"The Footman And I" Takes Upstairs Downstairs Relationships To Happily Forever Romace

Title:  The Footman And I
Series:  The Footman's Club
Author:  Valerie Bowman
Format:  Kindle ERC
Publisher: June Third Enterprises
Rating:  4.5 Stars

Let the games begin...

Every fortune-hunting female in London is after the newly titled Earl of Kendall, but he’s intent on finding a wife whose heart is true. So, while drunkenly jesting with his friends in a pub one night, he has an idea—what if the ladies of the ton didn’t know he was a wealthy earl? All he has to do is pose as a servant at his friend’s summer country house party and make sure the guest list is full of beautiful, eligible debutantes. What could possibly go wrong?

May the best footman win.

Miss Frances Wharton is far more interested in fighting for the rights of the poor than in marriage, but her mother insists she attend a summer house party—and find herself a husband. Frances would rather wed a goat than the pompous man her mother has in mind, so in order to dissuade the would-be suitor, she vows to behave like a shrew. The only person she can be herself with is the kind, handsome footman she runs into at every turn. Their connection is undeniable, and the divide between them is no match for the passion they feel. But what will happen when Frances learns that the footman she adores is actually the earl she despises? In a game where everything is false, can they convince each other that their love is true?


Please enjoy this exclusive excerpt from...
The Footman And I
by
Valerie Bowman
 Lucas Drake, the fifth Earl of Kendall, was foxed. But only foxed, not an entire three sheets to the wind. And he should know. He spent more than a decade in His Majesty’s Royal Navy. Lucas knew precisely how dangerous a situation it was to have three sheets to the wind. The sheet controls the sail, after all, and if the line is not secured, the sheet flops in the wind. If all three sails were loose, the ship would be out of control. Lucas was not out of control. Four mugs of watered-down ale at the Curious Goat Inn would not do that to a former sailor. He was foxed enough, however, to say, “I think it’s time I find a wife,”aloud, in the presence of all three of his closest friends. As expected, he silenced his three companions. Worth, Bell, and Clayton immediately snapped to face him with varying expressions of alarm. Rhys Sheffield, the Duke of Worthington, was the first to find his voice. Worth was an excellent man at heart, but his horse’s arse of a father—God rest the former duke’s soul—had all but ruined him. Rhys took himself and his title too seriously. Competitive to a fault, especially when it came to gaming or women—both of which he usually won—the duke enjoyed the finer things in life and projected a devil-may-care attitude that only his close friends understood was a façade. Worth’s reply to Lucas’s statement was to wince, suck in his breath, shake his head vigorously, and say, “A wife? Good God, man! There’s no need to rush into anything so…permanent.”“We’re not getting any younger,”Lucas pointed out. “On the contrary,”Worth replied, “at nine and twenty, we’re pups. My father was over fifty when I was born.”The second head to turn and stare at Lucas was that of Beaumont Bellham, the Marquess of Bellingham. There was no finer patriot than Bell. The man had tried to renounce his title for a spot as a soldier in the wars against France. He’d been turned down in his request, however. Apparently, the Crown did not fancy its marquesses gallivanting across Europe being shot at. Instead, he’d settled for a position with the Home Office and did what he could by way of reconnaissance to help with the war effort on solid English soil. Bell was shrewd, detailed, and focused and was often accused by Worth of working too much. A charge Bell fully admitted to. He liked to tell Worth that he might try an honest day’s work instead of spending his time gaming and chasing women. Worth had yet to take such friendly advice. Bell narrowed his eyes and said, “Are you certain you’re ready? It’s only been two years since….”Thank God the man ended his sentence there. Lucas wasn’t in any mood to discuss Emily. He never would be. The third head to swivel toward Lucas was that of Ewan Fairchild, Viscount Clayton. Clayton had recently got himself leg-shackled, and was just back from his honeymoon. Clayton had a mind for science and there were few things he liked better than experimenting and creating things. He was the kind of man you’d entrust your deepest secrets to. Rich as Croesus and loyal to a fault, Clayton loved his wife Theodora deeply and completely. He’d been the last one they’d all have thought would be the first to marry. Clayton exclaimed, “Thank heavens. I cannot wait until I’m no longer the only one of us with the parson’s noose around his neck.”Lucas took another long draught from his mug and wiped the back of his hand across his lips. His role in their quartet was that of the peacekeeper and confidant. The four of them had met at Eton as lads and stuck together through all manner of hurdles. Lucas’s main concern was, and had always been, duty. He’d spent his life trying to fulfill his duty to his father, his family, and the Crown. In that order. His years in the Navy had taught him responsibility, respect, and the importance of hard work. The death of his older brother Charles fourteen months ago had taught him the importance of living life to the fullest and fulfilling his promise. Before his death, Charles had been championing a bill before Parliament. On his deathbed, as consumption slowly pulled his life away, Charles had asked Lucas to ensure the bill was passed. “For the good of our estate,”Charles had said. “For the good of the country.”Lucas had promised his brother. If it was the last thing he did, he would ensure the Employment Bill passed. Lucas would take a bullet for any one of his friends. He’d give his life for his country. He would walk across broken glass for his mother or sister. But finding a wife who would be true to him, who didn’t want him merely for his money or his title, that was something he couldn’t control. And he detested that fact. Lucas glanced around at his three friends, who watched him as if he’d recently escaped from Bedlam. The rules of etiquette were different here at the Curious Goat Inn. The pub sat like a fat little duck on the corner of two streets in an area of London that was a goodly length from Mayfair, but not quite as far, status-wise, as the Rookeries. Here one could do things like get foxed, wipe the back of one’s hand across one’s lips, and say things like one was looking for a wife, without having to worry about mamas and maidens popping out of every nook and cranny in search of a husband with a title. Ever since he’d inherited the title, he’d been beset by such ladies at every turn. “I’m entirely serious,”Lucas continued. “I must look to secure the earldom. I fear I’ve been too preoccupied with the Employment Bill. I’ve been remiss waiting this long to find a bride.”