MERRY CHRISTMAS!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
For the rest of the year I will be quiet on the blog but not to worry I will be back in 2014 with author interviews and reviews.
Wishing you and your family a wonderful Holiday and a safe and prosperous New Year.
-Romance Reader Girl
Happy Friday Readers! Today, I am reviewing Danelle Harmon’s NEW book Lord Of the Sea. This is Ms. Haromon’s newest book in 12 years, and in one word it is FANTASTIC!! Check out my review below, leave a comment with your email and you could win an digital copy of this book! For more chances to win visit Rakes, Rogues and Romance and leave a comment.
Official Blurb: Captain Connor Merrick’s thirst for danger has brought him fame and fortune as one of the most brazenly successful privateers of the War of 1812. But deep beneath his swagger, derring-do and charm, the handsome American captain is hiding a devastating secret, and he’ll go to any lengths to protect it . . .
A Beauty Who Gets More Than She Bargained For. . . .
Rhiannon Evans has longed for an adventure—and a mysterious, dangerous man to sweep her off her feet. While enroute to the tropical paradise of Barbados, she never dreams that her heart will be captured by the dashing American privateer who rescues her from bloodthirsty pirates. Only Rhiannon can see beneath Connor’s reckless façade to the man beneath. But when tragedy strikes, can Rhiannon’s love save Connor from himself? Or will the secret he guards so carefully, end up being the undoing of them both?
Review: I was hesitant to read Lord Of The Sea. I have never been a fan of stories that involve ships, pirates, privateers and the high seas. It really has never been my kind of story, however, Danelle Harmon has proved me wrong not only did I like Lord Of The Sea, I LOVED it and look forward to going back and reading her back list.
Watch out Captain Jack Sparrow via Johnny Depp, Captain Connor Merrick is one American privateer who makes sailing the high seas sexy. Connor is a straight shooter who goes out there and gets the job done. There is nothing that will frighten Connor when sailing his beloved ship the Kestrel, the ship his father the legendary Brendan Merrick built and sailed before him. He will go out and seize every ship that the British Navy owns- no matter that his brother-in-law is an Admiral in the Royal Navy. The winds begin to change when he meets the young Welshwoman Rhiannon Evans. The fear of his shortfalls that he has kept locked away may encourage this adventurous privateer to become reckless, costing him more than he could ever imagine.
Born and raised in Britain, Rhiannon Evans yearns for adventure and is bound to get it one way or another. Luckily for her, she has a very attractive American privateer to guide her in adventures that she could have never dreamed of. When the attraction grows and blooms into a romance she has always dreamed of, she will find the strength that has been buried to fight for what she truly believes. When an adventure turns into a catastrophe, Rhiannon finds her voice and nothing will stop her from protecting the ones she loves.
I don’t even know where to start to tell you how amazing this story is. Ms. Harmon writes a story that leaves you on the edge of your seat not wanting to turn the page but at the same dying to turn the page, to see what happens next. I have never had so many moments where I lost my breath and prayed that on the next page I would find it. There is adventure, romance, humor, heartbreak and even death. Yes, you read correctly; there is death. The cast of characters are phenomenal which enriches this adventurous romantic story. What makes these characters and story remarkable is the way they are ruled by loyalty to family and loyalty to country, and doing what’s best for both is not always the easiest decision.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves a story full of adventure, romance and heart-stopping breathless moments. You won’t be disappointed.
Welcome back Ms. Harmon! I applaud you in writing a fantastic book that has made this non-lover of ships, pirates and privateers want to go and read them! I hope to see more stories from you in the future.
Purchase Lord Of The Sea and other books by Danelle Harmon on AMAZON and B&N.
-Romance Reader Girl
Readers- It’s out! It’s out! The latest book in the Brothers Sinister Series is out! Make sure you go out and get your copy Courtney Milan’s latest book The Countess Conspiracy. I know what I’m going to be doing today. 🙂 Stay tuned for my review to come soon.
Official Blurb: Sebastian Malheur is the most dangerous sort of rake: an educated one. When he’s not scandalizing ladies in the bedchamber, he’s outraging proper society with his scientific theories. He’s desired, reviled, acclaimed, and despised—and he laughs through it all.
