My Enchanting Hoyden (Once Upon a Rogue #3) by Julie Johnstone

When a family tragedy leaves sisters Jemma and Anne Adair in the hands of their seemingly cold and unfeeling English grandfather who uproots the young ladies from their home in America to London.  Their grandfather is quick with his wishes to see both ladies married and he has even picked out the prospective groom for Jemma. Jemma, however, is no simpering female and has decided to foil her grandfather's plans with her willful resistance and her clear mistrust of the male population after the betrayal from the man she loved.

Philip De Vere, Lord Harthorne is struggling to survive the financial difficulty left by his father. His mounting debts have made it almost impossible to care for his family and something must be done before his poor mother expires from the horror of the possibility of being destitute. Philip always thought he would marry for love, but the lover of poetry finds his dreams dashed when he realizes the only way out of the situation is to find a woman with a large dowry to marry.

In typical Jemma fashion, a bet becomes the beginning of a fascinating chase when Jemma and Philip meet. Philip has never seen a lady like Jemma. A hoyden of the first order, Jemma lets no man close and Philip is no exception, until she agrees to help him with lessons in becoming a rake if he assist her in foiling the plans Jemma's grandfather has for her with the repugnant man he has given leave to court her. The more time they spend in each other's company, the more it is clear to many surrounding the pair that Jemma and Philip are perfect for one another. Unfortunately, neither sees anything but the task at hand and even though Philip finds Jemma to be captivating and is drawn to her, he has nothing to offer her and Jemma still struggles with her mistrust of men. 

Making both Philip and Jemma see what is right before them is a task worth reading in MY ENCHANTING HOYDEN by JULIE JOHNSTONE. This wonderful story by Julie Johnstone, one of my very favorite authors, has a menagerie of fabulous characters who add to the alluring tale of two people who resist the inevitable. Jemma has good reason to be wary of men, but meeting Philip makes her think twice about her perceptions. Even with the despair of Philip's financial problems he finds out that sacrificing love for family comfort may not be all that it's cracked up to be.  If you are looking for a story with hope and depth of feeling, Julie Johnstone's ENCHANTING HOYDEN is for you, as are all the stories that Miss Johnston writes.

~KIMBERLY~

Lady Overton's Perilous Journey (Honorable Rogue Book 1) by Vikki Vaught

Anissa, the widowed Marchioness of Overton will do anything to protect her son from the wiles of her deceased husband's uncle, Lord Howard's machinations, even leave all she holds dear behind in England and set sail for America. Anissa swears her young son to silence of who they really are and asks the Captain Alex Hawks to allow the lady and her son passage on his ship. The handsome Captain reluctantly agrees to do so discovering soon that Anissa is not all she admits to being. 

As the ship sets sail to a commotion on the docks, Alex immediately understands that Anissa and her child are fleeing from something serious and although he is hesitant, he will stop at nothing to keep Anissa and her son safe from harm. He does not however ensure that she will come to no harm from him as his attraction to her builds daily and Anissa feels that spark of attraction as well.  As a widow, Anissa has the freedom to do as she wishes, but risking her son's life and his inheritance keeps her wary of that attraction to the Captain. 

When Alex discovers the true reason for Anissa's flight he vows to keep her safe by means of using his family's help. Opening up his home to Anissa and the young boy for months only brings the two people from different walks of life closer. Alex believes he can never be good enough for Anissa but his feelings for her could his good sense. Love has a way of seeping in and changing everything and Alex and Anissa are not immune to the effects.

When danger in the form of Lord Howard, comes seeking his prize, Alex has no idea how dangerous an enemy he has. Anissa and her son have come to mean so much to him that losing either one of them would tear out his heart. Now all he has to do is eliminate the danger and restore Anissa and the young Marquess to their proper places.

LADY OVERTON'S PERILOUS JOURNEY by VIKKI VAUGHT is a wonderful story with intrigue and romance. The Captain is a perfect Alpha and his protectiveness towards Anissa is stirring. Lord Howard's hatred towards Anissa and his nephew's heir makes this story fascinating and a nail biter. This is the very first book by Vikki Vaught that I have read and it will not be my last as I have enjoyed the journey that this talented author has taken readers like myself on. Ms. Vaught is eloquent and her evident love for historical romance shines.

