New Covers

Some new covers noticed lately. . .

Jennifer Haymore is starting a new series, House of Trent, with the June 25th release of The Duchess Hunt.  I like the simplicity of this cover with the title on the bold color stripe... something a bit different.  Looking forward to this one!

Julia Quinn shared the cover for the print version of all the Bridgertons epilogues plus a new one!  I have yet to read more than book one in this series (I know! I know!  Fixing that soon!) but I know a lot of fans are very excited for this one.  It looks to be a trade paperback though so thats a bit of a bummer..won't match the other books but the cover is just lovely.  Look for The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After April 2nd.

Eloisa James continues with her fairy tale series, which work as stand alones, with a Rapunzel like tale, Once Upon a Tower.  Very excited for this one and I really love this cover!  The allusion to Rapunzel is perfect.  This one will be out May 28th.

**And over at Heroes and Heartbreakers Facebook page you can help choose the cover for Kieran Kramer's upcoming book, Say Yes to the Duke!  Three different poses done by the amazing Jon Paul Studios are available to choose from.  Head on over, voting is open until the 17th!  Such a neat, fun idea and I hope to see more like it!

New Covers

Some new covers that I found recently. . .

Karen Hawkins shared her upcoming covers this past week.  How to Pursue a Princess (love that title!) is book two in her Duchess Diaries series and will be out May 21st.  Love the pretty background colors.

And before that she has a novella coming out!  Princess in Disguise, which has my attention based on the title alone, will be out February 25th.  I am so glad that the publishers are taking the time to make nice covers even for their novellas.  This one is nice and sexy and I love the staircase.

What the Duke Desires kicks off a new series for Sabrina Jeffries!  I got behind on her last series but I really enjoyed what I read so I'm looking forward to this one.  I love seeing corsets on covers :)  Look for this June 18th.

A new Tessa Dare cover!  A new Tessa Dare cover!  Love it!  So, so excited for Any Duchess Will Do :)  It's purplish-pink and pretty and lovely and I love the little sparkle on the bottom of her dress.  And I love that there is a step back!!  So sad to see hardly any books with these anymore!  Sob, why can't it be May 28th yet?

I saw this one up on Goodreads.  Love it!  Her dress is such a pretty color and I love that she is blowing a kiss.  A new Julia Quinn is always a treat so The Sum of All Kisses will be picked up on June 25th.

A Little Night Mischief looks to a a debut set for release June 4th.  It's a kind of nice to see the male wearing a shirt for a change and I love the background detail.  This features a heroine determined to keep her estate after it is gambled away by disguising herself as a ghost...which the hero does not fall for.  I will be keeping my eye out on this one.

Ooh, pretty pretty!  And Then Comes Marriage is book two in Celeste Bradley's new series, starting at the end of this month.  I have yet to read anything by her but heard good things about the first book so I am going to give her a try and hopefully be picking up this one July 30th.

Well, there you go!  Lots of great covers again.  Any new titles caught your eye?

The Lady Most Willing. . .

What do you get when you have a blustering laird with no heirs who has two unmarried nephews?  A crazy plot gets hatched to bring some brides to them to choose from!  Going to a party and throwing three ladies over their shoulders, the lairds men bring them to his castle only to find another female stowaway plus one unexpected duke as well.  So we now have three titled, unmarried gentleman sequestered away in a snow buried castle with four unmarried ladies.  What happens is the magic of love for these couples in the most unusual of circumstances. 

Yes they all fall in love quickly but it was done so well it was a joy to read.  I am amazed how three authors can weave a story together, yet give each couple their own time without it being three separate novellas.  This is one complete story with three, well actually four, love stories.  Each couple is given time to explore feelings and confront unwillingness all with wonderful attention to detail.  So while I would have liked each couple to have had a bit more time to explore their feelings, the quick pace makes this book work and I found myself reading it in a day and feeling happy afterwards with a smile on my face.  A wonderful treat from three top authors that is guaranteed to make you laugh, smile and sigh with happiness.  4 stars

eARC provided by Avon Books via edelweiss

New Covers

Some new covers that were shared recently. . .

I really enjoy Alexandra Hawkins Lord of Vice series and Dusk with a Dangerous Duke will be book will be book six.  Such a lovely pink cover!  Sigh, February 26th can't get here soon enough!

Julia London also shared her cover for her upcoming book, The Last Debutante.  I am not caught up on her books but on goodreads this shows this will be book four in The Secrets of Hadley Green series.  I really like this cover!  Soft and pretty with a beautiful background and a touch of Scottish.  Look for it February 26th.

Another lovely cover reveal was for Kieran Kramer's The Earl is Mine.  Smokin red!  All of her previous books have featured prominently one color as well but in the pastel variety so this one really pops.  This will be book two in The House of Brady series and I can't wait for its release at the end of February!

Next, here is the cover for another novel in three parts from the talents of Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Connie Brockway.  I enjoyed their first book written like this so I am looking forward to The Lady Most Willing... when it releases Dec 26th.

