HOW TO BE A WALLFLOWER by Eloisa James – Featured New Release

HOW TO BE A WALLFLOWER

Eloisa James

BLURB

From New York Times bestseller Eloisa James, a new Regency-set novel in which a heiress with the goal of being a wallflower engages a rugged American in a scorchingly sensual, witty wager that tests whether clothing does indeed make the man—or the wallflower!

Miss Cleopatra Lewis is about to be launched in society by her aristocratic grandfather. But since she has no intention of marrying, she visits a costume emporium specifically to order unflattering dresses guaranteed to put off any prospective suitors.

Powerful and charismatic Jacob Astor Addison is in London, acquiring businesses to add to his theatrical holdings in America—as well as buying an opal for a young lady back in Boston. He’s furious when a she-devil masquerading as an English lady steals Quimby’s Costume Emporium from under his nose.

Jake strikes a devil’s bargain, offering to design her “wallflower wardrobe” and giving Cleo the chance to design his. Cleo can’t resist the fun of clothing the rough-hewn American in feathers and flowers. And somehow in the middle of their lively competition, Jake becomes her closest friend.

It isn’t until Cleo becomes the toast of all society that Jake realizes she’s stolen his fiercely guarded heart. But unlike the noblemen at her feet, he doesn’t belong in her refined and cultured world.

Caught between the demands of honor and desire, Jake would give up everything to be with the woman he loves—if she’ll have him!

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ABOUT ELOISA JAMES

Eloisa James is a New York Times bestselling author of historical romance novels who has published over 30 books, translated in 26 languages, with sales worldwide of 7 million. Eloisa’s “double life” fascinates people, since as Mary Bly, she’s a Shakespeare scholar and Chair of the English Department at Fordham University. An example: Eloisa wrote the New York Times bestselling memoir, Paris in Love, about the year her family spent in France, and Mary wrote Lizzie and Dante, a contemporary novel about a Shakespeare professor. She lives in New York City and Florence, Italy.

Follow Eloisa:

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REVIEW

With its atypical characters, zany humor, low conflict, and modern sensibility, How to Be a Wallflower would suit readers looking for light and fluffy books to escape to during these fraught times.

The book’s main characters are two of the quirkiest leads in historical romance I’ve ever read. Cleo owns a company that makes commodes while Jake is an American businessman who renounced his illustrious family name in protest of his uncle’s engagement in the opium trade. Their clash over the ownership of a costume emporium was absurdly funny.

As per usual with Ms. James, expect plenty of Shakespeare and cheeky servants.

HOTEL KING by Claire Marti – Happy Book Birthday!

HOTEL KING

by

Claire Marti

Entrepreneur Ryan Michaels never loses. Well, except that time, a few years ago when he lost a promotion to spoiled rich girl, Charlotte “Charlie” Ray. Now he’s forced to hire his nemesis to secure funding to develop a string of luxury boutique hotels. Not only does she not fit his corporate vision, but she’s too damn attractive for her own good. And his.

Working as VP of Sales and Marketing for a luxury hotel is Charlie’s dream job. Too bad her boss is Ryan Michaels, the same pompous stick-in-the-mud that she remembers. If he tells her that this project is his legacy one more time, she might scream. Or maybe kissing him will get him to shut up?

Because that’s the other thing. The sizzling attraction between Ryan and Charlie is impossible to ignore. But everyone knows not to mix business and pleasure. Don’t they?

Buy Links:

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Did his player little brother want to date her? Could he blame Austin?

He surged to his feet and stalked around the room. Charlie was gorgeous, brilliant, and full of creative, progressive ideas. Hell, he couldn’t lie to himself that she intrigued him. Which was funny because at their old job, he truly hadn’t noticed her. He’d never had this strange and annoying inability to stop watching her. What had seemed obnoxious and strident before now appeared more friendly and vivacious.

And since when could he not control his behavior? He didn’t want to be attracted to her, damn it. His complicated new fascination with his former nemesis needed to stop. Simple dislike had been a lot easier.

On a personal level, it was a terrible idea––they were opposites after all. On a professional level, it was suicide. He couldn’t blur the lines.

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.

Finally, Claire followed her heart and now focuses on two of her true passions: writing romance and teaching yoga.

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SADDLED by Linda G. Hill – New Release Review

SADDLED

By

Linda G. Hill

Will an office no-dating policy stand in the way of love?

Since her breakup with her cheating ex, Sandra Weber has been just going through the motions as Sales Manager at Studletter Condom Company. But when Michael Thorne is hired as an assistant, sparks in the office begin to fly.