Violet Waterfield, the widowed Countess of Cambury, on the other hand, is entirely respectable, and she’d like to stay that way. But Violet has a secret that is beyond ruinous, one that ties her irrevocably to England’s most infamous scoundrel: Sebastian’s theories aren’t his. They’re hers.
So when Sebastian threatens to dissolve their years-long conspiracy, she’ll do anything to save their partnership…even if it means opening her vulnerable heart to the rake who could destroy it for good.
You can purchase this book on AMAZON.
-Romance Reader Girl
Happy Monday Readers- I love my historical romances but sometimes I need a break and I got one when reading Layers Deep.
Official Blurb: He needs her to save a friend.
She needs him to plan her revenge.
Their pasts scar them Layers Deep.
Their passion distracts them…
…and distractions can be fatal.
Tristan Cross is battling emotional demons from the past. He lives in a world where trust is earned, loyalties are tested, and love is impossible. That is, until he meets Allie Green. She’s the only woman who can help him find a kidnapped friend and to top it off, she captivates him. All he has to do now is persuade her to work for Cross Enterprises, his top investigations firm.
Allie Green is a rookie cop seeking revenge and she’s willing to sell her soul to get it. With an opportunity to use Tristan Cross’s resources Allie calculates her time for payback. As vengeance boils her blood she can’t keep her mind off her new boss and Allie finds it difficult to keep her employment professional. With the mouth watering Tristan Cross distracting her, she struggles to prioritize an undercover job she’s been assigned and her hunger for revenge.
And when you’re ready to give up your life to save someone else, distractions can be fatal.
My Thoughts: I was a little hesitant to read this book as I thought it was going to be similar to Sylvia Day’s Crossfire Series. Yes, there are a couple similarities but the story line is different and I really enjoyed it. This story is about two people trying to outrun ghosts from their past but realize that maybe they will need one another to stop running from those ghost. Tristan and Allie are two people that take control of situations when needed. They are not going to stand by and let things happen they are going to make them happen. The chemistry between these too is hot and Ms. Silks does a wonderful job expressing their passion. This is a quick read that leaves you hanging on the last sentence; wishing, praying and hoping that the wait isn’t long for the next installment. I warn that you will want a cool drink while you read this story because it is sizzling hot!
You can purchase this story and others by Lacey Silks on AMAZON and B&N.
-Romance Reader Girl
Oh my goodness Readers, today I have the fabulous Grace Burrowes on the blog. I know you cannot see me but I super giddy and doing my happy dance. I have been fascinated with her stories when I picked up The Heir, book one in the Windham series. Ms. Burrowes’ writing is amazing and it is addicting. Once you start reading a series you devour it. It’s like cake but with no calories (even better!). 🙂
RRG: What made you decide to write and publish your amazing stories?
GB: I’ve been a voracious reader of romance for decades. When my daughter left home, the story ideas started appearing in my head, and at a point when my keeper authors hit a simultaneous lull, I decided I’d try writing one of those stories. I’ve never had a TV in my house, so I had plenty of time to write. Writing is the best fun I’ve come across, so I hope many more books are in my future.
The publishing part was an afterthought, when enough friends and family had nudged me about it, and I had a couple dozen completed manuscripts. “Oh, why not give it a try?” says me. That was three yeas ago…
RRG: I’ve read you come from a big family; did this influence the Windham Family series?
GB: I’m sure it did, if for no other reason than I needed a series long enough to dedicate a book to each of my siblings and to my daughter. I’ve written smaller-family series, but with a big family, you have time to get to know each sibling, and to find the cross-currents and subtle connections. You can see each family member, especially the parents, from many different perspectives, and that creates all kind of possibilities for plot twists, secondary characters, and resonance between books. Starting off with a long series also let me focus on characterization rather than re-discovering the Windham’s world from book to book, because the family brought some of the same world from book to book.
RRG: Speaking of the Windham’s, Valentine is one of my all-time favorite heroes, what inspired his character?
