I don't know if this is something the author plans to develop in future stories, but this felt a bit lacking in this particular story.

Lizzie confused me, actually. And I think I'm meant to be confused. She is 17, and an orphan. Her closest living relative is a man who doesn't want her, so I understand her outrageous behaviour, but there doesn't seem to be anything consistent about her. (Except her desire to go back to Malta.) Does she have hidden depths, and only pretending to be vapid and shallow? What is it that she truly wishes to happen? I ask these questions because I wondered about her behaviour in some chapters of the book. (When she dressed and acted seductively. When, in anger, she broke that part of one of Will's statues. Etc. We know there's brokenness within her, but I'm trying to figure out what is her motivation.)

With the generous allowance she began receiving from her uncle, she'd buried her grief under mounds of pretty clothes, the kinds of things a poor churchman's daughter would never have owned. And she'd set herself learning every bit of the reviled deportment. The girls at Rosewood didn't laugh at her anymore, but by then she hadn't wanted their shallow friendship. Gentlemen were better.
- loc 403

***** END OF SPOILER *****

I was also a bit concerned about how the love story between Will and Anna was developing. I loved, loved, loved their initial meeting and was expecting the sort of sparky chemistry you see when grumpy meets sassy. I started wondering about Will during their second encounter -- Will isn't really a hero I could sympathise with. I was very surprised when he propositioned Anna (and believed she could be "bought" if the price was right.) I could not shake the feeling that he never saw Anna as anything more than ...

"Not for my ward," he said, wanting to stop himself from saying one more wicked word even as he gave in to the despair that told him nothing mattered anymore. "For me."

A pause as realisation dawned and color flooded her face. "I cannot believe you would propose such a thing."

Her breathing had quickened, and a distant part of his mind was shouting that he was a devil and he'd shocked her horribly. But he was unmoored from that man now. He reached up and put his palm against her cheek. Dear God, the soft warmth of a woman's skin, the give of her smooth flesh.

He read mutiny in her eyes as she pushed his hand away. "How dare you!"

"I'm willing to make it worth your while. You have the look of someone who would put a hundred pounds to good use."

His answer was a forceful slap that left his cheek burning, as alive to sensation now as the hand that had touched her.
- loc 288

On the other hand, I really appreciated how he saw through Anna's drabness and found Anna's beauty. I have to say that one aspect of Will that I really appreciated was his sense of responsibility to his family. He maintained a good relationship with his brother and their cousins, which is a contrast to Anna's own relationship with her father.

It's interesting to see how Anna never saw herself as beautiful -- her father was more interested in Anna's brain than her physical appearance, and Anna never had to worry or fuss about herself. I loved how she slowly came to the realisation of her full value -- not just her mind (her father). Not just her face and body (the Marquess of Henshaw). But her full being. Will is partly responsible for this, but I think Will's stepmother, Judith, and Lizzy also contributed to her awakening.

Her gown really did look like boiled dust. And for the first time, she cared.
- loc 1841

I'm trying to think of how to conclude this review. Did I like the book? Yes. While it wasn't without flaws, I could see the author's intentions and the story was resolved well. Anna, especially, was an interesting heroine and, perhaps, the greatest asset of this story. Of all the characters, hers was the most fully formed and most understandable.

The Beautiful One is book 1 of Emily Greenwood's new The Scandalous Sisters series, and releases on July 2, 2015. To find out more about Emily Greenwood and her books, click below:
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Disclosure: I received this ARC through Netgalley. Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Emily Greenwood for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

Throwback Thursday: Historical Romance Edition

Thank you to Shabby Blogs (http://shabbyblogs.com/) for the free frame!

Happy Thursday, everyone! And welcome to a new feature on Buried Under Romance and Love Saves the World.

What is Throwback Thursday?
Traditionally, Throwback Thursday celebrates nostalgia, asking participants to post a personal photo or an image from their past -- usually from 5 to 10 years ago. There are a lot of book blogs that also do a book-related Throwback Thursday.

The Historical Romance Edition:
Since Mary of Buried Under Romance and I are unapologetic lovers of historical romances, we've decided to focus on our beloved genre.

Here are our rules:
1. It must be posted on a Thursday.
2. It must be a historical romance novel published before October 3, 2008.

Dove's Way by Linda Francis Lee, published July 2004

Blurb: 

“Even months after that day on the train, her face still haunted my dreams. And I was sure the feel of her in my arms would stay with me forever. But then one night, she stepped back into my life as if walking into my dreams ...”

Matthew Hawthorne saved Finnea Winslet’s life one day on a train in Africa. But Finnea didn’t know that on that day she saved Matthew’s soul. Destroyed by scandal, Matthew would have been ostracized completely by the unyielding society of his birth had he not been such an influential man. Matthew doesn’t let himself care about anyone or anything -- until Finnea arrives unexpectedly in Matthew’s hometown, Boston.