~KIMBERLY~ 

Undone by His Kiss (Regency Charms #2) by Anabelle Bryant

Author Anabelle Bryant is one of the best new voices in historical romance and with UNDONE BY HIS KISS she has cemented her place to my "must read" list.

After severe disappointment in the relationship area, Miss Emily Shaw decides to bask in independence by renting her own room and creating the League of Virtuous Equality, where women can learn how to support themselves in their freedom from a male society. Guarding her heart from another scathing ache, Emily has no time to ponder love until the unthinkable happens in the form of a man named Jasper.

Jasper St. David isn't looking for love, but when he comes face to face with the conundrum named Emily, his strength to hold her determination and light at bay is sheer nonsense. Being in such close quarters to one another puts a chink in his apparent armor and only makes his ardor for Emily rise. Jasper's struggles for acceptance from his family also makes him wary where Emily is concerned, but the chase that ensues is quite charming and will bring the reader back for more. 

UNDONE BY HIS KISS by Anabelle Bryant is one of those stories that you can't put down. Miss Bryant's writing is intelligent and gripping. This second book in the Regency Charms series is a fabulous follow-up to the first book, DEFYING THE EARL, which is also a must read. My only issue with this series is how long I will have to wait for the next one... Anabelle? I am waiting! 

~KIMBERLY~ 

DAMON SUEDE'S ~ HOT HEAD ~ GUEST REVIEW BY SLICK

I read a lot of gay romance, a lot and so when I finally got to meet Damon Suede last week and actually talk to the man I knew I wanted to read something he'd written and he suggested I start with Hot Head.  This book was written in 2011 and Mr. Suede has released more books since then and if I'm not mistaken this was his first published work and it was good.  Having read many, many gay romance books I appreciate the fact that this book has been somewhat of a front runner and lead the way for other gay romance books to be accepted and published.  While I did enjoy this book at times the story seemed to be a little long winded, especially at the beginning and to be honest I wanted more once these two men realized that in each other they had found what had been missing in their lives.  I wanted to see how their fellow firefighters accepted or didn't accept their intimate relationship, I wanted to know how the rest of Dante's family reacted to their news and Griff's father and more important I wanted them to discuss what they saw in their future if Griff's dream of having children with Dante was something they both wanted.  To be honest, I also would have like a few more steamy intimate scenes between them once they professed their love as well.  All in all, this story had good bones; the characters were charismatic, and their story compelling.

Griff and Dante have been friends for years honestly they are even closer than friends because Dante's large Italian family pretty much adopted Griff after his mother died and his father couldn't seem to find the time to parent him.  They've been through a lot together including the aftermath of 9/11 in which Dante was hurt and Griff saved him.  Griff married and divorced and now years later he's fighting the fact that he wants his best friend to be more than a friend something he is sure his very heterosexual friend would balk at.  Throughout this book we see time after time that Griff will do anything for Dante because truth of the matter is he loves the guy (and there isn't anything brotherly about that love).  When Dante needs money he ends up doing some online porn and ends up getting Griff involved where they share some very erotic scenes together all in the name of earning money (or so Griff thinks).  I'll admit that the back and forth between these two with them both running away and refusing to talk about what was going on with them drove me a bit nuts and I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that while this bugged me I can't help but wonder if because this book is written by a gay man rather than a woman writing gay romance that this is more accurate in how men react.  Keep in mind that's not a bad thing; it is simply me trying to figure out if this is normal for two men trying to figure out a relationship and men are just not as good at talking about admitting to or talking about their feelings. 

There were some interesting secondary characters including Alek the man who ran the porn site who was professional, polite and as it turns out a good guy.  Tommy, a paramedic whose life is turned upside down in this story but begins to understand that true friends are worth so much and I'm so hoping at some point we'll get his story.  Dante's large family who add some Italian flair, a whole lot of love and gives excellent advice even from one of the youngest in the bunch.  All of these add a whole lot to this story not to mention help these two men see things from different sides and offer some sage advice when the time is right.