Though Michael, aka Saddle McFleshbomb, loves dancing at Woody O’Flanagan’s Pub, he’s looking to move up in the world. His schooling almost finished, he lands a plum job as the only man in an office filled with women: four so exasperatingly humorless that it’s funny, and one stunning beauty with a laugh that warms the cockles of his heart.

When Sandra shows up at Woody’s on a rare night that he’s dancing for men, she assumes he’s gay, and therefore the no-dating policy doesn’t apply. But he’s not. He’s intensely interested in her. And he’s afraid to tell her he’s straight.

If you like light romantic comedy, hot office flirtations, and a long slow burn, you’ll love Saddled, the first book in Linda G. Hill’s “Once a Week at Woody’s” series.

Score a seat at Woody O’Flanagan’s Pub today!

Buy it on Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0879DXVVG
And everywhere else: https://books2read.com/saddled

Saddled is a fun read, low-angst and uncomplicated. Reading it is a great way to escape the grim realities of current events. The main characters Sandra and Michael are likable and easy to root for. Michael, especially, is endearing with his fondness for romance reading and shoe buying and his patience with everyone. Sandra is relatable with her doubts and not having it all together. The secondary characters are diverse and quirky.

It’s a workplace romance without the power struggle between the two leads since their jobs are not competitive and one is not in-charge of the other. The only real conflict is the no-dating policy which Sandra instituted. How they navigated through that obstacle in full view of their resentful officemates was a hoot.

I love that both Sandra and Michael have supportive friends. I also appreciate the matter-of-fact acceptance of stripping as a respectable profession.

This book showcases Linda’s versatility as a writer. With The Great Dagmaru, she displays her dark paranormal side with various intrigues and machinations. Here’s her light, humorous side with cross-dressing dances and Karens at the office. Both sides form a pretty talented whole. I’m looking forward to more of her unique and fascinating brand of entertainment.

Award-winning author Linda G. Hill was born and raised an only child in Southern Ontario, Canada. She credits the time she spent alone when she was growing up, reading books and building worlds and characters of her own to keep her company, as the reason she became a writer.

A stay-at-home mom of three beautiful boys, Linda is a graduate of the Writing Program at St. Lawrence College in Brockville, Ontario. Aside from caring for her family, she enjoys traveling the world, eating trout cooked on the barbecue, and, of course, reading.

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OUT OF THE EMBERS by Amanda Cabot: Book Blog Tour – Author Interview

OUT OF THE EMBERS

MESQUITE SPRINGS, BOOK ONE

by

Amanda Cabot

Genre: Historical Fiction / Christian Romance
Publisher: Revell
Date of Publication: March 3, 2020
Number of Pages: 336

Scroll down for the giveaway!

Ten years after her parents were killed, Evelyn Radcliffe is once more homeless. The orphanage that was her refuge and later her workplace has burned to the ground, and only she and a young orphan girl have escaped. Convinced this must be related to her parents’ murders, Evelyn flees with the girl to Mesquite Springs in the Texas Hill Country and finds refuge in the home of Wyatt Clark, a talented horse rancher whose plans don’t include a family of his own.

At first, Evelyn is a distraction. But when it becomes clear that trouble has followed her to Mesquite Springs, she becomes a full-blown disruption. Can Wyatt keep her safe from the man who wants her dead? And will his own plans become collateral damage?

Suspenseful and sweetly romantic, Out of the Embers is the first in a new series that invites you to the Texas Hill Country in the 1850s, when the West was wild, the men were noble, and the women were strong.

**PRAISE FOR OUT OF THE EMBERS:**

“Out of the Embers is part prairie romance, part romantic suspense. I can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed a book more. Amanda Cabot has written an intriguing, chilling mystery and she winds it through the pages of a sweet romance in a way that made me keep turning the pages fast to see what was going to happen next. An absolutely excellent read. And now I’m hungry for oatmeal pecan pie!”

~ Mary Connealy, author of Aiming for Love, book #1 in the Brides of Hope Mountain series

CLICK TO ORDER ON:

┃ Baker Book House ┃ Amazon ┃ Barnes & Noble ┃
┃ Christianbook.com ┃ Books-A-Million ┃ Kobo ┃
┃ Additional Retailers ┃

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of the Cimarron Creek trilogy, as well as the Texas Crossroads series, the Texas Dreams series, the Westward Winds series, and Christmas Roses. Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards, the HOLT Medallion, and the Booksellers’ Best. She lives in Wyoming.

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INTERVIEW WITH AMANDA CABOT

What inspired the idea for your new book, Out of the Embers?

