Happy Release Day to Catherine Stein’s Once a Rake, Always a Rogue, the third book from her Potions and Passions series.
He’s mended his ways.
Dr. Ernest Montford has left behind his rakish youth for a respectable life mixing medicinal potions and helping patients. So when his best friend’s sister is threatened with incarceration in an asylum, he rushes to help. But Lady Astrid Wembley isn’t keen to heed Monte’s medical advice. Worse, she’s part of his wild past: the mysterious girl he could never forget.
But the woman he can’t forget…
Astrid has fond memories of her long-ago passionate encounter on the beach. Unfortunately, the Monte who kissed her so thoroughly that day shows little resemblance to the stuffy, abstemious doctor with absurd health advice. Still, she has little choice but to put up with him until her sanity is proven and she can return to her life of scientific study.
Might be his undoing.
Dangerous potions and unethical experiments await Astrid if she fails, and only with Monte’s help can she expose the true horrors of the asylum and thwart the plans of the men controlling it. But the longer Astrid and Monte are together, the more their old passion sparks, and the more she longs to unleash the rogue that still lurks inside him.
Buy links:
Books2read Amazon Google Play Kobo Barnes and Noble Indiebound
A long silence passed between them before Lady Astrid sighed.
“Very well. I shall practice my social niceties. Lovely to see you, Dr. Montford. How are you this morning?”
Hungover and lustful.
“Very well, thank you.”
“What are those peculiar little cakes on your plate?”
Monte glanced down at the small round cakes. The cook had done a masterful job, making them perfect circles of a lovely dark-brown color. “Bran loaves. I eat them every morning. Your cook was kind enough to make a batch for me.”
“How curious. May I try one?”
“Certainly.” He sliced off a small bite and transferred it to her plate. “You would do well to eat them, yourself. They are most healthful.”
She chewed her bite slowly, and her nose wrinkled in distaste. “Ugh. It’s like eating paper.”
“The rich foods you’ve eaten of late have no doubt overstimulated your palate. I assure you, if you were to eat them every morning as I do, you would find them appetizing.”
“I doubt that.”
Monte sipped his tea. It was as strong as he’d hoped. “The bran loaves stimulate healthful digestion and do not overset the stomach. This allows both the body and mind to begin the day in a restive state. Unlike your cheese, which may well cause dyspepsia when ingested so early in the morning.”
Astrid’s brow furrowed, but her tone remained even, “I’m very fond of cheese.”
“I never eat cheese,” Monte explained. “Nor do I adulterate my tea with milk. It adds an unnecessary richness and dilutes the beneficial properties of the beverage.”
“How unpatriotic of you.”
Was she mocking him again?
“What do you eat, Dr. Montford? Other than your revolting little cakes, I mean.”
“Vegetables.”
She gave him a skeptical arch of her brow once more. “Vegetables.”
“Yes.”
There was a distinct lack of vegetables at the breakfast table this morning. Dinner had provided only a few withered specimens with most of the nutrition boiled out of them.
“Nothing else? You did eat some of the chicken last night, though you avoided the sauce.”
“Moderate portions of meat. Nuts and beans. But primarily vegetables.”
“No fruits?”
“Rarely.”
“That’s a pity. I love fruit. There’s nothing quite like biting into a perfectly ripe apple, don’t you think? It floods one’s mouth with that crisp, juicy taste. So sweet, with just the right tart bite.”
Monte swallowed a groan. Now he was fixated on her mouth again. He gulped his tea to prevent himself saying anything he would later regret.
Astrid hopped from her seat, forcing him to set down the cup and rise.
“It was interesting chatting with you in a civil manner, Dr. Montford,” she said. “I must go and prepare for our journey. Enjoy your tasteless breakfast.”
He nodded and watched her leave before resuming his seat and pouring himself another cup of tea. He wished it were a good, strong whisky.
“Cal, you bastard,” he muttered. “You haven’t just asked for a favor. You’ve asked me to do the impossible.”
