Seducing Mr. Knightly by Maya Rodale

Annabelle Swift has loved Derek Knightly, editor and owner of The London Weekly, for three years, six months, three weeks and two days, all without his notice.  She has decided that now is the time to change this and asks the readers of her column, Dear Annabelle, for advice on gaining the attention of a man that pays you no mind.  The answers pour in and Annabelle sets about trying out some of the suggestions.  After a variety of attempts; lower bodices, smoldering glances, forgotten objects...it seems to be working as Knightly seems to be noticing her!  Yet, he is courting a society lady, the last piece he needs to right the wrongs of his past.  Knightly is confused to his new found feelings for Annabelle and his duty not just to himself, but also to his paper which is coming under heavy suspicion of fraud.   Annabelle and her fellow Writing Girls decide she needs to attempt one last final grand gesture but when happiness finally seems attainable, the newspaper scandal blows up and it forces Annabelle to make a rash decision.  How can Knightly show Annabelle the truth of his heart while holding on to all that he has built with his newspaper?

I just adore Maya Rodale's writing and Seducing Mr. Knightly is no exception!  If you have read the previous books in this series, I'm sure you have been eagerly anticipating this story and, for the most part, it delivers.  I loved watching Annabelle shed her quiet 'don't notice me' shell (I mean really, her family is just plain horrible to her) and bloom into a daring, courageous woman.  Her attempts at seduction are both heart warming and amusing and she shares it all with her readers.  Knightly for his part, comes out of his unobservant shell and starts to wonder if he could be the man Annabelle is questing after, which I was happy about.  It was not a quick about face but a slow, realistic change and you can see them falling truly in love with each other, past the initial love at first sight.  They both want to belong and together they find a way to find that with each other.  With how smoking hot the cover is, I was a bit surprised that the heat factor is a bit on the lower side...however, as the story unfolds, it works and in the end, I really wasn't too disappointed.  The romance is slower and sweet with delicious sexual tension and the payoff is wonderful.  I really did not care for the ending and Annabelle's decision she made but oh, Knightly's attempt to fix it...totally hilarious and swoon worthy!  I adored that!  A solid conclusion to a fun, sexy series and I am a bit sad that we are saying good bye to these characters.  Maya Rodale is on my auto buy list with this series due to her fabulous storytelling filled with charm, humor, sass, characters you can relate too and swoon worthy romance.  4 stars

eARC provided by Avon Books via edelweiss

Writing Girls
Can be read as stand alones but delightful in order!

Three Schemes and a Scandal by Maya Rodale

Lady Charlotte Brandon had the best intentions when she told Lucy that feathered bonnet was lovely but then it all went haywire and Lucy is now known as Swan Lucy and Charlotte knows she must fix this!  Her scheme is simple, lock Lucy and her old fried, James in the new folly and poof, all will be better because surely they will fall in love.  But the blasted wind blows her scheme apart and suddenly Charlotte is trapped with James.  James who was her dear friend as a twelve-year-old girl but has not spoken to her in eight years after the...incident.  The horribly tragic, yet amusing, incident.  Confronting ensures and an attraction blooms but the thought most prevalent is to get out of the folly undetected so they are not forced into marriage.  Unfortunately, this leads to a new problem that Charlotte is sure she can mend with a new scheme and this one too goes awry.  James, however, sees that this pretty, too clever, devious woman is just right for him and he decides to give Charlotte a bit of her own medicine.  Can James pull of the scheme of the year and show Charlotte his true heart?

This was a quick, fun read and I really enjoyed it!  It is short, about half the file with the rest being excerpts from Maya Rodale's previous and upcoming books, but it worked for me.  We have met Charlotte in the previous books but if you have not yet read anything by Maya Rodale, this is a wonderful place to start to give her writing a try!  Charlotte is a delight-bold, loving, courageous, impulsive and daring...all very unladylike yet hoping for the romantic love she sees her brother has.  She, along with her pet fox, cause havoc all over town yet once James spends a bit of time with her after all these years, he knows she is just perfect the way she is for him.  Even though this is short, we get enough of their shared past to move forward but I would have liked a bit more, as always.  I read this in one night and I eagerly awaiting the next book in this series!  If you need a quick pick me up with a feisty heroine and dashing hero, a runaway fox, and a scheme so romantic it will make your heart melt, this is the perfect novella for you!  4 stars

eARC provided by Avon via edelweiss

The Writing Girls series
Can be read out of order but best enjoyed in order
Oct 30th

New Covers

New covers shared this week. . .

