A Rake's Midnight Kiss by Anna Campbell

I thoroughly enjoyed this smoldering romance by one of my favorite authors!  Genevieve Barrett is tired of living in her father's shadow and is ready to break free and show the world who really writes up his academic articles by publishing her research on the mysterious Harmsworth Jewel.  Unfortunately, the jewel was left to her by an aunt and Sir Richard Harmsworth wants it back for himself and will go to any means to obtain it back...even steal.  When the break in goes awry, he is drawn to the prickly Genevieve and devises a new plan that involves going undercover to seduce the lady and get the jewel back.  What he does not expect is to have Genevieve help him find himself and fall hard for her.  When a vile threat poses too great of a risk to Genevieve's life, Richard knows he must tell her the truth before it is too late.  Will Genevieve be able to forgive the deceit and hurt that Richard has caused?

Reading an Anna Campbell romance is always guaranteed to make me smile, blush and devour the book to fast and wish I had not!  This book accomplished all of that and more!  I adored Genevieve with her appealing, clever, prickly demeanor she is just the right woman to help Richard see past the views of society to the man he truly is.  She can see that his heart is heavily guarded due to his mothers indiscretion that lead to his birth and it has shaped him into the man he is today.  Richard has grown up with being sneered at in society as all of society knows he is not the true heir, even if he was accepted by his father.  She finds herself misjudging him just as everyone else has done but she gradually sees him for the kind, brave, perceptive handsome man he is.  The only thing that really bothered my about the wonderful story was the deception.  I understand why Richard did what he did but it is always a touchy subject for me, especially when he choose to finally reveal his true identity to Genevieve.  I thought the villain aspect was well done and worked well within this story.  Anna Campbell writes with her usual lush descriptions and smoldering passion and I got swept away by the delicious romance of Richard and Genevieve!  4 stars

eARC provided by Grand Central Publishing via netgalley

Sons of Sins series
Work well as standalones but richer in order

 Book Three: To be announced

New Covers

Here is the latest (long) batch of lovely new covers. . .

This is the cover that was voted on for Kieran Kramers upcoming Say Yes to the Duke!!  Love it!  (Though it doesn't really 'fit' with the previous covers...) Very excited for this one!  Look for it Aug 27th.

Oh, look at this lovely red cover!  And a heroine with red hair.  Love the snow in the background :)  I really enjoyed Valerie Bowman's debut so I can't wait for Secrets of a Scandalous Marriage to come out Oct 1st!

Squee!!!  How eye catching is this green?!?  And a mask?  Ooh.  Beyond excited for this one and so happy the cover is just stunning.  Look for No Good Duke Goes Unpunished Aug 27th!

The Perks of Being a Beauty is a novella by the lovely Manda Collins set for release June 18th.  I believe this features a secondary character from her debut series.  I am so happy publishers are taking the time to make nice covers for novellas!

Miranda Neville is back with The Ruin of a Rogue.  Love that title and the cover is very sexy!  Look for it Aug 27th as well.

Grace Burrowes always has such lovely covers and Lady Jenny's Christmas Portrait is no exception.  (Christmas already?!? lol)  The green is perfect for the holidays and I adore the attention to the background detail.  Look for this one Oct 1st.

Wicked Little Secrets looks to be a new to me author.  The cover and premise have caught my attention so I hope to give this one a go on its release, Aug 6th.

Purple, my favorite :)  I like all the pretty scrollwork as well as the detail in the background.  Look for Love on a Midsummer Night Aug 6th.

Love!  The sky blue is just stunning!  Very impatient for the release of this one!  A Rake's Midnight Kiss will be out Aug 27th (boo).

And finally is the start of a new series from Sophie Barnes, The Trouble with Being a Duke.  I love that her dress has a pattern on it and masks are always intriguing :)  Look for this one Aug 27th.

Well, there you go.  Lovely, lovely covers from Avon, St Martins, Sourcebooks and Grand Central.  Now to wait. . . Which covers are your favorites??

Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed by Anna Campbell

Sidonie Forsythe has agreed to help her sister pay off her gambling debts by taking her place as the woman promised to the holder of her debts, Jonas Merrick.  All that is known of the recluse is that it is sister's husbands cousin and that there is extremely bad blood between the two and it has cast a shadowed opinion of Jonas.  He was scarred on his face as a boy and also stripped off his title for being illegitimate and it has shaped him into the reserved man he is today.  He knows immediately that Sidonie is not the woman that was promised to him--after all, what better way to spite your cousin than to sleep with his wife for a week?--but he can not help but be drawn to the strong woman.  He makes it clear to Sidonie that he will not take her by force but it will be by her choice alone.  Sidonie believes she can outwit this man in the game of seduction and return home just as she left.  But her feelings quickly shift and she wonders if she can hold off on Jonas' seduction but Sidonie also has a bigger secret that she is hiding that she knows will destroy this happiness she is finding.  When the full truth comes to light, will Jonas be able to forgive and trust Sidonie again or is their fate sealed in unhappiness?

Oh my goodness...what a book!  I have been waiting patiently *ahem* for a new book from Anna Campbell and Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed did not disappoint!  I was a bit nervous about Sidonies secret and how that was all going to play out as it is not a favorite storyline of mine, but it worked so wonderfully with this couple!  I adored watching the attraction simmer bright from Jonas and Sidonies first meeting and then the feelings slowly grow as the week went on.  Jonas has quite a wall around his emotions and just as Sidonie would break a piece down, it would shift right back into place until it finally all comes crashing down.  Sidonie did take a bit of time for be to warm up to with her secret keeping and her refusal to marry based on her sister and mothers lousy marriages.  Again, not my favorite troupes but it worked for this story.  Jonas...sigh...I loved him.  He is stern and gruff on the outside but underneath he is generous, clever and affectionate and Sidonie brings that back for him.  When she betrays his trust again, he refuses to let her back in and goes back into his lonely shell but she persists and the ending is definitely a tear jerker.  Overall, a delicious treat that was worth the wait!  This is a romance filled with love, passion, tenderness, forgiveness and trust all mixed together in a way that will make you forget about the real world and have you cheering for Jonas and Sidonie to find the happiness they so deserve together!  And we get just a glimpse of the other two men that will have stories and I know I am back to anxiously awaiting them!  4 1/2 stars

Quote that stuck with me (subject to change in final version):

"Forget what you look like.  The total of what you are is so much greater than what you see reflected in all these mirrors."

Review copy provided by Grand Central Publishing via netgalley.com

Sons of Sins series
I'm not positive, but at least two more books hopefully sometime in 2013!

New Covers

Just a few new covers this week. . .

Here is the cover for Stefanie Sloane's upcoming October 2012 release, The Scoundrel Takes a Bride.  I like it but it's not my favorite of hers...  This will be book five in her Regency Rogues series.

This is the start of a new series from Maggie Robinson and I expect it to be filled with steamy goodness!!  I really like this cover too...I enjoy covers that have a bit of landscape on them and we still get some eye candy :)  This one will be out in November 2012.

A lovely red cover from the delightful Delilah Marvelle.  Forever a Lady is book two of her Rumor series and is sure to be scandalous :)  Look for this one July 24th.

And one last eye-catching cover for your week from a favorite author of mine, Anna Campbell.  She just shared this one today and I am dying for the September 25th release date!!  So far away!  Currently Amazon only has the Kindle version listed but I am sure there will be a paperback as well.  I know I pre-ordered it already!  It sounds delicious! :)

Well, pretty quiet front on the covers this week but these are all books that I am anxious to read!  Did any of them catch your eye?

Upcoming October historical releases

Here are some upcoming historicals being released in October! 