“I certainly won’t disagree with you that you’ve been too preoccupied with the Employment Bill,”Worth drawled. “Obsessed is more like it.”Lucas shrugged. “Well, now that the Lords have tabled the vote until the autumn session, I have more time to rally the votes I need. I might as well get about the business of looking for a wife in earnest.”“I never bother to vote in Parliament,”Worth drawled. “Don’t happen to care for the hours. And all the arguing is downright exhausting.”Bell gave Worth a beleaguered look and shook his head. “God forbid you take an interest in your seat or any of the issues the country is dealing with.”Worth gave them his most charming grin, flashing his perfect smile that had been the downfall of many unsuspecting women. “I’m entirely confident you chaps can handle it,”Worth replied, clapping Bell on the back. “When the time comes for the vote for my brother’s law,”Lucas continued, addressing his remarks to Worth, “I’ll drive to your town house and drag you out of bed myself.”Bell’s and Clayton’s laughter filled the alcove in which they were sitting. “Let’s not talk of such unpleasantness,”Worth replied with a sigh. “You mentioned finding a bride, Lucas. That’s much more interesting. Now, how old are you again?”The duke shoved back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, narrowing his eyes at Lucas. Lucas arched a skeptical brow at Worth. “The same age you are, old man.”After Eton, they’d all gone on to Oxford. They’d all taken their firsts together. They all were the same age save for a matter of months. “Well, then,”Worth declared. “You’ve plenty of time to find a wife as far as I’m concerned.”“That’s easy to say, coming from a man who’s never given a toss about securing his own title,”Lucas shot back, giving his friend a good-natured grin. Worth returned the smile. “I cannot argue with you there.”He turned and gave the barmaid his even more charming smile, the one that brought out the dimple in his cheek, as he ordered another round of ale for the table. “Yes, well, if you’re seriously looking for a wife, Lucas, the Season has just ended,”Clayton interjected. “It seems you’ve missed your chance. The entire ton is about to retire to the country as soon as Parliament closes next week.”“I’m well aware,”Lucas replied with a curt nod. “The Season makes my skin crawl. Full of simpering maids and purse-eyeing mamas eager to show off their best behavior in the hopes of snaring a rich husband. I don’t want to find a wife that way.”“How else do you intend to find one?”The marquess’s intelligent eyes turned shrewd. “I don’t know how exactly.”He took another drink, growing more confident with each sip. “But this time I intend to find a lady who loves me for myself.”He was talking about Lady Emily Foswell, of course. He never mentioned her name, but his friends knew what he’d been through. No amount of swaggering or denial on his part would convince them that he hadn’t had his damn heart destroyed by her. Though until tonight, he hadn’t even thought about Emily since Parliament had resumed session a few months ago. He’d been far too preoccupied with the Employment Bill. “Yes!”Worth pounded his fist against the table. The duke’s normally jovial voice filled with anger. “I think we can all agree that Lady Emily is the lowest of the low. There’s no excuse for what she did, tossing over one man for another with a better title. As far as I’m concerned, she no longer exists.”Leave it to Worth to bring up a sore subject. The duke had been the most outraged of all of them by Lady Emily’s behavior. And the most interested in ensuring Lady Emily knew that she’d inadvertently tossed over a future earl for a baron. “Can we not discuss Lady Emily, please?”Lucas said with a groan, covering his face with one hand. Worth’s good humor returned with the arrival of the barmaid who’d appeared with their drinks. “Keep ‘em coming, love,”he said to her, before turning back to Lucas and adding, “I’m merely pointing out that if you want a lady who loves you for yourself, the Season and its ridiculousness are the last place you should go.”“Yes,”Lucas replied with a sigh, lifting his mug into the air to salute the duke. “Didn’t I already say that? The Season and its fetes are the last place I should go, which is why I’ve avoided it like the pox for the last two Seasons.”“Oh, is that why you haven’t attended the boring balls at Almack’s?”Worth replied with a smirk. “I thought it was the tepid tea and small talk. That’s why I steer clear of them.”“You avoid them because they don’t serve brandy and we all know it,”Bell pointed out, staring fixedly at Worth, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Worth winked at his friend. “That and they won’t give me the bank that Hollister’s will.”Hollister’s was Worth’s favorite gambling hell. The man spent nearly all his free time there. Hollister’s had given the duke carte blanche and he won and lost small fortunes there regularly. Lucas scratched his chin and stared blindly at his mug. “If only the ladies of the ton didn’t know I am an earl, I’d have a much better chance of finding a match,”he grumbled. Hmm. The drink was obviously making him looser with words. Perhaps looser with thoughts as well. Worth’s laughter cracked off the wooden beams on the tavern’s ceiling. “I’d pay to see that. An earl dressed up like a common man to find true love. Has a certain poetic ring to it, don’t it?”Clayton laughed too and shook his head, while Bell’s shrewd,
 


