Another refreshing, unique, smart and sexy romance for them talents of Nina Rowan! It is refreshing and unique in the aspect that our widow, Clara Whitmore, is living with her uncle and helping him with his automaton museum. I loved seeing the bits and pieces that went into making these 'new' automatons. When she runs into her piano teacher from her youth, Sebastian Hall, she sees a chance to get her son back from her father. Sebastian is is need of some plans that he believes Clara's uncle has so he agrees to her marriage bargain never realizing how fast his life was going to turn upside down. Her vengeful father is hiding a secret (though I thought it was fairly obvious) and he promises to drag Sebastian's family through the mud...his family which has already had to deal with the scandal of adultery and divorce. Clara refuses to put Sebastian through any more pain in his family but Sebastian finds himself caring very deeply for Clara and is determined to help her...even if it drives a wedge between himself and his father.
Watching the love grow and deepen between Sebastian and Clara was such a treat. Sebastian was so easy to love; he kept his pain of his hand being damaged, making it unable for him to perform his music, his passion, very close to himself but Clara sees this pain and helps him heal. She allows Sebastian to see the light again and find a way to express himself through his music again. I loved how quickly he became Clara's champion for her son. Sebastian follows his heart and instincts regardless of what other people think. He is kind, generous, loyal and would do anything to help those he cares about. Now there were times I wanted to shake Clara for her refusal to tell Sebastian her plans regarding her son but I know she did it out of her love for Sebastian, her desire to keep him and his family out of scandals reach. Passion, tenderness, sorrow and the healing power of love are all wrapped together in this heartfelt romance. 4 stars
Review copy provided by Grand Central Publishing, Forever. Daring Hearts series
This one worked well as a stand alone though the first is just as good!
Book three with Sebastian's sister is next
Emma Wildes continues her Whisper of Scandal series with the March 5th release of A Most Improper Rumor. Such a lovely cover! I adore the attention to the background detail! Adding this one to my wish list :)
I really enjoyed Nina Rowan's debut so I am very anxious for A Passion for Pleasure! Again, I adore the attention to details! Love the purple and the piano and the fact that the back is just a pretty as the front! Look for this one April 30th.
Fallen is a reprint from 2001 but I wanted to share it anyways since the updated cover is so pretty! A nice pop of pink. This will be out Nov 27th.
So pretty. I love the play on the title for Liz Carlyle's newest book, A Bride by Moonlight. I have yet to read anything by this author but I know this cover has caught my attention. Look for it Feb 26th.
Sophia Nash continues her Royal Entourage series with The Duke Diaries. Lots of bold red covers lately! This fits in very nicely with the previous two covers and I am eagerly awaiting the February 26th release.
Teresa Medeiros is back January 29th with The Temptation of Your Touch. She is also an author I have yet to read and I hope to remedy that this coming year!
This title popped up as a Facebook ad the other day for me and the cover definitely grabbed my interest. The Trouble with Being Wicked is book one in The Naughty Girl Series and looks to be releasing Dec 18th from a new author (I believe) Emma Locke. The second title, The Problem with Seduction, looks like a January 2013 release. No preorder info yet but these are on my radar to pick up!! (Book descriptions are on her website).
Anne Gracie is yet another I need to read and she is kicking off a new series, Chance Sisters, with The Autumn Bride so I plan on picking this one up and giving her a try! The cover seems very reflective of autumn and should be out February 5th.
Well, I always start off with just a couple covers but more always pop up! I can't believe we are already looking at covers for February! Less than three months until Christmas, yikes! Any of these titles on your must read list for next year?
Lydia Kellaway knows her family finances are in dire straights but she is still shocked that her grandmother pawned her beloved mothers locket. With her quick wit, she finds out who bought it and arrives at his house to offer some sort of trade in hopes of getting it back. When she meets the dashing Alexander Hall, Viscount Northwood, though she is quickly drawn to him but is also perplexed at his refusal to trade back for the locket. Her pride doesn't allow her to just accept it back, so a playful wager is finally struck instead. Surely Lydia, a brilliant mathematician, can stump Alexander and have the locket back. But Alexander proves smarter than she first thought and the two strike up a friendship all while placing wagers with each other. But the more time they spend together, the greater the sparks grow and also Alexander's concern as to why Lydia is shying away from public spotlight due to her brilliance with numbers. Passion clouds their minds and hearts and Lydia slowly allows herself to think that finally, finally, she can have some true happiness in her life again but then her past comes back in a big way and it threatens everyone she loves. Knowing Alexander's desire to be as far away from scandal as possible, Lydia tries to distance herself from him and his family but their love is too strong. Can this couple face the scandal that is exploding around them and find a way to be together after all the pieces have fallen?