Oct 4th


Phew, lots of good ones being released on Oct 4th!  I know I have said it before, but grab Theresa Roamins debut, Season for Temptation,if you are a fan of fun romances (sort of like Julia Quinn).  I know I will be buying Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish as it continues her series with a great family (though it is the start of a trilogy just about the sisters, I think the brothers are separated into their own series).  I have not seen alot about Suzanne Enochs upcoming release, A Beginner's Guide to Rakes, but the little I have seen has been very positive so I am looking forward to it as well :) A Bride Unveiled is book two in a series that I have not yet tried but is on my huge mountain to read. The Accidental Courtesan is also book two in a series and while some didn't love the first one, I enjoyed it so I will be picking this one up.  And I just saw a mini review from a goodreads friend for Tis the Season to Be Sinful that has me looking forward to a delightful story in this one.  Yeah, looks like I am going for broke in about a week with all these titles!

Oct 18th



Sigh...I don't think I need to say much about this book as I have said numerous times I am dying to read this one...right now!

Oct 25th




Another book I am just dying to read right now is the last of Maya Banks Highlander series, Never Love a Highlander! Loved the last one so very eager for this one as well :) Engaged in Sin sounds like a promising book from a new to me author and a very pretty cover as well. Too Wicked to Wed is the start of a new series from Cara Elliot and as I enjoyed her past trilogy, featuring strong woman with male-dominated professions, I have high hopes for the new series.  And finally, only two historicals from Avon this month (though they do have a contemporary from one of my favorite authors, Toni Blake coming out, Holly Lane).  One being All About Seduction which is another new to me author and the premise for this one is quite interesting and I hope to get to it as I have it from Netgalley.  The last one for the month is book three in a trilogy from Sara Bennett, To Pleasure a Duke and I hope to read this one early as well as I read the first in the trilogy and enjoyed it.

So overall, another good month for historical romance fans.  What about you?  Which books are you looking forward to in October?

Midnight's Wild Passion by Anna Campbell

Sigh...what a beautiful story of a man bent on revenge falling so thoroughly in love with a passionate woman who is trying to hide her past failings all while, of course, not realizing it. Miss Antonia Smith is the fiercest companion of the ton to Miss Cassandra Demarest, protecting her from all the rakes, and for a good reason as Antonia had her own falling out with a rake that ruined her reputation and forced her to become a companion. When the notorious rake, Nicholas Challoner, Marquess of Ranelow, shows interest in Cassie, Antonia tells him to leave her alone. Oh, when these two lock eyes, you can just feel the attraction and passion they instantly have for each other. Nicholas immediately seems through Antonia attempts to disguise herself, her cap can not conceal her silvery blond hair, the tinted spectacles can't hide those ice blue eyes and the frumpy clothes can not hide the young pretty woman beneath them. As they talk, he knows that she must be from a proper family but can't understand why she is trying to hide herself.

Nicholas is set upon ruining Cassie, just as her father ruined his beloved sister twenty years ago. He did not have a great childhood but his sister was his one bright spot and when she was sent away for being ruined, he hardened his heart and decided to become a rake. But when he meets the lovely tigress Antonia, he just can't shake her from his mind. He knows he must have her and surely that will get her out of his system. When he finally gets Antonia to follow through on their mutual desires, smokin, but the desire is stronger than ever.

Anna Campbell wove a beautiful story and her writing of these two falling in love and snapping with each other was a pleasure to read. I loved watching this hard man slowly meld into a caring, loving man that loves and protects with everything inside of him. And Antonia, the poor woman had been forced to shove her passionate nature down because of a young foolish mistake and she paid for it dearly losing her family and bits of herself but Nicholas put her heart back together and breathed life back into her. I really loved this book, I can not really think of anything that I wished was different. The cover is gorgeous as well! This was my first Anna Campbell book and I am really looking forward to savoring her backlist, her writing was just beautiful to me. 5 lovely stars for this one!

Thanks to www.netgalley.com for providing me with the ebook arc.