My Thoughts
The story told in Valerie Bowman's The Footman And I is a great foray into almost upstairs / downstairs romance.
The friendship turned romance that blooms between Lucas and Frances becomes so real that you almost don't want Lucas to be the Earl of Kendall.   Even though you know that is the only way that the conundrums of Frances' unwanted marriage and Kendell's need to find a wife will be solved.
Truthfully...
One gets so invested in Kendall as Lucas; that any time within the story that he spends as Kendall seems the real charade.
Emily is a very smart, compassionate, and socially conscious young woman. Lucas is loyal, forthright, and responsible. Which makes one wonder what their future children will be like.

If there is one detractor from this wonderful tale.  It is that Frances and Lucas seem a tad too suited to each other from the very start.
Even though there is an attempt by Miss Bowman to throw a bit of a monkeywrench into thinks by way of Frances' besotted lady's maid.
It is quite clear however that the infatuation is nothing more than the very loud ringing of a very hollow bell.

In short...
The Footman And I is a very good first offering in the Footman's Club series.  And a quite refreshing
take on the quest to marry for love in the aristocracy.
You go boys!




About Valerie
Valerie Bowman is an award-winning author who writes Regency-set historical romance novels aka Racy Regency Romps!

Valerie’s debut novel was published in 2012. Since then, her books have received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus. She’s been an RT Reviewers’ Choice nominee for Best First Historical Romance and Best Historical Romance Love and Laughter. Two of her books have been nominated for the Kirkus Prize for fiction.

Valerie grew up in Illinois with six sisters (she’s number seven) and a huge supply of historical romance novels. After a cold and snowy stint earning a degree in English Language and Literature with a minor in history at Smith College, she moved to Florida the first chance she got. Valerie now lives in Jacksonville with her family including her rascally dogs. When she’s not writing, she keeps busy reading, traveling, or vacillating between watching crazy reality TV and PBS.

Visit Valerie on the web at www.ValerieBowmanBooks.com and sign-up for her newsletter at: http://www.valeriegbowman.com/subscribe/
See her socially:  GR / Twitter / FB

Buy The Book Here...

Ink Slinger PR Presents: His Disinclined Bride Book Blitz

HIS DISINCLINED BRIDE by Jennie Goutet is out now! Be sure to order your copy of this sweet Regency romance today!

Title: His Disinclined Bride

Author: Jennie Goutet

Genre: Regency Romance

About His Disinclined Bride:

Theirs is not a love match. She’ll make sure of it.   Kitty Stokes never imagined she’d be so weak as to sacrifice herself on the altar of family obligations, but when the only alternative to marriage with Lord Hayworth is to play nursemaid to her brother’s children, Kitty reluctantly agrees. On her wedding day, she’s certain she has made a grave error, but it’s too late to back out.   Phineas Hayworth refrained from setting eyes on his new bride before their wedding day—the price he forced himself to pay for being so mercenary as to wed the sister of a wealthy merchant in a bid to save his estate from ruins. Her beauty, therefore, comes as a shock, as does her icy treatment, which he feels he deserves. He swears an oath he will not approach her for an heir unless the invitation comes from her.   As Phineas sets out to put his estate in order and present his new wife to Society, he finds her more enchanting than he could have hoped for, even in a love match. Kitty continues to hold him at arm’s length, although he suspects her feelings for him run just as deep. As Phineas’s love and desire for his wife grows, the oath he swore her begins to suffocate. It soon becomes clear that while he’d once been prepared to settle for a loveless marriage, he will not abide an unrequited love.   His Disinclined Bride is a sweet/clean regency romance stand-alone novel, book seven in the Seasons of Change series. ♥  

Order Your Copy Today!