Raised in Africa, Finnea is as foreign to Bostonians as they are to her. Yet she is determined to make a new life for herself, so she turns to Matthew to learn the ways of that rigid town. But can Matthew help Finnea without losing what is left of his heart?

From the jungles of Africa to the heart of Boston society, Dove’s Way is an extraordinary tale of redeeming love that will rescue a man–and release a woman from the pain in her heart.

To find out more about Linda Francis Lee and her books, click below:


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Head over to Mary @ Buried Under Romance and Ki Pha of Doing Some Reading for their picks for Throwback Thursday.^_^

Fellow historical romance readers are welcome to join us. Enter your link below so we can visit your TBT: HR Edition post for the week! (Then go here to copy the Link code to your blogs.)

Review: Scandalously Yours by Cara Elliott

Click here to buy the book on Amazon
Click here to buy the paperback at The Book Depository
This is not the first time Cara Elliott has featured a group of smart, incredibly talented women in her series -- she did this with her Circle of Sin stories, but, what makes her Hellions of High Street series different is the injection of lightness and humor.

I'm a sucker for smart women in my romances, and the Sloane sisters are incredibly so. Olivia is an activist, and very passionate about her causes. This novel started out very well. I liked how independent-minded the heroine was, and how disinterested she was in the marriage game -- but, sadly, still needed to participate in the social activities for the sake of her younger sister (and their impoverished family). Olivia's younger sisters aren't much different from her: one is secretly a gifted poet (who is engaged in a word war with another poet, who happens to be a lord), and the other sister is secretly a romance writer. I love how distinct each sister is, and I can't wait to start reading their stories.

Olivia expelled another sigh. Unlike herself, who all too often wasn't smart enough to hide her rebellion against Society's rules, Anna was blessed with both beauty and brains. Her sister's manners were charming, her temperament sweet, and her appearance angelic. No one would ever guess that such a demure, dainty figure was, in fact, the author of the wildly popular racy novels featuring the intrepid English orphan Emmalina Smythe and Count Alessandro Crispini, an Italian Lothario whose exploits put Giacomo Casanova to the blush.
- Chapter 3

Olivia's first meeting with the Earl of Wrexham was over a game of chess, and I love how the game actually reflects our main characters. There's a lot of strategy involved as Wrexham tries to find a second wife (and mother to his young son). There's also a lot of thinking and planning as he also prepares to make a potentially policy-changing/world-changing speech in the House of Lords, but he needs the help of The Beacon, a famed reform writer for one of London's leading newspapers.

"Do you think that ladies are incapable of conceiving a plan of attack that requires thinking three or four steps ahead?" She knew the answer of course. Most men were predictable in their prejudices, assuming the fairer sex had naught but feathers for brains.

Which made his reply all the more unexpected.

"I have a sister," he said slowly. "So I am acutely aware of how sharp the female mind can be." A rumbled chuckle softened his solemn expression for just an instant. "Indeed, their skill at riding roughshod over an enemy's defines put the efficiency of many of my fellow officers to blush."
- Chapter 1

Wrexham is an interesting study: the world views him as a perfect hero, but he knows he isn't. He knows he is about the shatter this illusion once he makes his speech and he looks towards that event with both excitement and fear. I loved the metafiction at work here: Wrexham is the hero of this story, and, on paper, he's supposed to have everything (ergo, perfect): a title, money, the respect of his peers, etc. But, as we read how woefully inadequately Wrexham interacts with Olivia and how terribly he is botching up fatherhood, we know he isn't perfect.

But this is where the story gets a bit confusing: there's a little bit of everything in this story and I didn't know where to focus on: The dynamic between Olivia and Wrexham are an odd-couple pairing: one is footloose and fancy free and the other is stiff, unbending and all about the rules. This, perhaps, was the most promising theme explored in the story, and I wished the author had just focused on this. (This actually reminded me a bit of The Sound of Music with the Steel Corset (Lady Serena), a lady Wrexham is considering to marry, but who has a very extreme view of where children ought to be -- like The Baroness in The Sound of Music.)

This situation gets complicated when Wrexham's young son, Scottie, is included and there's a bit about an ad placed in a newspaper about a man seeking a wife. It reminded me of Sleepless in Seattle. While enjoyable, it made me wonder what the focus of the story was: is it the reform? is it the love triangle? is it the odd-couple pairing? The element of suspense and action is also introduced much later, and requires our hero and heroine to chase through the countryside chasing after a villain.

There are two obstacles for Wrexham: a group of lords are unhappy with the reforms he plans to introduce in his speech, and are taking drastic measures to stop him. Wrexham's son is also involved in some hi-jinx as he tries to find the lady he believes would be a perfect match for his father. There's also Olivia and her secret, and how it would affect her sisters' prospects of marriage if anyone would know the truth about her.