Award-winning author Catherine Stein believes that everyone deserves love and that Happily Ever After has the power to help, to heal, and to comfort. She writes sassy, sexy romance set during the Victorian and Edwardian eras and full of action, adventure, magic, and fantastic technologies.
Catherine lives in Michigan with her husband and three rambunctious girls. She loves steampunk and oxford commas, and can often be found dressed in clothing that was purchased at a Renaissance Festival, drinking copious amounts of tea.
Follow Catherine here:
Facebook page Facebook group Twitter Instagram Pinterest Bookbub Goodreads Amazon Book + Main Newsletter
Catherine Stein’s books are auto-buys for me because they never fail to entertain and educate at the same time. Her latest release Once a Rake, Always a Rogue brings an enhanced element of humor that, in addition to fascinating characters, fast-paced action, and expected competence porn, made reading it a delightful diversion. These days, when there’s still no antidote to the global medical crisis we’re facing, a potion comprised of those elements of great writing could be just what we need to get us through days and weeks of social distancing.
From their titillating first encounter, Astrid and Monte captivated my attention. Their witty and snappy banter incited hilarity which made me thankful I read it at home. Their expertise in their respective fields provided interesting information I didn’t expect to learn from a romance novel. Both have likable, engaging personalities that make it easy to root for their happy ever after.
All that lightness doesn’t mean there is no depth to this book. On the contrary. Once a Rake, Always a Rogue touched on issues of female empowerment, body positivity, interracial relationships, and patriarchy in a manner that is natural and integral to the story and not at all forced or preachy.
Funny, steamy, instructive, utterly enjoyable. Another five-star read.
Win an autographed paperback and a book pendant. Click on the photo to enter.
Claire Marti started writing stories as soon as she was old enough to pick up pencil and paper. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a BA in English Literature, Claire was sidetracked by other careers, including practicing law, selling software for legal publishers, and managing a non-profit animal rescue for a Hollywood actress.
2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast (or beef round for leaner option), cut into 1-inch pieces
Marinate beef in mixture of 1/2 cup beer, peppercorn, salt, and garlic for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and fry beef until browned on all sides (about 10 minutes). Set aside.
Diane M How is the author of The Dahlonega Sisters, The Gold Miner Ring. Her award-winning short stories and poetry are published in numerous anthologies. She is a member of the Missouri Writers Guild, the St. Louis Publishers Association and an officer of Saturday Writers, a nonprofit organization of writers encouraging writers. She resides in St. Peters, Missouri. When not writing, Diane enjoys basket weaving with her daughter, casino visits with her husband, and spending time with family in Dahlonega, Georgia.
It’s hard to connect with the living when you’re able to communicate with the dead. 
Diana Gallagher-Cary is at a tipping point. As a Washington, DC, OB/GYN at a prestigious hospital, she uses her career to distract herself from her grief over her granny’s death and her breakup from her long-term boyfriend after her free-spirited mother moves in with her. But when she makes a medical decision that disparages the hospital, she is forced to go on a short sabbatical.
Cathy Maxwell’s enthusiasm for life graces the pages of her books and are the topic of the talks she gives to readers and writers groups about her chosen career. She is no stranger to the limelight. After graduating from college, Cathy started off as a news broadcaster. She later decided reporting was boring compared to making news and joined the navy. After a successful stint in Naval intelligence, including a tour with the Pentagon, Cathy proceeded to pursue writing. Now, she has over thirty-five published romance novels (and five anthologies) to her credit, many of them spending significant time on the New York Times and USA Today best-seller lists. You can find her online at 
Karysa Faire is a fiction writer and high school science teacher. Her best days are when something unexpected and new happens – whether that be in the classroom or during vacations when she goes on extended road trips to haunted ghost towns. Karysa writes a variety of romance genres including contemporary, historical, erotica, horror, and paranormal. She’s also been known to write a mean lab report. Karysa lives in the San Francisco Bay Area along with millions of other people, including her wonderful family.
Maida Malby 
You must be logged in to post a comment.