Exclusive Excerpt:

Phineas saw his soon-to-be wife for the first time when Stokes stepped to the side, and one look was enough to strike him straight through the gut. He swallowed convulsively as if that could clear the heartbeat he could suddenly hear in his ears. His palms started to sweat in his gloves as his eyes followed her to the pew. She had looked regal enough when she walked in, shrouded in a brown cloak—her coloring harmonious with the wood pews and pulpit of the vast church, and her hair catching the light that shone through the stained glass windows and left pretty-colored patterns on the stone floor. But when she removed her cloak and faced him arrayed in an ivory and green dress, her skin radiant, her brown eyes warm, and her hair a mix of red and gold, Phineas’s breath left him. He had expected to make do with whatever wife this agreement brought him. He had not expected to contract an alliance with a woman who would be the envy of every man in the ton. She was incomparable. Miss Stokes met his gaze, her look shrouding any feelings, and her eyes flitted away. She did not smile.

 

About Jennie Goutet:

Jennie Goutet is an American-born Anglophile, who lives with her French husband and their three children in a small town outside Paris. Her imagination resides in Regency England, where her historical romances are set. Jennie is also author of the award-winning memoir, Stars Upside Down, and the modern romances, A Sweetheart in Paris and A Noble Affair. A Christian, a cook, and an inveterate klutz, Jennie writes about faith, food, and lifeeven the clumsy momentson her blog, aladyinfrance.com. You can learn more about Jennie and her books on her author website, jenniegoutet.com.  

Connect with Jennie:

Pinterest | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Jennie’s Blog | Reader Group | Sweet Regency Romance Fans

 

PIC Book Tours Presents: Everywhere To Hide + Giveaway

Everywhere to Hide

by Siri Mitchell

on Tour October 1-31, 2020



Book Details:

Genre: Suspense
Published by: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: October 6th 2020
Number of Pages: 352
ISBN: 0785228640 (ISBN13: 9780785228646)
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook.com® | Goodreads






Synopsis:

How can she protect herself from an enemy she can’t see?

Law school graduate Whitney Garrison is a survivor. She admirably deals with an abusive boyfriend, her mother’s death, mounting student debt, dwindling job opportunities, and a rare neurological condition that prevents her from recognizing human faces.

But witnessing a murder might be the crisis she can’t overcome.

The killer has every advantage. Though Whitney saw him, she has no idea what he looks like. He knows where she lives and works. He anticipates her every move. Worst of all, he’s hiding in plain sight and believes she has information he needs. Information worth killing for. Again.

As the hunter drives his prey into a net of terror and international intrigue, Whitney’s only ally, Detective Leo Baroni, is taken off the case. Stripped of all semblance of safety, Whitney must suspect everyone and trust no one—and hope to come out alive.


Read an excerpt:

 

The door was difficult to open. The tropical storm had transformed the alley into a wind tunnel, funneling the muggy air from one side of the block to the other. I raised a hand to pull my hair off my face and turned into the wind to keep it there, quickly turning my ponytail into a bun. As I stepped away from the door, I was surprised to see someone sprawled on the pavement in front of me.

He was lying face up. A red puddle had formed a halo around his head.

He wasn’t— was he— he wasn’t— was he dead?

As I stood there trying to process what I was seeing, the wind sent a recycling crate skidding across the cracked pavement.

I jumped.

I glanced up the alley, then down. Nothing was there. Nothing but the wind. And a dead man staring up at the cloud- streaked sky.

Behind me, I heard something scrabble across the low, flat roof.

I pivoted and glanced up. Saw a form silhouetted against the sky. Shock gave way to panic as I realized he had a gun in his hand. As I realized that he had also seen me.

I should have lunged toward the door.

But a familiar numbness was spreading over me. The prickle on my scalp, the sudden dryness in my mouth. I was living my nightmares all over again.

As I had done too often in the past, I reverted to form. I froze.

Please. Please. Please.

My thoughts latched onto that one word and refused to let it go.

If I could just punch my code into the keypad, I could slip back inside and pull the door shut behind me.

But I couldn’t do anything at all.

My fingers wouldn’t work.

Please. Please. Please.

I willed them to function, but they had long ago learned that in a dangerous situation, the best thing to do was nothing. Any movement, any action on my part had always made things worse.

And so I just stood there as my thoughts stuttered.

Fragmented.