A testament to how talented a writer Cara Elliott is: the story works. It's a bit unwieldy and weighed down by so many story threads, but she succeeds in making you interested in the sisters and their stories. She also succeeded in giving Wrexham and Olivia a very good happily-ever-after.

Scandalously Yours is book 1 in Cara Elliott's Hellions of High Street series. To find out more about Cara Elliott and her books, click below:
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Free and Discounted Historical Romance Novels

Happy Sunday, all!

There's a List of Romance Novels currently on sale (up to 85% off). Click here to see the books.

Here are this week's free and discounted historical romance novels found on Amazon:


Heaven In His Arms by Lisa Ann Verge
FREE on Amazon
About the book:

216 pages, 8 reviews (Average customer rating: 4 stars)

From Lisa Ann Verge, RITA-nominated author of romantic, adventurous, historical novels

Struggling to survive on the streets of Paris, Genevieve will do anything to start a new life. She’ll even switch places with a King’s Girl, one of many penniless young noblewomen destined to be shipped to the savage French colonies. It’s a dangerous masquerade that comes with a high price: Once in Quebec, Genny will have to marry a stranger.

Notorious explorer André Lefebvre has too many reasons not to take a wife. He’s launching a western expedition deep into untamed lands -- a perilous journey that no gentlewoman could possibly survive. Forced to exchange vows with a King’s Girl in order to receive royal consent, he intends to leave his wife-of-convenience safely behind.

But once set loose in the New World, Genny defies her brawny, free-spirited husband, preferring to seduce rather than obey. She’ll risk any danger for a chance to build a real future ... even the danger to her own heart.

Midnight Lover by Barbara Bretton
FREE on Amazon
About the book:

291 pages, 82 reviews (Average customer rating: 4.2 stars)

Sworn enemies by day ... passionate lovers by night

The cowboy moved so quickly Caroline didn't have time to think, much less react. One moment he was standing there looking at her across the blazing hot Nevada street, the next moment, she was in his arms.

Her protests were stopped as he bent his head toward her. A complete stranger, a cowboy she'd met just moments ago when she stepped off the dusty stagecoach was actually going to put his mouth on hers and kiss her. Things like this never happened in Boston!

Just before she thought she would certainly swoon from the heat and the breathlessness and the shocking thrill of anticipation, the sound of gunshots pierced the fog she was in and a bullet whizzed past her left ear.

The cowboy swooped her up into his arms then dropped to the ground and rolled with her under the stagecoach. Her heavy skirts rode up over her thighs and she struggled to pull them down before he got a glimpse of her lacy pantalettes but it was no use. He had her pinned with his body and the way they fit together was shameful. His chest was pressed so close to her that she was certain he could feel the outline of her breasts through her blue dress. His hipbones jutted against the slight soft curve of her stomach and she dared not imagine the cause of the powerful heat pressing against her belly.

He took full advantage of the situation and positioned himself between her legs and she hated herself for noticing just how handsome he really was. She'd never felt more vulnerable”"or more alive”"in her entire life.

"You needn't look so pleased," she hissed as another round of gunfire ricocheted off the stagecoach above them. "I don't know how any decent person can live in such a terrible, lawless place like”"" She fumbled for words as he brought his mouth closer to hers.

"Welcome to Silver Spur," Jesse Reardon said.

And then he kissed her.

Bargaining With a Rake (A Whisper Of Scandal Novel Book 1) by Julie Johnstone $0.99 on Amazon
About the book:

292 pages, 69 reviews (Average customer rating: 4.2 stars)

For eleven years, Gillian Rutherford has dreamed of escaping her family’s dark secret and living a normal life. Now, faced with an unwelcome marriage that will chain her to London and the secret slowly killing her, she’s desperate to save herself and the sister she adores. Salvation comes in the form of an American shipping tycoon, and all she must do is seduce him into marrying her. But Gillian’s scheme hits a snag when she makes a bargain with a notorious rake Alexander Trevelle, Lord Lionhurst. He’ll help her win the hand of his American friend, if she’ll assist him with exacting revenge against her unwanted fiancé. But the price of the pact may just be their hearts.

Borrowed Dreams (Scottish Dream Trilogy Book 1) by May McGoldrick
$0.99 on Amazon
About the book:

388 pages, 67 reviews (Average customer rating: 4.5 stars)

The first Book In a New Trilogy (Scottish Dream Trilogy)

Winner of the Holt Medallion for Best Historical Romance

THE PROPOSAL

Driven to undo the evil wrought by her dead husband, Millicent Wentworth must find a way to save her estate and free the innocent people he enslaves. Her only hope is a marriage -- in name only -- to the notorious widower the Earl of Aytoun.