I’ve always been fascinated by the way that events of the past shape us, so I started brainstorming worst case scenarios. What if a young girl’s parents were murdered and she never knew why? What if she still felt as if someone was watching her and planning to kill her too, even though it’s been ten years? What if she narrowly missed being inside her new home when it was destroyed and everyone died? These were the seeds of Out of the Embers.

Out of the Embers is set in a fictional small town in the Texas Hill Country. What inspired you to create a place like Mesquite Springs?

By now, readers have probably figured out that I enjoy bringing small towns to life, particularly in the Texas Hill Country. The challenge for me is making each of my fictional towns different. After all, I wouldn’t want anyone to say “same old, same old” when reading one of my stories. What distinguishes Mesquite Springs from Ladreville and Cimarron Creek is that it’s experiencing a period of growth with new businesses and new people coming to town. Those people change the town’s dynamics—some in good ways, some in not-so-good ways—but they all make their mark on Mesquite Springs.

Two of the main characters in Out of the Embers, Evelyn and Polly, are joined together through a fire that destroys their home. But, that’s not the only thing the two have in common. Can you tell us a little more about their relationship?

Besides both being orphans, Evelyn and Polly share enough of a resemblance that when she flees after the orphanage is destroyed, Evelyn finds it easy to pretend that Polly is her younger sister. In truth, their relationship is more like mother and daughter than sisters, with Polly depending on Evelyn to make her fondest dream come true: finding her a new daddy.

Did anything surprise you as you were writing the novel?

Yes, as a matter of fact. Although I plot my books before I begin the actual writing process and rarely make major deviations from those plots, this time when I was about half through the first draft, I realized that what I had envisioned for Wyatt’s life after the book ended wasn’t the right one for him. He needed to stay in Mesquite Springs, and he needed a compelling reason to stay. The mayoral race was the result of those realizations.

Did you face any challenges in creating this story? What was the hardest scene to write?

The biggest challenge was not revealing too much about the two men who are secondary characters too soon but still giving readers enough reason to care about what was going to happen to them.

I wouldn’t say that any one scene was particularly difficult to write, but perhaps that’s because I tend to agonize over every scene, trying to make it as close to perfect as possible.

Do you see parts of yourself in any of your characters?

I’d like to claim that my characters are totally fictional, but the truth is that I, like all authors, bring parts of myself to each story. The fact that I’m the oldest of four children made Evelyn’s almost parental relationship with Polly an easy one for me to write.

What do you hope readers will gain from Out of the Embers?

As always, I hope they’ll finish the book with a smile on their faces, a renewed belief in the healing power of love, and the knowledge that God can—and does—answer prayers.

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THREE WINNERS
One Grand Prize Winner:
Copy of Out of the Embers + Special Hill Country Sweets Cookbook
+$25 Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Next Two Winners:
Copy of Out of the Embers + Special Hill Country Sweets Cookbook
+ $10 Starbucks Card
March 10-March 20, 2020
(US ONLY)

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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

3/10/20	Notable Quotable	Forgotten Winds
3/10/20	Review	Librariel Book Adventures
3/11/20	Review	Jennifer Silverwood
3/11/20	BONUS Post	Hall Ways Blog
3/12/20	Excerpt, Part 1	Story Schmoozing Book Reviews
3/12/20	Author Interview	All the Ups and Downs
3/13/20	Character Spotlight	The Clueless Gent
3/13/20	Review	Reading by Moonlight
3/14/20	Guest Post	Chapter Break Book Blog
3/15/20	Author Interview	Carpe Diem Chronicles
3/16/20	Excerpt, Part 2	That’s What She’s Reading
3/16/20	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
3/17/20	Review	Missus Gonzo
3/18/20	Excerpt, Part 3	Max Knight
3/19/20	Review	Momma on the Rocks
3/19/20	Review	Book Fidelity

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IT’S GETTING SCOT IN HERE by Suzanne Enoch – Release Day: Review and Giveaway

IT’S GETTING SCOT IN HERE

The Wild Wicked Highlanders

Suzanne Enoch

Synopsis

The first in a wickedly seductive new Scottish historical romance series from New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Enoch!