***

Excerpt from Everywhere to Hide by Siri Mitchell. Copyright 2020 by Siri Mitchell. Reproduced with permission from Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

 

 My Thoughts

Everywhere To Hide is one of those Suspense/Thrillers that you find yourself drawn to simply because you understand that the heroine is an overcomer by nature.  And you simply want the chance to see her in action.  And leading lady, Whitney Garrison, does not disappoint.  A woman struggling to make sense of the world around her.  Even as all that she thought she knew of said world is falling apart in front of her.  And she can even see it.


Face blindness makes quite the foil for Whitney.  And poses quite the obstacle to those investigating the murder of the man that is found at the back door of the coffee shop where Whitney works.  A man that Whitney knows from her time as an intern on The Hill.  A man with information that someone is willing to kill for.

This is a book that is made by the characters moreso than the underlying intrigue surrounding cryptocurrency and the implications of its use upon the world markets.  Which can get a bit tedious as time goes on.

But Whitney's life being turned upside down, and all of the snakes that crawl out from beneath their respective rocks as a result.  Is what really makes this book work.


Thanks to Netgally and PIC Book Tours for providing the review copy upon which my honest review is based.



Author Bio:


Siri Mitchell is the author of 16 novels. She has also written 2 novels under the pseudonym of Iris Anthony. She graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and has worked in various levels of government. As a military spouse, she lived all over the world, including Paris and Tokyo.

Visit her online:
www.SiriMitchell.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Instagram, Twitter, & Facebook!

 

 

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!



 

 

Giveaway!:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Siri Mitchell. There will be 3 winners. Each winner will receive one (1) physical copy of Everywhere To Hide by Siri Mitchell (U.S. addresses only). The giveaway begins on October 1, 2020 and runs through November 2, 2020. Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

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If You Want A Sure Fire Romance Start "Looking For A Cowboy"

49127458
Title:  Looking For A Cowboy
Series:  Heart Of Texas #5
Author:  Donna Grant
Length:  368 pages
Expected Date Of Publication:  October 27, 2020
Publisher:  St. Martin's Press
Rating:  
A cowboy finds love in the most unlikely place in New York Times bestseller Donna Grant's newest Heart of Texas novel, Looking for a Cowboy

A beautiful stranger has come to Clearview, asking questions that are nobody’s business. Cooper Owens also wasn’t born yesterday. He knows that this out-of-towner is hiding a dark secret of her own. Much as he knows he should head in the other direction, he can’t make himself turn away. . .

P.I. Marlee Frampton always wanted to lead a nice quiet life, working as a cop in her local police department. But that dream came to an end when her sister was murdered―and her baby kidnapped. Now Marlee’s come to Texas to investigate the Harpers, who may be linked to shady adoption agencies. Cooper can’t believe that his friends could be involved in anything so sinister...and soon he makes it his mission to help Marlee discover the truth―and keep her safe in his arms.



Please enjoy this excerpt from
A Cowboy Like You
Heart Of Texas #4
by 
Donna Grant
Of all the people Danny thought he might run into, never in a million years had he ever
expected to see Skylar Long again. If he believed in destiny, he’d almost accept that his thinking of her earlier had brought her straight to him.

One of the things he remembered about her was how she had wanted to get out of their
town and to a big city. Her sights had been set on Houston, or even Dallas. She had wanted to get lost in all the people.

Many of his classmates had spoken about leaving their little town, but few did. And many
who left returned eventually. Not Skylar. She’d gotten out, and he figured she would stay gone forever. After all, her parents moved about ten years ago, which meant there was never any reason for her to return.

Yet, here she was. And more stunning than ever before.

She had been Danny’s crush from the time they were in grade school. Skylar had always
been a free spirit. She had a confidence most girls her age lacked. It wasn’t arrogance, but a belief in herself that came through in everything she did.

While beautiful, she had been a little reserved. She had run in the popular crowd, but
didn’t use that social level to degrade anyone or use it to her benefit like others had. She had been kind, wearing her heart on her sleeve.

He and Skylar had been able to talk about anything. She was always open and
engaging, but Danny had never pursued her for his girlfriend. He’d never thought he was good enough, not when so many of his other friends had wooed her.

The harsh light of the street lamp above them couldn’t diminish her beauty. Her golden
blond hair was put up haphazardly with strands falling around her face and neck. Her large azure eyes still holding more shock and fear than he liked.

She was on the petite side with curves in all the right places. Her lips were full, pouty
even, that made his blood heat just looking at them. Her skin had that dewy glow of a healthy lifestyle that made him want to reach out and run the pads of his fingers down her cheek to see if her skin was as velvety as it appeared.

Hearing her story made him want to go find Matt and punch him a few times. Danny had
never been so happy to be at the right place at the right time then he was that night.