THE GROOM

Devastated by the tragic accident that killed his wife and left him gravely wounded, Lyon Pennington, fourth Earl of Aytoun, is tormented by the accusations that blame him for the catastrophe. Filled with despair, he lets his mother lure him into a marriage of convenience -- for the sake of a good-hearted woman on the verge of financial ruin.

THE DESIRE
Under Millicent’s gentle gaze, Lyon begins to regain his strength and his wounded heart begins to heal. And soon Millicent discovers that beneath his unruly beard and grim demeanor, Lyon just may be the most handsome -- and caring -- man she’s ever encountered. For the first time in her life, she realizes that she is alive -- alive with a smoldering desire for the one man she’ll love forever ...

Diary of an Accidental Wallflower: The Seduction Diaries Book 1 by Jennifer McQuiston
$0.99 on Amazon
About the book:

390 pages, 68 reviews (Average customer rating: 4.5 stars)

The first irresistible installment in New York Times bestselling author Jennifer McQuiston's Seduction Diaries series proves that some secrets are too delicious to hide.

Pretty and popular, Miss Clare Westmore knows exactly what (or rather, who) she wants: the next Duke of Harrington. But when she twists her ankle on the eve of the Season’s most touted event, Clare is left standing in the wallflower line watching her best friend dance away with her duke.

Dr. Daniel Merial is tempted to deliver more than a diagnosis to London's most unlikely wallflower, but he doesn’t have time for distractions, even one so delectable. Besides, she's clearly got her sights on more promising prey. So why can’t he stop thinking about her?

All Clare wants to do is return to the dance floor. But as her former friends try to knock her permanently out of place, she realizes with horror she is falling for her doctor instead of her duke. When her ankle finally heals and she faces her old life again, will she throw herself back into the game?

Or will her time in the wallflower line have given her a glimpse of who she was really meant to be?

Seduced By a Lady's Heart (Lords of Honor Book 1) by Christi Caldwell
$0.99 on Amazon
About the book:

191 pages, 41 reviews (Average customer rating: 4.8 stars)

Lieutenant Lucien Jones, son of a viscount, returned from war, to find his wife and child dead. Blaming his father for the commission that sent him off to fight Boney’s forces, he was content to languish at London Hospital ... until offered employment on the Marquess of Drake’s staff. Through his position, Lucien found purpose in life and is content to keep his past buried.

Lady Eloise Yardley has loved Lucien since they were children. Having long ago given up on the dream of him, she married another. Years later, she is a young, lonely widow who does not fit in with the ton. When Lucien’s family enlists her aid to reunite father and son, she leaps at the opportunity to not only aid her former friend, but to also escape London.

Lucien doesn’t know what scheme Eloise has concocted, but knowing her as he does, when she pays a visit to his employer, he knows she’s up to something. The last thing he wants is the temptation that this new, older, mature Eloise presents; a tantalizing reminder of happier times and peace.

Yet Eloise is determined to win Lucien’s love once and for all ... if only Lucien can set aside the pain of his past and risk all on a lady's heart.

Bride of a Scottish Warrior by Adrienne Basso
$1.99 on Amazon
About the book:

353 pages, 45 reviews (Average customer rating: 4.3 stars)

A union born of duty ...

Newly knighted Sir Ewan Gilroy needs a dowry and a wife, in that order. Though the widowed Lady Grace plans to enter a convent, squandering so much lush beauty -- and such a fortune -- would surely be its own sin. Grace will not be easily wooed, despite her family's urging and Ewan's famed charm. She challenges him as no woman ever dared, proving his equal in spirit and in passions ...

Forged by desire ...

To atone for her past, Grace vows to never remarry -- least of all a brash and reckless warrior. Yet whether defending her honor or stoking desires she hardly knew she possessed, Ewan is a man beyond compare. And as their fragile trust is threatened by treachery, Grace must decide whether to reach for the happiness within her grasp -- and fight for the love of her bold Highlander ...

An English Bride in Scotland (Highlander Book 1) by Lynsay Sands
$2.99 on Amazon
About the book:

389 pages, 188 reviews (Average customer rating: 4.2 stars)

Annabel had planned to become a nun. But when her mother arrives at the Abbey to bring her home to marry a Scottish laird -- her runaway sister’s intended husband -- her life takes a decidedly different turn.

And though Annabel isn’t the wife he’d planned for, strong, sexy Ross McKay is taken with his shy, sweet bride.

Annabel knows nothing about being a wife, running a castle -- or the marriage bed. But her handsome new husband makes her want to learn. When Annabel’s life is threatened, Ross vows to move the highlands itself to save her and preserve the passion that’s only beginning to bloom.

Happy reading!