Does this cover say romance or what?  Pretty, pretty, pretty! I'm usually more focused on the gorgeous gowns on these covers but I love how the background stands out so much for this one! This will be book two in Valerie Bowman's Secret Bride series and I am so excited for the debut title at the end of Sept!  However, Secrets of a Runaway Bride will not be out until March 26th.

Three Schemes and a Scandal is a novella from Maya Rodale set for release either Sept 25 or Oct 2nd.  On her website she says Sept 25th and on Amazon it says Oct 2nd.  Either way I have it pre-ordered :)  Looks like this will be book 3.5 in her Writing Girls story and looks to also be a complete story.  I like the simplicity and sassiness of this cover.

Sophie Barnes returns to her Summersby series with two back to back releases!  First up is There's Something About Lady Mary and I love the bold blue!  She looks sassy :)  This will be out Nov 13th.

And then just a week later (seriously, she must write in her sleep!) on Nov 20th we get The Secret Life of Lady Lucinda.  Gold is quickly becoming one of my favorite colors for covers!  I really enjoyed Sophie's previous books so I am anxiously awaiting two new ones!

New Covers

Maya Banks shared this delicious cover this week.  I really enjoyed her first Highlander series and I very excited for her new series!  And the covers...wowza. Highlander Most Wanted isn't out until Feb 26th though...sigh.  

I don't see much about this title yet, but it looks to be the start of a new series from Celeste Bradley.  I love the softness of the cover and the heroine looks to be up to no good :)  Hopefully more info will be coming soon.  Look for When She Said I Do in January 2013.

Wow, purple is usually my favorite color for covers but I am thinking gold might take over that soon!  This is one seriously sexy cover!  Usually there is some semblance of clothes but not for this one, lol! Seducing Mr. Knightly is book four in the Writing Girls series and one that I have been looking forward to for awhile.  It will be out October 30th.

Sin With a Scoundrel is book four in Sara Bennett's Husband Hunter Club series and I enjoyed the previous books so I will be picking this one up.  Love the pop of green!  This one is also out Oct 30th.

Cathy Maxwell's next title, The Scottish Witch: The Chattan Curse, will be out Oct 30th and I really like the nod to the Scottish theme.  This is book two in this series.

Another very anticipated release for me is A Notorious Countess Confesses. Book seven in the Pennroyal Green series, one I'm still not fully caught up on yet, but has had some wonderful books so I have high hopes for the new one.  The cover is very pretty and romantic.  This is also an Oct 30th release.

One last one that was shared this week. The Bridegroom Wore Plaid is the start of a new trilogy from the delightful Grace Burrowes.  Love the plaid and the softness this one.  It will be set in the Victorian era.  Look for this one in December.

Not a bad bunch of covers, huh? :)  Some really great titles coming!!  Which ones are you most excited about?

Happy Release Day!!

Here are some of the wonderful books out today!  Enjoy :)

I have had the pleasure of reading four out of this six and really enjoyed them all and I will be picking up When A Scot Loves A Lady and The Husband Hunt today to add to my collection!  And I have my signed copy of A Rogue By Any Other Name on its way from Sarah MacLean's local indie store, yay!!

 These two titles are also going on to read list.  I have received an ARC of Touch of a Rogue so I am anxious to see how I like it since it does have a touch of paranormal, which I usually stay clear of.  And I am slowing building my own Highlander collection to read someday in the not to distant future.

Which books are you most looking forward to reading today?  If nothing has caught your eye (and I find that hard to believe!) we can expect some new releases in just a week from Jade Lee, Madeline Hunter and Renee Bernard.

The Tatooed Duke by Maya Rodale

Eliza Fielding knows her writing career will be over if she can not deliver a scandalous story.  So when the globe-trotting Duke of Wycliff finally returns home after his fathers death--and no one wants to work for a Wicked Wycliff-- she knows she has found her story.  She just needs to go undercover as a maid and find out some delicious secrets.  Eliza easily lands a job but soon finds the work tedious and her subject oh so distracting.  She quickly learns a few interesting titbits to feed London's society and she is beyond pleased to finally have a successful column, The Tattooed Duke.  But as her feelings start to grow, she is torn between getting the story and helping Sebastian gain his proper footing in society.

Sebastian, Duke of Wycliff, wants nothing more to come home from him travels, get his ducal affairs in order and gather the funds necessary to pursue his dream--discovering Timbuktu.  He is aggravated when he learns the estate is broke and he can not quite get his sassy housemaid out of his mind.  When The Tattooed Duke brings even more problems upon him, he is determined to find out who the snitch is and while his mind keeps going to Eliza, he dismisses her many times.  However, the truth is soon revealed and deep secret of Eliza's is brought to light as well that will threaten this couples happiness.