Oh, one more to add quick that was shared this week!  This is the lovely cover for Ashlyn Macnamara's debut, A Most Scandalous Proposal.  If you look at it close, it has lovely texture for the wallpaper, couch and dress which I really like.  And I like the green and blue together.  Look for this one February 26th!

Ok, fine this is the last one, lol!  Miranda Neville shared she has written a prequel novella titled The Second Seduction of a Lady set to release Oct 16th.  It is a prequel to her new series and it sounds wonderful.  And the best part for me...it doesn't sound like it is going to be the cliff hanger type prequel that I like to avoid!  It will introduce the heroine for the full length but the novella focuses on a different couple.  Yay!

Well, it started off as a bit of a quiet week but picked up a little and all these books are on my wish list!  What about you, which ones are you most looking forward to?

Happy Release Day!!

It looks like a good release day to me!  I love the cover on Along Came a Duke and since it is the start of a new series and I have yet to read anything by Elizabeth Boyle, I will be picking this one up!  I was lucky enough to read an ARC of A Night Like This and it is sure to please Julia Quinn fans!  Winter Garden is a reissue with a new cover.  Even though I didn't love Cecilia Grant's debut, I am still going to read A Gentleman Undone and hope I like this one a bit more.  Unexpected Pleasures is a new one from Mary Wine.  And finally, an ebook novella from Carrie Lofty, A Little More Scandal (for only 99 cents!).

Hope there is something that catches your reading taste this week!  Next week we see new releases from Samantha Grace, Jayne Fresina, Sally Mackenzie, Cheryl Ann Smith, and Donna MacMeans.

A Night Like This by Julia Quinn

Daniel Smythe-Smith, Earl of Winstead, has been in a self imposed exile for three years after a drunken card game got out of control and he ends up shooting his good friend, Hugh.  He has been constantly looking over his shoulder, guarding his life against Hugh's father who vowed to kill him for damaging his son.  When Hugh tracks him down one day to say it is safe to return home finally, Daniel does and arrives just in time for the annual Smythe-Smith quartet musicale.  He is intrigued by the lovely woman playing the piano who is surely no relation of his so how is she playing in his family's musicale?

Anne Wynter can not believe how she got roped into playing the piano when it is her charges eldest sisters job.  But as she wants to keep a low profile and she needs to keep her job, she sees no other option.  Looking up during a break, she spots Daniel and is immediately drawn to him.  As their flirtation grows, so does their attraction and respect but Anne knows her place in life and she is hiding a secret that will surely shame Daniel.   However, when her past catches up to her, Anne will do what she must to protect Daniel and her charges--even if it means leaving Daniel forever.

Ah, Julia Quinn.  She can take a common storyline--a woman scored by her family for one reckless mistake and forced to be a governess or companion and then falls for an earl--and weave it in such a delightful manner!  The sparring between Daniel and Anne is such fun to read and the addition of Daniel's younger cousins, to whom Anne is governess too, add another layer of fun that makes me wish for my own passel of sisters and thankful that I don't have three sisters at the same time.  Watching the love grow between our couple was sweet, tender and sexy at the same time.  If you are looking for a deep, serious book...this is not that book.  If you are looking for something light-hearted, fun, delightful and guaranteed to make you smile and laugh but with just enough suspense to keep it from being too light, A Night Like This is for you!  I believe old fans of Julia Quinn will be delighted with this book as will newcomers.  Julia Quinn just seems to have some extra magic in her writing to make you smile the whole book and leave you sighing at the end.  4 stars

Here is a fun quote to tide you over until release day ;)

"Oh, my God," she whispered.  She did not think she'd ever said those words so many times as she had in the last few minutes, but if there had ever been a time to praise the Lord's creation, this had to be it.

Side note:  I was hoping the pink shoe on the cover would play some sort of role in the storyline but I didn't notice it.  Sigh, oh well :)

I received this eARC from Avon via edelweiss.com

Smythe-Smith Quartet
Can be read as a standalone as this one sort of runs the same time as Just Like Heaven

Two more books to come!!  (I hope Hugh is one of the heroes!)

New Covers

Just a few new covers this week :)

Maya Banks just posted this cover to her Facebook page yesterday and I can not wait to read it!!  The only highlander books I have read was her previous series and I loved them so I am so happy she is writing another series which kicks off with Never Seduce a Scot in late September.  The next Scottish book then doesn't come out until Feb of next year!  Boo!  No back to back releases this time :(  But I love the cover :)

Oh, pretty teal! The Taming of a Scottish Princess is book four in Karen Hawkins Hurst Amulet series and I believe is the final book.  I have yet to read anything by Ms Hawkins but I have heard good things about this series so I hope to get to it soon.  I love how the cover model has glasses!
 

This cover came out right after my last cover post and it fits in perfectly with the first book in the Smythe-Smith Quartet series.  I am hoping the pop of the pink shoe factors into the story as the red show from the previous book did.  The midnight blue is very pretty and mysterious as well.  Look for A Night Like This May 29th.