GB: Individuation is one trait that characterizes a big family, at least in my experience. No two siblings in my family have the same profession or live in the same part of the country. Valentine Windham used the piano to carve out an identity different from his siblings, particularly different from his swashbuckling oldest brothers (Bart and St. Just), his bookish and lawyerly next brother (Westhaven), and his charming next brother (Victor). His musical proficiency became his identity, the only thing people noticed about him, and the only thing he thought he had to give other people—his sword and his shield, so to speak.
I hid on a piano bench between the ages of ten and twenty, to the point that I could support myself through college accompanying ballet classes, teaching piano, and playing at wedding receptions and class reunions. I spent hours and hours and hours on the piano bench, associated only with musicians, and saw myself ending up with a PhD in music history.
Ha. My back began to hurt, musicians can be an odd lot, and the academic hurdles between me and a PhD were large (student loan-large). I turned my back on music, and headed for political science, which was the straightest path to college graduation…. This decision was equal parts grief and relief, but also bewildering from an identity standpoint. When it came time to torture Valentine as a hero, I knew exactly what to do. Eventually, he knew what to do too!
RRG: What does your family think of your writing?
GB: Their attitude has been, “Well, of course you’re published. You always could write well.” In other words, supportive but mostly clueless. This is probably common for writers. My mother (age 90) has read some of my romances, and tells me in all sincerity, “You know, you could write real books if you really wanted too.” Yes, mama.
RRG: What do you like to read?
GB: I have my keeper authors, still: Joanna Bourne, Jennifer Ashley, Judith Ivory, Julie Anne Long, Tessa Dare, Carolyn Jewel, Meredith Duran, Mary Balogh, Loretta Chase, JR Ward, and others, but I also love to read biography and period sources. The early modern British writer strikes me as having a verve and command of written self-expression that I haven’t found elsewhere.
RRG: Is there a genre you’d like to try but haven’t yet?
GB: Mystery. I’m an avid fan of Charles Finch’s Charles Lennox mysteries, which are set in the High Victorian, and are a pure delight to read or listen to (we have the same audio narrator, James Langton, who is a genius). Those have led me to other mysteries, and particularly if there’s a romantic element to the tale, I gobble them up.
RRG: Can you tell us about your latest series set in Scotland?
GB: The MacGregor Family series focuses on the tribulations and true loves of the Earl of Balfour, his siblings and extended family, and has been a pure delight to write. It’s set in Scotland in the early 1850s, when Victoria and Albert were enjoying Balmoral Castle with their brood. The change of scene has been great fun, spending time in Scotland even greater fun. The third book in the series comes out in February, “The MacGregor’s Lady,” and the fourth will be my 2014 Christmas tale, “What a Lady Wants for Christmas.”
Favorites:
Quote: “Be kind, tell the truth.” Ram Dass
Season: Autumn
Place you’ve been: Dunkeld, Perthshire, Scotland (beautiful river, lots of big trees, laddies in kilts, whiskey, and tablet, (a kind of whiskey flavored fudge))
Time of day: dawn
Animal: Impossible to choose between a horse and a cat, though dogs are lovely too, bunnies have a lot to recommend them, cows are delightful, goats entertaining, sheep sweet, and pigs thoughtful. Then there are the raccoons, possums, and skunks who visit my porch regularly, and well, I love animals. No need to choose.
I would like to thank Grace for taking time out of her schedule to top stop today. Readers, if you haven’t read any of her books just pick one up and start reading it. You will love it and want to read all her books. -RRG
Connect with Grace on her website and Facebook.
You can find the The Windham Family Series, The MacGregor’s and The Lonely Lord Series on AMAZON and B&N.
Book Blurp: When Penelope Darlington is persuaded to elope with a most unsuitable suitor, she wastes no time. With visions of passion and adventure dancing in her head, she steals away in the middle of the night, just before her father’s Christmas feast.
Fearing for his daughter’s reputation, Henry Darlington begs Darius Hall, the Earl of Rushton’s daring yet discreet son, to bring Penelope home. When Darius finally catches up to Penelope, he is shocked. She’s not the silly little girl he expected, but a beautiful woman with a sharp mind and an allure that cannot be ignored.