 End of Excerpt

My Thoughts
All in all...
This is a very readable romance.  With a hero and heroine that one can't help falling for.
Though not so much in the heart aflutter way.
As the these are two people who have been through life's proverbial ringer and still manage to have hearts of gold way.
Meaning that though parts of their story, (i.e. Cooper and squad being thrown headfirst into the middle of Marlee's case repeatedly.) Are admittedly very contrived.
After A while...
Which is  mercifully quite shorter for the reader than the couple in question.
One finds A certain happy resignation in the fact that Cooper and Marlee are the only two souls fit for each other in the entire book.
In large part, because everyone in their vicinity and age bracket in paired off, and picking out rings and baby things. 
But I digress.
After all, this is the fifth book in a loosely related small town series.  Meaning that it has more than reached the point of having to import love interests.
Thankfully the baby-napping / mystery part of the book more than makes up for any flaws in the way of romance.
Making sure that  is never quite sure whether the suspects are guilty or have truly been wrongfully targeted.  Until the end.

All that having been said.
If you like A light hometown romance full of cowboys and capers. Donna Grant's Looking For A Cowboy, just might be the read for you.

Reviewer's Notes:
Looking For A Cowboy is the fifth book in a.loosely related series.  And may be read as part of its intended series. Or as a standalone.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing the review copy on which my honest critique is based.




About Donna
Donna Grant

Donna Grant is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than forty novels and novellas spanning multiple genres of romance.

She was born and raised in Texas but loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her throughout the United States as well as to Jamaica, Mexico, and Scotland. Growing up on the Texas/Louisiana border, Donna’s Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin’ and bareback riding.

Her childhood dream was to become a professional ballet dancer and study under the amazing Mikhail Baryshnikov. Though she never got to meet Baryshnikov, she did make it to New York City and performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Later, Donna’s love of the romance genre and the constant stories running through her head prompted her to sit down and write her first book. Once that book was completed, there was no turning back.

Donna sold her first book in November 2005 while displaced from Hurricane Rita, a storm that destroyed portions of the Texas Gulf Coast. Since then, Donna has sold novels and novellas to both electronic and print publishers. Her books include several complete series such as Druids Glen, The Shields, Royal Chronicles, Sisters of Magic, Dark Sword, Dark Warriors, and her new series, Dark Kings.

Despite the deadlines and her voracious reading, Donna still manages to keep up with her two young children, four cats, three fish, and one long haired Chihuahua. She’s blessed with a proud, supportive husband who loves to read and travel as much as she does.


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A Homey, Lover, Friend, Romance Turns Into Forever In "Tall, Dark, And Dangerous"

48836626
Title:  Tall, Duke. And Dangerous
Series:  The Hazards Of Dukes #2
Author: Megan Frampton
Formate:  eARC
Length:  384 pages
Expected Date of Publication:  10/27/20
Publisher:  Avon Books
Rating:  5 Stars

Megan Frampton returns with the second book in the Hazards of Dukes series, a series that made Sarah MacLean say "Make Megan Frampton your next read!"

He needs a bride…

Nash, the “dangerous” Duke of Malvern, has always bristled against the rules of English society. Hot tempered and fearful of becoming like his brutish late father, he lives a life of too much responsibility and too little joy. And although he’s vowed to never marry, a duke has a duty—and there’s only one way to get himself an heir and a spare. So Nash reluctantly takes a look around at society’s available young ladies to see who might be willing to put up with his one-word answers and frequent glowers.

She longs for love…

After the death of her father and wicked stepmother, Ana Maria goes from virtual servant to lady-in-training, and while society life has its benefits—gorgeous gowns!—its restrictive rules stifle her sprit. And when her independent actions put her in danger, her half-brother insists Nash teach her some self-defense. While most of London’s ladies find Nash intimidating, she only sees a man who needs introducing to all the joys life has to offer. So although officially they are coming together for fighting lessons, unofficially their physical contact begins to blur the line between friendship and begins to grown into something more…


Please enjoy this excerpt from...
Never Kiss A Duke
Book 1
The Hazards Of Dukes
by
Megan Frampton

His new boss is no lady . . .

“So tell me— who are you? There has to be a story here.” Sebastian gestured around them. “Because this is not where one would expect to find someone who is obviously a lady.”

“Obviously was,” she retorted. “I am Miss Ivy now, anything I was before is left in the past.”

“Were you also a duke who lost his title?” he said, giving her a sly look.

She would not give him what he wanted. Something he was going to have to become accustomed to.

“We do have things to do, Mr. de Silva. Much as I would love to regale you with the story of how I came to be Miss Ivy.”

He was keenly aware that he would have to follow her orders—i f he wanted to keep this position.

And what other position would you like . . . ? a voice asked in his head.