Another lovely cover for book three in Liz Carlyle's Fraternitas trilogy.  The white is very serene but I really like the pop of green as the backdrop. The Bride Wore Pearls is out July 31st.

And finally here is an early glimpse of the upcoming Loving Lady Marcia (Aug 28th).  Kieran Kramer has not officially shown her cover so it may be tweaked a bit.  (Last time she had a pink cover they changed it to green so I think the pink will stay this time.)  It is the start of a new series from her titled 'The House of Brady' and I love the little quote "Everyone loves Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" LOL  Looking forward to a blurb about this book as Ms Kramer writes some wonderful, light hearted humorous stories. 

Well, thats all I noticed while out and about cyber land this week.  Any great new covers catch your eye this week?

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a a weekly blog hop hosted by Breaking the Spine where we all mention one upcoming book release we are waiting for.

This week my pick is from the ever talented Julia Quinn. A Night Like This is book two in the Smythe-Smith Quartet and while I have not read all of Julia Quinns works, from what I have read I know I can count on a light, humorous, enjoyable read.  And don't we all need those kinds of reads?  Just something easy to read to escape real life :)  And look at the pretty cover that was released this past week!  I love the blue with the pop of pink for the shoe--I am hoping there is a pink shoe involved as with the red shoe from the cover of Just Like Heaven played a role in the book.  This one releases May 29th.  Here is the goodreads.com summary:

 Three years ago, Daniel Smythe-Smith shot a man in a duel and was forced to flee the country. He used to be a devil-may-care charmer, but after three years of being quite literally hunted, he is wary and on edge. Now he's back in London and, on the night of his arrival, attends the annual Smythe-Smith musicale, where he notices that the young woman at the piano is definitely not his cousin. 

Anne Shawcross made a terrible mistake at the age of sixteen. Ruined by the son of the most important family in the district, she changed her last name and left home, eventually becoming the governess to the Earl of Pleinsworth's three daughters. When Sarah Pleinsworth takes ill the night of the musicale, Anne is asked to step in. Could Sarah be the woman to save Daniel and his wounded heart? New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn's enchanting second novel in the Smythe-Smith quartet is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud and tug at your heartstrings in equal measures.

(I think the line  'Could Sarah be the woman to save Daniel and his wounded heart?' should be 'Could Anne be the woman..' but I'm not sure.  I didn't see a summary on Julia Quinns website to confirm, but that would make more sense to me.)

Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn

Ok, I am one on the only few people that has not read the entire Bridgerton series, only The Duke and I (note to self: get back to series soon!). But even from that one book I recognize the Smythe-Smith name and eagerly picked up this one to see their own stories. Honoria is in love with her older brothers best friend, Marcus and he returns the feelings but they both don't realize this until after Marcus suffers a life threatening infection and Honoria rushes to his side to care for him. I'm not going to go into the plot much because it is really about the infection and then the build up to the yearly musical but it is all done in Julia Quinns excellent lighthearted way. We get to meet the other three ladies that form the Smythe-Smith musical quartet and they add some fun bickering and are hopefully the other ladies that will each get there own stories. Overall, this is a sweet, happy book that should leave a smile on your face and cheering for Marcus and Honoria but I wish it would have just had something...more I guess. 3 1/2 stars

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

Just a quick, short review about a series most people have already read but as I am late to the historical romance bandwagon, I'm still catching up!

Fun, light hearted romance with a big, loving, noisy, bossy family. While not perfect (didn't quite agree with Daphnes actions at one point even if they were unintentional) I enjoyed Simons struggles to get over his horrible childhood with his horrible father, if you can even call him that. Very excited that there are seven more siblings to enjoy! Oh, I love the ABC naming thing....helps me as the reader keep track of birth order, lol

The Lady Most Likely... by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Connie Brockway

This is a novel in three parts, as the cover says, with each author writing a short story but all within one storyline. I'm not a big anthology reader but this didn't do a bad job. The first story, by Julia Quinn, is a love at first sight sort and was sweet if a bit slow.

The second, by Connie Brockway, is about a young lady who loves her older brothers friend but as he is older, and a bit of a rakehell, her father refuses courtship and he goes to war so that he can fulfill his promise to the father to allow her a season before he courts her. It is four years later and they get reacquainted at the country event they are all at. Once again, not bad but a bit slow...not to much actual romance and I wanted to smack both of them on the head a few times.

The third is by Eloisa James and is again, a sort of secret love type. This one was my favorite for the heat and the fun. I wasn't quite sure if I believed that he loved her for so long but never mentioned it but....

The part I don't like about anthologies that are one long storyline, especially in a historical, is I get a bit confused by all the people. Its a bit hard to keep everyone straight when they go from referring to them by their title, then their last name or first name. Had to keep glancing at the back cover to make sure I was thinking of the right person. Overall, an enjoyable book to curl up with on a nice sunny afternoon, listening to the mounds of snow melt. 4 stars