Now forced to kidnap Penelope in order to bring her home, Darius and his new charge spend the next several days—and nights—in very close quarters. Penelope wanted passion and adventure, but she never could have imagined the pleasures Darius can provide…
My Thoughts: This was a magical story about two people opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of personality or so it would seem. It opens up with Penelope a young girl and Darius a young man trying to comfort the young girl the only way he knows how through his extensive vocabulary. Well, any woman knows that sometimes you just need a guy to agree with you. It was a sweet opening and set up the short story nicely. I loved how Penelope needed Darius to see what she was searching for and Darius needed Penelope to open him up. It was powerful short read. Having it set around the holidays is perfect. I have enjoyed the series from the start and look forward to the next book in it.
You are a Christmas present wrapped in pretty paper, filled with unexpected surprises. -Darius Hall
You can find this book and other in this series on Amazon.
*ARC provided by NetGalley.*
-Romance Reader Girl
Since we are in full swing of the holiday season I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite things that make the holidays special for me. Also, I have read two holiday short stories I think should be on your reading list this holiday season.
My absolutely favorite song for the holidays is Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson the instrumental version. I don’t mind the lyrics but I love hearing the instruments playing this classic. I’m a band geek at heart and this was always one of my favorite songs to perform. It isn’t Christmas without hearing this song. 🙂
We all have our favorite holiday movies. My husband’s favorite is Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase. We watch it every year to get into the holiday spirit but my favorite is The Holiday with Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet and Jack Black. Not that your surprised are you? Half the movie is set in England and since the stories I read are set in England it would only make sense, naturally.
All I Want For Christmas is a Duke has two stories with two Dukes who have a very passionate Christmas. Delilah Marvelle an Maire Claremont write two wonderful Christmas stories with love, passion, friendship and redemption. I read this in April and knew it would be a re-read and it was fabulous the second time around. Don’t miss this one!
A Grosvenor Square Christmas is four stories by Anna Campbell, Shana Galen, Vanessa Kelly and Kate Noble. Their stories all center around an annual Christmas ball given by Lady Winterson. All four stories are unique with one thing in common; Lady Winterson’s magical Christmas ball that has certain couples finding love with they least expect it. There are surprises in this story and I loved how we watch Lady Winterson grow through the four stories. Hurry and get this one quickly. It’s FREE on Amazon.
-Romance Reader Girl
Readers, I am super excited to be apart of Sara Humphreys’ Release Day Blitz for her latest book UNCLAIMED OUT TODAY! I have had the opportunity to read the book and it was fun and exciting. Did I mention hot? It’s sizzling! One of you lucky readers will get to a chance to win one of her books (from her back list), so don’t forget to comment. Also, if you go to the Facebook event page (click on the banner) you can enter to win a Kindle paperwhite and much more! I can thank the wonderful blog Rakes, Rogues and Romance for introducing me to these fabulous sizzling reads, check out to find wonderful reads and new authors.
My Thoughts: This is fabulous book in the series. I love the dynamic tension between Dominic and Tatiana. They are both stubborn and loyal to their people, desires and goals. They are a power duo and you can’t help but enjoy all the barbs back and forth. This book at me hooked from the beginning. Ms. Humphreys’ does an amazing job bringing back all of our characters from previous books and finding out who is trying to kill hybrids. This book embodies why I find paranormals fun and hot! This is a sizzling book that keeps you hooked from the beginning to the end. Also, there is a lot of Stephen in this book and we learn more about who his mate is which isn’t as it seems.
The AMOVEO series can be found on Amazon.
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Good Luck! Happy Reading!
Romance Reader Girl
Happy December Readers, I am so THRILLED to have the fabulous Anna Campbell on the blog today. I discovered her books through the wonderful Nancy Goodman (check out here awesome blog here) and my summer was full of great reads. Ms. Campbell is stopping by today to answer some questions about her writing, life and reading. Don’t forget to comment- One of you will win a copy of one of her books. Please welcome the fantastic Anna Campbell!!
Hi Lindsey! Thank you so much for having me as your guest today!
Questions:
RRG: What inspired you to write the Sons of Sin series?