It took Dante and Griff a long time to get to their happy place in this story and even after they both finally admitted they wanted one another there were still a few tense times as they worked through Dante's hot jealousy but like I said I wanted to see more of them after this point and yes, now is the time to point out that I'm just a nosey, greedy beyotch.  It's okay I can take it. 

I enjoyed this story and after speaking with the author I could hear his voice in this book and because of his exuberance for gay romance and romance in general I will be checking out this other offerings.  As for Hot Head; it was funny, touching, and downright sexy and it is NEVER a bad thing when two people find love especially two people who had denied themselves for so long.

 ~SLICK~ 

Regency Rules Are Made to Be Broken

There’s no question that Regency romances dominate the historical romance space. For lots of romances the HEA happens due to a sweeping romantic gesture from one partner to the other. Never one to conform to the norm, historical romance authors Grace Burrowes and Jane Ashford are here to share how they break the mold in their latest titles, Tremaine’s True Love and Married to a Perfect Stranger.

                Grace Burrowes, author of Tremaine’s True Love: When Nita realizes that she and Tremaine envision incompatible job descriptions for her as his wife, she breaks the engagement. Tremaine accepts his rejection gracefully (when Nita’s looking). Part of what he loves about her is her ability to make up her own mind, to think for herself, to bring strength to the union, and not just a pretty pair of dancing slippers.

                To hang around and wheedle, or to inveigle Nita’s siblings into changing her mind would be to disrespect her, and also to hurt her. Nita’s rejection of Tremaine is her head overruling her heart, and he knows this.

                Tremaine also knows that Nita’s own family has failed to grasp how unique she is, and when they won’t defend some of the choices she’s made, Tremaine steps in—even after he’s been jilted.

                He leaves her, but he never stops protecting her or trusting her integrity, and thus the door opens for the happily ever after.

Jane Ashford, author of Married to a Perfect Stranger: The moment that John displays his love for Mary is a quieter, but perhaps deeper recognition. Mary and John are not much respected by their families. They’ve both been dismissed as negligible personalities. As they fall in love during the story, they give each other the gift of acknowledgement and admiration, which lets them both come into their power as individuals. This all culminates for Mary when John praises her artistic talent – her ability to capture the essence of a person in her portraits. The moment is especially moving and significant because this very talent had previously gotten them in trouble with the powerful Lady Castlereagh and threatened to ruin his career.

 

Title: Tremaine’s True Love

Author: Grace Burrowes

He’s had everything he could ever want…until now

Wealthy wool magnate Tremaine St. Michael is half French, half Scottish, and all business. He prowls the world in search of more profits, rarely settling in one place for long. When he meets practical, reserved Lady Nita Haddonfield, he sees an opportunity to mix business with pleasure by making the lady his own.

Nita Haddonfield has a meaningful life tending to others, though nobody is dedicated to caring for Nita. She insists the limitations of marriage aren’t for her, then Tremaine St. Michael arrives—protective, passionate, and very, very determined to win Nita’s heart.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes has written over thirty-five books and has won numerous awards including a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year and an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award. Grace is a practicing family law attorney and lives in rural Maryland.

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Title: Married to a Perfect Stranger

Author: Jane Ashford

Time and distance have changed them both…

Quiet and obliging, Mary Fleming and John Bexley marry to please their families and John immediately leaves on a two-year diplomatic mission. Now John is back, and everything they thought they knew about each other was wrong…

It’s disconcerting, irritating—and somehow all very exciting…

Jane Ashford discovered Georgette Heyer in junior high school and was captivated by the glittering world and witty language of Regency England. Her romances have been published all over the world. Jane has been nominated for a Career Achievement Award by RT Book Reviews. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

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Chapters

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The NDcent hunt is on! Are you game?

Give me a W!

Give me an I!

Give me a N!

Yes that’s right! You might WIN! During an awesome blogger scavenger hunt, you have several chances to WIN Amazon gift cards and a larger Amazon shopping spree. If you can count $100 as a shopping spree, that is.

I was never picked for the cheerleading squad, but sometimes I like to celebrate like I had.