My Thoughts
Nash, Duke of Malvern awakes one day to find himself firmly wedged between a dowager duchess and a hard place.
Or more to the point.
His grandmother's demand that he marry.  In order to save the dukedom from being disgraced by a roguish relation with violent tendencies.  Due to inherit as Nash's heir.
Even though Nash has done his level best to avoid both marriage and children.  For fear that he, like his father, would give in to his propensity toward temper.
Against someone smaller, softer, weaker.  Someone he loved.

Ana Maria is a lady now.
Well, she has technically always been a lady.
But now that her stepmother is dead; she is now able to come out from a life of drudgery and servitude to live as one.
Her coming out into society just in time to coincide with Nash's entrance into society's "marriage mart".
Nash, the best friend of her half brother, Sebastian.
The grunting, growling, quiet, and very serious Nash.
Nash, the one man who is always trying to save her.  Trying to teach her how to 'fight and fuck'.
As she teaches him to live and love.

This is a sweet "homey, lover, friend, meets Beauty And The Beast meets Cinderella" styled romance.
Nash is so sweet, broken, and well intentioned that one can't help rooting for him.
And Ana Maria, and her zest for color and lust for life seems the perfect foil for his self imposed hermitage.
There is a decided lack of sex in this romance, when compared with others of its ilk.  But what there is acts as proof of a growing bond between two people struggling to open up to each other.
And the possibility of love.

This is a story of love and redemption.  Communication, possibilities, fighting, fucking, and  friends becoming forevers.

*This book is the second of the series The Hazards of Dukes.  AS such, it mat be read alone or a part of its intended series.
WTF Are You Reading would like to thank Net Galley and Avon Books for providing the review copy on which this unbiased critique is based.

About Megan


Megan FramptonMegan Frampton writes historical romance under her own name and romantic womens fiction as Megan Caldwell. She likes the color black, gin, dark-haired British men, and huge earrings, not in that order. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband and son.




Buy The Book Here!

HFVBT Presents: The Boy King + Giveaway

THE BOY KING BY JANET WERTMAN

Publication Date: September 30, 2020
Paperback & eBook; 374 pages

Series: The Seymour Saga, Book 3
Genre: Historical Fiction/Biographical

 

 

The Unsuspecting Reign of Edward Tudor

Motherless since birth and newly bereft of his father, Henry VIII, nine-year-old Edward Tudor ascends to the throne of England and quickly learns that he cannot trust anyone, even himself.

Edward is at first relieved that his uncle, the new Duke of Somerset, will act on his behalf as Lord Protector, but this consolation evaporates as jealousy spreads through the court. Challengers arise on all sides to wrest control of the child king, and through him, England.

While Edward can bring frustratingly little direction to the Council’s policies, he refuses to abandon his one firm conviction: that Catholicism has no place in England. When Edward falls ill, this steadfast belief threatens England’s best hope for a smooth succession: the transfer of the throne to Edward’s very Catholic half-sister, Mary Tudor, whose heart’s desire is to return the realm to the way it worshipped in her mother’s day.

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE


Please enjoy this excerpt from...
The Boy King
By
Janet Wertman
January 28, 1547 The wind bit at Edward Tudor’s tender face, and the saddle hurt his bony rear, but the nine-year-old prince was determined not to complain. They would be dismounting soon; he could rest then. He shifted his weight forward and bit his lip. His uncle, the formidable Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, had arrived earlier in the day at Hertfordshire Castle, the young prince’s household. The elder Edward had refused to rest, insisting they leave immediately for court as the King wished to formally invest his son with the title Prince of Wales. They would just stop at Enfield Palace first for his half-sister Elizabeth, so they could bring her too. It was the fastest pace Edward had ever taken on the sixteen-mile trip. It was also the first time he had ridden after dark, and the first time no one had established a strict rest schedule for him. Yet the exhilaration at finally being treated as an adult was wearing thin. Sir Anthony Browne, his father’s Master of the Horse, turned around and peered at the way Edward’s legs gripped his gray courser, then raised his gaze to Edward’s hands. “Are you comfortable, Your Highness?”“Yes,”Edward said between clenched teeth, his hands tights on the reins. Browne looked at Hertford and lifted a single, questioning eyebrow. Instead of answering, Hertford peered through the cold fog and announced absently, “It’s right up ahead.”Looking up to find a hint of red bricks emerging from the dark, Edward thrust out his chest: he had made this journey as a man. The rest of the way felt easier, though he did not relax his grip. He even pretended nonchalance when they arrived. “Brush her down well,”he said to the page who took his reins. “She seems tired.”“Make sure she is ready to leave in the morning,”Hertford added, his tone sharp. “Make sure they are all ready to leave in the morning.”He put a hand on Edward’s shoulder. “Let us find your sister.”The Earl’s face twisted, and he exchanged glances with Browne. Edward didn’t understand, but then he rarely understood what transpired around him. People dissembled, claiming it was for his own good. He had complained about that to his father once, and the great Henry VIII had laughed and turned it around: “People will do far worse. All your life, they will lie to you. Practice discerning their true meaning; you will need to be expert at it.”A round-faced man with blue eyes greeted them at the door with two pages in tow. One was about eleven, the other a few years older. Edward studiously ignored the lads’surreptitious glances –people were always curious about him, and he had learned that aloofness commanded more respect. your stuff here