“It’s time to fall in love with Suzanne Enoch.” — Lisa Kleypas

HAPPILY-EVER-AFTER
London socialite Amelia-Rose Baxter is nobody’s fool. Her parents may want her to catch a title, but she will never change who she is for the promise of marriage. Her husband will be a man who can appreciate her sharp mind as well as her body. A sophisticated man who loves life in London. A man who considers her his equal—and won’t try to tame her wild heart…
IN THE HIGHLANDS
Rough, rugged Highlander Niall MacTaggert and his brothers know the rules: the eldest must marry or lose the ancestral estate, period. But Niall’s eldest brother just isn’t interested in the lady his mother selected. Is it because Amelia-Rose is just too. . . Free-spirited? Yes. Brazen? Aye. Surely Niall can find a way to soften up the whip-smart lass and make her the perfect match for his brother for the sake of the family.

JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT HOTTER
Instead it’s Niall who tempts Amelia-Rose, despite her reservations about barbarian Highlanders. Niall finds the lass nigh irresistible as well, but he won’t make the mistake his father did in marrying an Englishwoman who doesn’t like the Highlands. Does he have what it takes to win her heart? There is only one way to find out…

Buy-Book link: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250296375

Review

A fun new Highlander series from Suzanne Enoch. The MacTaggert brothers’ entrance was spectacular and getting to know each of them (Coll, Aden, and Niall) as the book progressed was enjoyable. They were not necessarily nice, more often rough and rude, but they love one another and have the best intentions even if they didn’t show it to the hated Sassenachs.

Being a series starter, It’s Getting Scot in Here is understandably filled with introduction of multiple characters, but it became very obvious quickly that Niall and Amelia are the stars of this particular book even if you don’t read the blurb. I like that their attraction grew from proximity and lots of conversations. I like that there is a true societal conflict–which is reflective of the times–that they have to overcome to be together. And, I especially appreciate how the entire family came together to help them get their happy resolution.

With a fascinating background of the cross-cultural clash between English ton and Scottish highlands, this is a great start to the Wild Wicked Highlanders series and I’m looking forward to the next installments.

Giveaway

St. Martin Press is giving away a paperback copy of It’s Getting Scot in Here to one lucky follower of Carpe Diem Chronicles. All you have to do for a chance to win is Like this post and Comment. I will draw a winner on Monday, March 4 at 12 noon Central time.

Author Bio

A native and current resident of Southern California, Suzanne Enoch loves movies almost as much as she loves books, with a special place in her heart for anything Star Wars. She has written more than forty Regency novels and historical romances, which are regularly found on the New York Times bestseller list. When she is not busily working on her next book, Suzanne likes to contemplate interesting phenomena, like how the three guppies in her aquarium became 161 guppies in five months.
Some of Suzanne’s books include Barefoot In The Dark, It’s Getting Scot in Here, Lady Whistledown Stirkes Back and The Legend of Nimway Hall.

A SPARKLE OF SILVER by Liz Johnson – Book Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway

A SPARKLE OF SILVER

Georgia Coast Romance #1

by

LIZ JOHNSON

Genre: Contemporary / Romance
Publisher: Revell
Date of Publication: October 16, 2018
Number of Pages: 368

Scroll down for the giveaway!

ASOS cover

Millie Sullivan plays a 1920s-era guest during tours of a palatial estate on the shore of St. Simons Island, Georgia, where her great-grandmother was a real guest ninety years ago. When Millie learns of a lost diary that may contain the location of a hidden treasure on the estate and reveal the identity of her great-grandfather, she sets out to find the truth of her heritage — and the fortune she desperately needs. But it won’t be easy.

When security guard Ben Thornton discovers her snooping in the estate’s private library, he threatens to have her fired. Still, her story seems too ludicrous to be fiction, and her offer to split the treasure is too tempting to pass up.

Get ready for a romantic escapade through dark halls and dusty corners that will have you holding your breath and sighing with delight.

ASOS foil A Sparkle of Silver is a delightful mix of whodunit mystery, search for family heritage, treasure hunt, and both historical and contemporary romance. Told with humor, wit, and reflective of the author’s obvious love of books, of romance novels in particular, A Sparkle is the type of book I enjoy reading. I’m thankful to Lone Star Lit for introducing me to authors I wouldn’t have found on my own. This is the first book by Liz Johnson that I’ve read and as I always say, it wouldn’t be the last.

I took to Millie and Ben right away. Their separate introductions were highly affecting. Millie’s desperate need to provide for her Grandma Joy and Ben’s altruistic desire to make things right with her mother’s victims made me root for them immediately. The slow burn build-up of their attraction to each other was laid out at a proper pace. Their eventual fall into love at the end was hard-earned and well-deserved. More than jewels or properties, love was the greatest treasure they found.

I also enjoyed great-grandmother Ruth’s adventures in the ’20s told through journal entries. They’re integral to the story and brought another dimension to what is already a fascinating novel. The historical tidbits truly enriched the story and gave the reader a proper sense of time and place.