AC: If you’ve followed my career, you know that all my earlier books are stand alones (although a couple of them have VERY loose connections in terms of place or characters). When Grand Central Publishing expressed strong interest in SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE’S BED, they wanted a series. Eeek! I’d written 7 Nights as a stand-alone. Not only that, the hero was an out-and-out loner and had to be for the story to work. So I went back to the drawing board and thought about themes in 7 Nights. A really strong one concerned a man outcast because of his illegitimate birth. The Regency is a period where bloodlines were terrifically 
important in high society (suspect they still are!), so having a black cloud hanging over your legitimacy was an awful fate. I thought about how that would affect three very different men, I made the three team up against bullying as schoolboys at Eton, and voila! I had my series. Currently, there’s SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE’S BED, A RAKE’S MIDNIGHT KISS and WHAT A DUKE DARES, with a novella about Cam’s sister DAYS OF RAKES AND ROSES, and a fourth book in the works featuring the Marquess of Leath. I’m not sure what will happen with the series after that, but I’d love the chance to do at least one more novella.
RRG: If you gave one of your characters an opportunity to speak for themselves, what would they say?
AC: I think they’d all say, “What have we done to you that you put us through such a terrible mill before we get our happy ending?” LOL!
RRG: Speaking of characters, who is in control you or the character?
AC: Ha ha, I wish I was! Actually, all jokes aside, once the characters start acting outside my jurisdiction, it means the book is coming alive. After writing nine books now, I’ve learned that I need to trust my subconscious. It knows far much more than my conscious mind does.
RRG: Who are some of your favorite heroes and heroines in romance novels?
AC: How long have you got? I’ve been a mad keen reader all my life which means a lot of favorites. I think my all-time favorite hero would have to be Francis Crawford who features in a fabulous series of books called The Lymond Chronicles by late, great Dorothy Dunnett. My favorite heroine would probably be Jane Eyre because she’s so strong in herself. In romance, some of my faves would include Rupert from MR. IMPOSSIBLE by Loretta Chase, Anna from A COUNTESS BELOW STAIRS by Eva Ibbotson, Jervaulx from FLOWERS FROM THE STORM by Laura Kinsale and Milla from CRY NO MORE by Linda Howard. I’m also madly in love with Julia Spencer-Fleming’s mystery series which features two wonderful main characters in Claire Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne.
RRG: As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
AC: I pretty much knew I wanted to be a writer from the moment I got hooked on Enid Blyton at the age of about six or seven. I flirted with things like ballet dancer and concert pianist, but always came back to writing. Given my complete lack of coordination, I think I probably made the right decision!
RRG: Where in the world would you like to visit?
AC: I love to travel! I’m hoping to do a research trip to the United Kingdom next year. Definitely overdue to go back there. As far as places where I haven’t been before, I’d love to see the historical sites in Turkey and I’d love to see the art and the ballet in Russia.
RRG: Do you drink tea? If so, how do you take it?
AC: Do I drink tea? Like it’s going out of fashion! I always have a cup of tea at my elbow when I’m working. It seems to get my brain working. And I’m not fit to talk to in the morning until I’ve had at least one cup. I’m fairly old school. I don’t particularly like herbal teas or flavored teas. Just a nice English breakfast, fairly strong, with plenty of milk and no sugar.
RRG: Can you tell us what you are currently working on?
AC: I’ve just handed in the manuscript of the third Sons of Sin book, WHAT A DUKE DARES, Cam’s story. That will be out late August 2014. I’m about to start on the fourth book, title to be confirmed, which is about the Marquess of Leath who plays a major role in Cam’s book. That should be out sometime in 2015.
Favorites:
Quote: “The heart has its reasons that reason cannot know,” Blaise Pascal
Season: Spring, especially in the Northern Hemisphere
Beverage: Champagne!
Candy: Lindt Peanut Butter Balls
Holiday: Christmas
Animal: Arab horse
*GIVEAWAY* From Anna Campbell: I’d love to know your favorite quote. I’ve been using the Pascal one for a while now so it probably needs to be retired! I’ve got a signed copy of my latest historical romance, A RAKE’S MIDNIGHT KISS (international) to give away to someone who leaves a comment.
You can find books by Anna Campbell on Amazon.
Thank you for being on my blog today, Anna!
-Romance Reader Girl
Romance Reader Girl 