I’m thrilled that an awesome group of bloggers have agreed to be a part of this hunt, and I hope take the time to play. And of course I hope you enjoy yourself along the way.

The game is simple, fill in the blank below to be entered in a drawing for a $5 gift card here. Visit and enter at every blog site and you’ll be entered in the drawing for the $100 gift card.

Winners will all be announced on Saturday, August 22!

Actress Kami Evans is tackling the biggest role of her life—as an escort. There’s definitely something going on in Madame V’s mansion, but Kami has to prove herself trustworthy before she can dig deeper and prove her stepbrother didn’t commit suicide.

Her first assignment: seduce a CEO and, oddly, steal his hair brush. He’s everything she avoids in a man: suave, sexy, suited. She plays her role all the way to the bedroom…and finds it stunningly difficult to walk away.

Breck Lawson’s undercover assignment, posing as a replacement CEO, is yielding zero clues as to why his friend tried to kill himself—until Kami comes on the scene. She’s everything he likes in a woman: safe, sexy, temporary. She also arouses him just by walking into a room, a sure sign it’s time to push her away.

Then he connects the dots she unwittingly shares, and realizes their investigations are linked by delicate strands of DNA. Keeping her near isn’t wise, but he has to know her secrets and keep her safe.

Unless they trust each other and come clean, those dots could lead to death for both of them…

Fill in the blank:  Actress Kami Evans is tackling the biggest role of her life—as an           .

Here’s a hint for the next book you’re looking for:  An unexpected weapon of death.

Look for the NDcent Hunt button on participating blogs for more chances to enter, and don’t miss checking out Nikki’s website (http://nikkiduncan.com/) to see what else she has to offer.

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RELEASE DAY HAPPINESS & GIVEAWAY ~THE WIDOW'S CHOICE by HILDIE MCQUEEN

Comely widow Charlotte Kennedy is in over her head. Between running a huge ranch and keeping a cruel rancher at arms length, she doesn't need the added distraction of romance. 

Colter Valley calls to Rafe Preston, who decides to purchase land and settle there. When he accepts a temporary job at a beautiful widow's ranch, he has no idea how much it will impact his plans. 

Passion, deception and treachery, blend into a beautiful love story, set in 1860s Montana Territory. 

EXCERPT: 

 (She Noticed Him)

Charlie stood at the kitchen window looking toward the bunkhouse.  The men had gone there right after dinner, Joe following Rafe and Jerrick after they invited him to play cards.  Joe had taken to the two newcomers and they'd fallen into an easygoing rapport of sorts.

Both Rafe Preston and Jerrick Black were very handsome men.  It still astounded her to find so many good-looking men in one town. It was as if the beauty of the area attracted them. The local McKade men where a striking bunch, all of them with the same devilish green eyes and tall muscular build. 

Her thoughts returned to the new ranch hands.  They were as different in looks as night and day. Jerrick was blond with light eyes that caught attention.  He had a playful edge to him, as if always holding back from teasing. 

Rafe was the more serious of the two, seeming to measure his words before speaking.  With black hair and the darkest brown eyes, he made one take notice.  Taller than Jerrick, he shrunk a room when entering. Of the two, she took more notice of Rafe. Whenever his dark eyes met hers, it was as if he could see deep inside.  To the most intimate areas, she'd rather keep to herself.

"There's too much work to be done for daydreaming," Mary Ellen, Charlie's friend chided her with a soft smile on her lips. "You thinking about our new ranch hands? They are a handsome duo, aren't they?"

"Honestly, I barely noticed," Charlie lied and avoided looking at her friend who carried a cup of tea to the kitchen table.  The cool breeze blew in through the open windows helping air out the overheated kitchen. She glanced once again outside.  The sun's setting always gave a beautiful glow to the valley.

The Widow's Choice Buy Links:
Amazon: http://goo.gl/8kJcNl
iBooks: https://goo.gl/U6HJub
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Kobo: https://goo.gl/Jgj63p

Hildie McQueen at RT Dallas

GIVEAWAY ALERT!

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 THE WIDOW'S CHOICE!