A Study in Seduction is one of my favorite debuts so far this year! I really enjoyed everything about this book. Lydia is one of my favorite types of heroines--sharp, opinionated and unique with her brilliance but encouraged to explore that love of numbers by her family. (I loved that when she is nervous she recites math facts in her mind!) She was never shut out because she is female and had all the best tutors. Everything was looking up for Lydia until one summer at boarding school and her life changed forever and she chose to continue her work, but in a much smaller, quieter fashion to avoid drawing attention to herself. And she had been doing a fine job until she meets Alexander. Alexander with his Russian heritage and gruff father and flirtatious brother and lovely sister. His polite, compelling manor that tempts her like she has never been tempted before. Matching wits with him becomes a joy and watching the love blossom between them was wonderful. During their first encounter, Lydia explains that she is trying to find the mathematical basis for relationships and this just intrigues Alexander so much and adds a small dose of humor and instantly sets the stage for the sparks that are to come later. I liked seeing Alexander struggle with his feelings for Lydia, after all, she is not a member of a prominent family and not quite the match society would pick for him, but he listens to his heart first and I really liked that. I guessed the mystery aspect a bit early but I still liked watching it all unfold and I also appreciated how it didn't all get tied up with a bow right away. There is a bit of drama at the end that involves possibly a murder, an abduction or a riot or some combination. Nina Rowan has delivered a wonderful debut and I am so anxious for more books in this series! This book had everything--romance, sparks, passion, strong family connections, mystery, drama, intrigue, and a lovely happily ever after and I would recommend to historical romance fans easily. Overall, a strong debut filled a wonderfully written story and a love so hot and strong you will believe that one plus one can equal one. 4 1/2 stars
Oh, and the math problems? I will bow to Nina Rowan's research and believe they are correct :) They do not overwhelm the story at all but I did find myself wanting to stop and try to figure out the riddles...but I just kept reading instead and thankfully the answers are revealed in the story!
Review copy provided by Grand Central Publishing via netgalley.com
Some lovely new covers for your viewing enjoyment this week. Well, this started with just four covers but I keep seeing more so it is a bit long now! Enjoy :)
First up is a debut that I am eagerly awaiting, Secrets of a Wedding Night. It doesn't come out until Sept 25th (boo!) but Valerie Bowman shared her beautiful cover on Twitter this past week. Love the blue and that we get to see her garter.
These two covers are for the upcoming books from Jayne Fresina, who is a new to me author but looks like she has been self publishing and these could be her traditional print debuts? I'm not positive about that though! Based on the titles and the cuteness of the covers I am expecting these to be light-hearted fun and I am looking forward to reading them! The Most Improper Miss Sophie Valentine releases June 5th and I don't see a release date for The Wicked Wedding of Miss Ellie Vyne yet.
I'm a little on fence about this next cover. I love the color of the dress but I don't particularly like the dress itself. I like the man peeking through her arm though. Look for The Mad Lord's Daughter in August.
Michele Sinclair is another new to me author and hello gorgeous cover! I will definitely be picking up A Woman Made for Pleasure in August!
Another debut! This one from Nina Rowan will be releasing in Sept...so far away! If you head over to her website, there is a great little video about the book. I'm really looking forward to this one!
Here is the sexy cover for the second in Katharine Ashe's Falcon Club series. I can't wait to see the step back!! (Well, if there is one) How to Be a Proper Lady releases June 26th.
Gah! LOVE! I can not wait for this one! Scandal Wears Satin also releases June 26th.
Yes, yes another new to me author. Where am I going to find the time to read them all? The Casanova Code looks to be the start of a new series called The Rake Patrol. It should be out June 5th.
And lastly, a gorgeous purple one from Mia Marlowe. This is book three in her Touch of Seduction series and Touch of a Scoundrel looks be out July 31st.
Whew! Quite a few covers popped up this week! Which one caught your eye? Are any of them new to you authors as well?
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