There are actually quite a number of named characters in this book, both from the past and the present, but each is distinct, all contributed to the plot, and nobody overshadowed the main characters. Grandma Joy is, of course, adorable and so was Carl, Ben’s boss.

One other thing I appreciate is that for all that A Sparkle of Silver is categorized as a Christian romance, the discussion of faith is subtle, not preachy at all.

ASOS last page Here are some of my favorite quotes:

“You’re not the bad choices you may have made. You’re who you are right now, and you’re the next decision you make.”

“Maybe a person’s story wasn’t like a book that became useless after the pages were too worn to read. It wasn’t about how much that person could remember. It was about how many lives they had touched. It was about making a difference in the little ways.”

“Real love isn’t love because it’s easy or always feels good. It’s love because you choose not to be self-serving.”

PRAISE FOR A SPARKLE OF SILVER:

“A mystery, a treasure hunt, and a split-time romance—all set within a beautiful chateau. What more could we want?”

~ Katherine Reay, author of Dear Mr. Knightley and A Portrait of Emily Price

“A charming romance about real people triumphing over real problems. Add in a dash of mystery, a treasure hunt, and old family secrets, and you have a story that will warm every corner of your heart.”

~ Victoria Bylin, award-winning author of Together with You

“Lovers of history will enjoy this treasure-seeking adventure through a historic estate, and readers will appreciate a story that turns up riches of the lasting kind.”

~ Denise Hunter, bestselling author of Honeysuckle Dreams

CLICK TO PURCHASE

Baker Book House ◆ Amazon ◆ Barnes & Noble

Christianbook.com ◆ Kobo ◆ Books-A-Million

Liz Johnson is the author of more than a dozen novels, including The Red Door Inn, Where Two Hearts Meet, and On Love’s Gentle Shore, as well as a New York Times bestselling novella and a handful of short stories. A marketing manager for a Christian film company, she makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona.

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————————————-

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

GRAND PRIZE: Print Copy of A Sparkle of Silver, a Tin of Georgia Peach Cookies, a Handmade Wooden Treasure Box;

SECOND PRIZE: Print Copy + $25 B&N Gift Card;

THIRD PRIZE: Print Copy + $10 Starbucks Gift Card

OCTOBER 10-19, 2018
(U.S. Only)

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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

10/16/18     Author Interview          Book Fidelity
10/16/18     Bonus Notable Quotable    Hall Ways Blog
10/17/18     Excerpt                   Story Schmoozing Book Reviews
10/18/18     Review                    That's What She's Reading
10/19/18     Character Interview       Chapter Break Book Blog
10/20/18     Review                    StoreyBook Reviews
10/21/18     Playlist                  All the Ups and Downs
10/22/18     Review                    Reading by Moonlight
10/23/18     Excerpt                   Books and Broomsticks
10/24/18     Review                    Missus Gonzo
10/25/18     Review                    Carpe Diem Chronicles

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HOW TO BE A WALLFLOWER

Eloisa James

BLURB

ABOUT ELOISA JAMES

REVIEW

HOTEL KING

by

Claire Marti

SADDLED

By

Linda G. Hill

OUT OF THE EMBERS

MESQUITE SPRINGS, BOOK ONE

by

Amanda Cabot

Genre: Historical Fiction / Christian Romance Publisher: Revell Date of Publication: March 3, 2020 Number of Pages: 336

Scroll down for the giveaway!

PRAISE FOR OUT OF THE EMBERS:

CLICK TO ORDER ON:

————————————-

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

IT’S GETTING SCOT IN HERE

The Wild Wicked Highlanders

Suzanne Enoch

Synopsis

Review

Giveaway

Author Bio

A SPARKLE OF SILVER

Georgia Coast Romance #1

by

LIZ JOHNSON

Genre: Contemporary / Romance Publisher: Revell Date of Publication: October 16, 2018 Number of Pages: 368

Scroll down for the giveaway!

PRAISE FOR A SPARKLE OF SILVER:

CLICK TO PURCHASE

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

OCTOBER 10-19, 2018 (U.S. Only)

Genre: Historical Fiction / Christian Romance
Publisher: Revell
Date of Publication: March 3, 2020
Number of Pages: 336

**PRAISE FOR OUT OF THE EMBERS:**

Genre: Contemporary / Romance
Publisher: Revell
Date of Publication: October 16, 2018
Number of Pages: 368

OCTOBER 10-19, 2018
(U.S. Only)