My Thoughts
This beautifully expressed third volume in Janet Wertman's Seymour Saga.  Is the last installment in what is A very captivating period in the lives of the Seymores, Tudors, as well as for the English as a people.
Young Edward's life is one that marked with tragedy and loss from birth.
First, at the death of his mother at his birth.  Followed by the death of his father and his ascension to the English throne at the tender age of nine.
Lastly, when he becomes A pawn in the efforts of those around him to censure his sister Mary.  Keeping her and the Catholic faith from gaining the traction that would unseat the influence the the newer, sanctioned, Protestant Church.

While I will refrain from revealing you with the long and illustrious list of the notable and notorious players in the political history of England and the isles. That I will leave to the history books.
Because for me.  This book while accurate historically, provides one with an emotionally evocative personal story. 

Narrated in the voices of Mary and Edward.  Readers get to see an or
intentional and well orchestrated effort to break the bonds of familial affections between A brother and a sister.  To further political plots.
With both Edward the person and Edward the king being offered up as the ultimate sacrificial lamb.

This beautiful book will draw you in from the first page. Holding both your heart and mind captive well beyond its last sentence.
While there are quite a number of times within the course of this book that upset me to the point of wanting to send my Kindle flying.  I must say that I am a great deal richer for having experienced this story.





About the Author

Janet Ambrosi Wertman grew up within walking distance of three bookstores and a library on Manhattan’s Upper West Side – and she visited all of them regularly. Her grandfather was an antiquarian bookdealer who taught her that there would always be a market for quirky, interesting books. He was the one who persuaded Janet’s parents to send her to the French school where she was taught to aspire to long (grammatically correct) sentences as the hallmark of a skillful writer. She lived that lesson until she got to Barnard College. Short sentences were the rule there. She complied. She reached a happy medium when she got to law school – complicated sentences alternating with short ones in a happy mix.

Janet spent fifteen years as a corporate lawyer in New York, she even got to do a little writing on the side (she co-authored The Executive Compensation Answer Book, which was published by Panel Publishers back in 1991). But when her first and second children were born, she decided to change her lifestyle. She and her husband transformed their lives in 1997, moving to Los Angeles and changing careers. Janet became a grantwriter (and will tell anyone who will listen that the grants she’s written have resulted in more than $30 million for the amazing non-profits she is proud to represent) and took up writing fiction.

There was never any question about the topic of the fiction: Janet has harbored a passion for the Tudor Kings and Queens since her parents let her stay up late to watch the televised Masterpiece Theatre series (both The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R) when she was *cough* eight years old. One of the highlights of Janet’s youth was being allowed to visit the Pierpont Morgan Library on a day when it was closed to the public and examine (though not touch!) books from Queen Elizabeth’s personal library and actual letters that the young Princess Elizabeth (technically Lady Elizabeth…) had written.

The Boy King is third book in the Seymour Saga, the story of the unlikely dynasty that shaped the Tudor era. The first book, Jane the Quene, tells the story of Jane Seymour’s marriage to Henry VIII; and The Path to Somerset, chronicles Edward Seymour’s rise after Jane’s death to become Lord Protector of England and Duke of Somerset (taking us right through Henry’s crazy years). Janet is currently working on a new trilogy about Elizabeth, and preparing to publish her translation of a nineteenth century biography of Henry. And because you can never have too much Tudors in your life, Janet also attends book club meetings and participates in panels and discussions through History Talks!, a group of historical novelists from Southern California who work with libraries around the state.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | GOODREADS

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, October 19
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Feature at I’m All About Books
Review at WTF Are You Reading?

Tuesday, October 20
Review at Amy’s Booket List

Wednesday, October 21
Review at Rajiv’s Reviews
Interview at Novels Alive

Thursday, October 22
Review at Donna’s Book Blog

Friday, October 23
Review at Books and Zebras
Feature at What Is That Book About

Saturday, October 24
Excerpt at The Caffeinated Bibliophile

Sunday, October 25
Excerpt at Passages to the Past

Monday, October 26
Review at Books, Cooks, Looks

Tuesday, October 27
Guest Post at Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals

Wednesday, October 28
Review at Impressions In Ink

Thursday, October 29
Review at A Books and a Latte

Friday, October 30
Excerpt at Coffee and Ink
Review at Little But Fierce Book Diary

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a copy of The Boy King by Janet Wertman! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on October 30th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Direct Link: https://gleam.io/competitions/FqcFl-the-boy-king