Sometimes young love is not meant to be, especially when the lady is of the ton and the one she loves is a groom in the family stables. But then again, even time does not assuage the feelings one has for the other and ONE WILD WINTER'S EVE by Anne Barton is a perfect example.
For as much as Lady Rose Sherbourne's family is loving and caring, they are also a very involved bunch. After the disappearance of her mother, Rose never lost hope that she would discover where her mother had gone, even though her family are still angry at their abandonment by their mother. Occasionally being around this family is too much. So when Rose needed time away, she did so in the form of a companion to the older and wise, Lady Bonneville. What Rose could never have fathomed, was seeing the very man who evoked such feeling all those years ago.
Catching Rose rifling through his employer's desk, the former groom now steward, Charles is shocked and surprised that the lady before him is the very one love from his past. No longer the silent waif of a girl, Rose has grown into a beautiful woman who still evokes emotion in Charles, who knows he has no business even looking her way. Rose needs help and she asks Charles to assist her in seeking information about her mother from his employer, Lady Yardley, who was one of Rose's mother's best friends. He really shouldn't help, but his feelings for Rose overshadow anything else and after leaving her without a word all those years ago, he seeks to make up for it.
Rose's feelings for Charles only blossom when she is around the now confident and handsome man. She cares naught for their difference in station, but he can't let that difference out of his mind, even if he's fallen for her hook, line and sinker, all over again. Rose's determination to show Charles that his hesitation of being with her is a lost cause is an emotionally charged part of this story. Rose is also adamant about finding her mother, and while that journey is important, it is also a impassioned one. Seeing two people, so perfect for one another, kept apart by social class is hard enough to deal with, but when forces outside their relationship seek to push them apart, it's a wonder watching them try to overcome the trials put in their path.
ONE WILD WINTER'S EVE by Anne Barton is the fourth story in the HONEYCOTE series and it is a wonderful one. Rose never gave up on her search for her mother, and when she has the chance to solve the mystery of where she is, she goes full on ahead, even if in the end, heartbreak will be the resolution. She also never gave up on her love for Charles and that love for him is what gets her through her trials. Charles has always been a good man, but now he has the chance to be the right man for Rose, even if taking that leap causes upheaval. I loved this book. Anne Barton is so good at tugging at the reader's heartstrings, and with ONE WILD WINTER'S EVE, there is no exception.
~KIMBERLY~
25 QUESTIONS WITH ANNE BARTON
1. Who are some of your all-time favorite authors and/or
books?
Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn, and of
course, Jane Austen!
2. What is your biggest vice?
Sweet tea—I’m addicted.
3. Is writing or story-telling easier for you?
Writing.
4. What’s something
you’d like to tell your fans?
Thank
you! For trying my books and loving these characters like I do.
5. Do you write while listening to music? If so what kind?
No, but
sometimes I’ll listen to a baseball or hockey game.
6. What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a
book?
I finished a book last week and the
first thing I did was go to the grocery store (so glamorous!) and while I was
there I treated myself to a new book (SOME LIKE IT SCOT by Suzanne Enoch—love!)
7. If you couldn’t be a writer anymore, what profession
would you take up?
If I
could sing, I’d be a singer, but there’s no hope for that. Maybe a librarian.
8. If you could interview one person (and it doesn’t have to
be a writer) who would it be?
Tina Fey.
9. If you were given a chance to travel to the past where
would you go and specifically why?
I’d
like to visit Boston in 1773, around the time of the Boston Tea Party, and just
before the birth of our nation.
10. How did you come up with the idea for your latest book?
Both Rose
and Charles were introduced in my first book, and deep down, I knew they had to
end up together—even though she’s the sister of a duke and he’s a lowly stable
master.
11. What inspires you daily?
Music,
movies, TV, interesting people.
12. What drew you to write in the genre(s) you do?
I fell
in love with historical romance after reading Pride and Prejudice in 9th grade, and I’ve been hooked
ever since.
13. What is your favorite tradition from your childhood that
you would love to pass on or did pass on to your children?
Italian
Easter bread. Yum!
14. What do you do to unwind and relax?
Binge-watch
a period drama! Some of my favorites: Downton Abbey, Vikings, Poldark, and
Downton Abbey.
15. What will always make you smile, even on a bad day?
Hugs
from my kids. :)
16. If you were a t-shirt, what color would you be and why?
Black,
because it goes with everything.
17. Which era would you least like to have lived in,
fashion-wise and why? Most?
Least—the
Georgian era of powdered wigs.
Most—Regency,
because of the gowns and the slippers.
18. Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?
McDonald’s
regular coffee. Four creams, two Splenda.
19. Which of your characters would you most/least to invite
to dinner, and why?
Most—Lady
Bonneville. Because she says whatever she wants to say, no holds barred.
20. What has been your most rewarding publishing moment?
Seeing
book covers for the first time!
21. What has surprised you the most about being published?
How wonderful and supportive authors are to
each other.
22. Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any
attention to them, or let them influence your writing?
I do
read some reviews, and appreciate them very much—even the negative ones. I try
to write stories without worrying what people will think or say. When it comes
to editing though, I turn the worry switch back on.
23. What are the next five books on your ‘to be read’ pile?
The new Lisa Kleypas, Valerie
Bowman’s Irresistible Rogue, the new
Julie Ann Long, Dumplin’ by Julia
Murphy, and The Martian by Andy Weir.
24. Describe an absolutely perfect day.
Coffee,
writing, hanging out with the family, good food, reading, wine, a dinner date
with my husband, popcorn and a movie.
25. Famous last words
And
they lived happily ever after. :)
GIVEAWAY ALERT!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
ONCE YOU'VE HAD A TASTE OF SCANDAL . . .
As the Duke of Huntford's sister, Lady Rose Sherbourne follows the rules of well-bred society. Always chaperoned. Never engaging in unseemly behavior. Well, except for that one summer, years ago. And yet she's never been able to forget that handsome stable master or the stolen moments they shared. She's always wondered what might have happened if he hadn't disappeared without a word . . . Now she's about to find out.
YOU CAN NEVER GO BACK
Charles Holland never expected to see Lady Rose again. And yet the years haven't lessened his devotion-or his desire-in any way. Despite their differences in class, Charles cannot stop himself from wanting to possess her. But as they uncover one intimate secret after another about her family, they realize that, this time, their love may come at a very dear price . . .
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Anne Barton and I at the WRW Luncheon
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About Anne Barton
Anne Barton began swiping romance novels off her mom's bookshelf as a teenager, so when she had the chance to spend a semester in London-home to her favorite heroes-she packed her bags and promptly fell in love with the city, its history, and its pubs. She dreamed of writing romance, but somehow ended up a software analyst instead.
Fortunately, a few years and a few careers later, Anne found her way back to writing the stories she loves and in 2011 won the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart® for Regency Historical Romance. She lives in Maryland with her husband (who, sadly, is not a peer of the realm-but a great guy nonetheless) and her three children, who try valiantly not to roll their eyes whenever she quotes Jane Austen. Her weaknesses include reality TV, cute-but-impractical shoes, and caffeinated beverages of all kinds.