This is the third book in Maya Rodale's Writing Girls series and I felt it could be read as a standalone.  Yes, the previous characters are present and you see a bit of their futures but not anything major is missed.  I was drawn to this book first because I have read the previous and enjoyed them but also the interesting title and I like the undercover maid storyline :)  I really enjoyed Sebastian...and not just because of his tattoos.  He doesn't want to be a duke, he just wants to go out and explore the world and make his impact through that.  He is instantly attracted to Eliza but beyond a few stolen kisses and one very steamy encounter, our couple is forced to stay apart.  That part was a bit of a bummer--there is no major action until the very, very end.  Boo.  Eliza is smart and spunky, but her role as a maid forces her to act less smart and then she has to deal with her guilty conscience.  Yes, I felt Sebastian should have followed through with his gut feeling about Eliza being the writer sooner than he did but the fun cat and mouse type game they play with each other at the end was a delight.  Overall, another wonderful addition to the Writing Girl series and I am very anxious for Annabelle to finally have her story!  If you enjoy a hero and heroine who are a bit different than many books out there and have a smoldering attraction with a bit of mystery, deceit, and smartness mixed in, this is one delicious book to read!  4 stars

I received an eARC from the publisher via edelweiss.

The Writing Girls


Seducing Mr Knightly Nov 2012 (Title and release date subject to change)

A Tale of Two Lovers by Maya Rodale

Lady Julianna Somerset has worked hard after her husbands scandalous death to make her name proper and she has succeeded for the most part. Julianna reports on gossip and is the mysterious Lady of Distinction and one of her most reported on persons is the notorious rake, Lord Simon Roxsbury. Just after Simon is dealt an ultimatum from his father, Julianna reports a bit of gossip that makes Simons life much more difficult. In return to this nosy, attractive woman, Simon does something that makes Julianna the subject of untrue gossip and it puts her job in jeopardy. So what are two people surrounded by untrue gossip to do? The notorious rake and the scandalous lady wed in order to become respectable.

Watching the sparks fly between these two was quite fun! Even though Simon was a rake to top all rakes, once he meets Julianna she consumes his thoughts and there is no one else. Julianna is most hesitant about marriage to Simon as her first husband was a horrible rake and treated her shabbily and she does not think her heart can stand another heartbreak like that. Oh but when Simon decides to seduce his wife, sigh...very sweet, fun (boxing!) and hot! There is a bit of a mystery involving a rival gossip columnist, The Man About Town, that adds a little action near the end and sets up the next lead, I believe, for the next book. Even though this is book two, following A Groom of One's Own, this could be read as a stand alone. Another enjoyable, easy, fun, sexy read from Maya Rodale. 4 stars

A Groom of One's Own by Maya Rodale

Miss Sophie Harlow got the shock of her life when she was jilted at the alter and it forces her to leave her home and head to London to find a job...which she does as a newspaper writer and is part of a quartet of women known as The Writer Girls. She writes a column about all the society weddings but she is always nervous as she waits for the bride, as she can not bear to see anyone else get jilted and when at one such wedding it is looking like a jilt is in process she flees from the ceremony and bumps into a most handsome man who escorts who home and whom she believes is just Mr. Brandon. Imagine her surprise when she is asked to cover the Wedding of the Year and she meets the groom...her Mr. Brandon who is actually a double duke, the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon and he is set to marry the perfect Lady Clarissa.

As Sophie and the ladies confer over numerous wedding arrangements, Brandon keeps making appearances and the heated glances between them are noticed by all. By his mother with some delight (who believes true love conquers all), by Clarissas mother with horror (as the family desperately needs the infusion of cash that the marriage will secure) and some form of disinterest from Clarissa (as she is not truly in love with the duke). I wasn't quite sure how this story was going to play out, after all, I did not want Clarissa to end up jilted and alone but Clarissa gets her own prince charming and stands her ground with her over bearing mother.

This was my first Maya Rodale book and it was enjoyable. Her writing was fun and kept the story moving along nicely. There is no big misunderstanding and the focus on the two couples was done well...I just wanted to keep going and going to see how it was all going to end for our couples! I enjoyed how you could just feel the passion between Sophie and Brandon, and except for a few stolen kisses, not much happened until the end. It is truly a story of love growing from mutual attraction and laughter and companionship. Overall, a fun sweet read with a mad cap ending and I am looking forward to the other three writer girls stories! 3 1/2 stars