Monday, April 20, 2015

SPOTLIGHT ON: A Lady’s Addiction 
by Angelina Jameson

Published & Release Date: Wild Rose Press, March 25, 2015

Time and setting: 1818, England  

Genre: Regency Historical Romance

Length: 318 pages

Heat Level: 1.5 Scorching Hot Flames

Rating: 4.25 Gold Crowns

Anna, a widow battling alcohol addiction is convinced she is worthless unless she bears a child. She hires a lover to prove she is not frigid and may marry again and have children. 

Devlyn, sterile from an accident, has returned from an assignment for the Foreign Office and inadvertently becomes Anna’s lover. 

Anna and Devlyn join forces to protect an innocent child from a blackmailer. Can they come to terms not only with their feelings for each other but whether they will allow society to dictate the true significance of life?

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Short Excerpt:

She couldn’t remember the question she’d asked. His nearness unsettled her. Her entire body had flared into wakefulness the moment he entered her room. Cecily could be right; this man might be able to help with her problem.

Tonight she would play a part. She would emulate the sophisticated façade her friend Cecily Pickerel displayed. The scandalous nightgown underneath her thin robe was in fact a gift from Cecily. She would never have had enough courage to buy such a shocking garment for herself.
“You are discreet?”

“What is your name?” Franco asked, ignoring her question.
Somewhere in the back of her mind she remembered Cecily telling her she needn’t share personal information. She would never see this man again. He didn’t move in her circles. With the slightest of shrugs, she answered truthfully, “Anna.”

“Anna,” he said in a husky rasp. The way her name rolled off his tongue sent the lightest frisson along her skin. “It is a graceful, pretty name. It suits you.”

“There is no need to flatter me.” She felt heat on her cheeks. “It is a common enough name.”

“Despite our current situation, my dear, I do not believe you are at all common.”


Vikki’s Musings

I received an ARC from the author for an honest review. This is Ms. Jameson’s debut novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed this emotionally-charged love story. A Lady’s Addiction has a unique story line, one that I have not read before. For a first novel, it is incredibly well-written, and I enjoyed it tremendously.

Lady Stafford believes she is frigid. Her late husband reiterated this over and over in the year of their marriage before he dies in a riding accident. She is determined to find out whether it is true. Is she truly Lady Ice as she is known by society or could she be passionate in the arms of the right man?  

Through her friend, Lady Pickerel, she arranges to meet a man known for his sexual prowess. When she opens the door, she sees a deliciously virile male and thinking it is Franco; she invites him in.

When she asks: “Are you coming in or do you intend to remain out there all night?”

The gentleman answers: “I am at your service, my lady.”

Lord Devlyn Maitlin knows Lady Pickerel, so he enters and accepts the woman’s overtures. When he discovers that she is intoxicated, he tells her he will not take a woman under the influence of spirits and tells her he will continue at another time when she is clear-headed. He assures her he will find her again and leaves.

While her encounter with the man does not end as she desires, she takes comfort in the fact that she did respond to the passion he aroused in her until he stopped because of her inebriated state. It is enough for her make up her mind and begin her search for a husband.

Devlyn believes Anna may have become embroiled in one of his sister-in-law’s nefarious schemes, and sets out to find her in the ballrooms of London society. He soon discovers her at Lady Cairs’ ball. When Anna leaves, he makes his way to Stafford House where he climbs up a tree to a balcony that leads to her chamber.

This begins the love affair between the couple. There are several highly sensual love scenes that threatened to set my Kindle on fire. Ms. Jameson definitely knows how to build sexual tension and how to deliver during the actual sexual encounters.

There is a well-thought out mystery running through this tale of love that begins in an unusual way. I enjoyed this part of the story as Ms. Jameson takes me on the emotional journey these lovers travel while they go about solving the dilemma Anna is involved in.

Lady Pikerel proves that she is willing to sacrifice a friendship that has endured from childhood. Anna’s character is able to accept this with a great deal of equilibrium, personally too much in my estimation. I would have liked her to be angrier over this betrayal. After all, the woman has done her a terrible disservice and placed her in danger.  

Angelina Jameson has penned an interesting story that is fast paced and kept me entertained long into the night. I just had to finish it! I loved the romance between Anna and Devlyn and liked the hero’s character a great deal. He is brave and honorable from the first scene and remains so until the last. I loved his determination to protect Anna from the machinations of his sister-in-law, Lady Pickerel and the villain in the piece.

While I felt sorry for Anna’s struggle with her addiction to spirits, I could not fully warm up to her character until well into the book. Ms. Jameson does an excellent job showing the effects of alcohol on Anna. It is obvious she researched this topic very well for her story. This plot point is what makes this book so unique. While I have read many romances where the hero battles addiction, I have read very few where the heroine does.  

If you enjoy a satisfying love story with a bit of mystery and suspense, then you will find A Lady’s Addiction an enjoyable read. I enjoyed it immensely and will be looking for future books by this up and coming new author. Happy reading!


Author Bio:

I joined the US Air Force to see the world. My dreams of visiting the United Kingdom were fulfilled when I was stationed at RAF Lakenheath in the beautiful countryside of Suffolk, England. Five years later I returned to the states having acquired a wonderful husband and a love of all things British. I began writing as a hobby when my husband was remote to Honduras for a year.  I found RWA and a local New Mexico chapter, LERA, and my hobby developed into a dream of sharing my stories with others. I currently live in the great state of Alaska with my husband and our two teenage boys.

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28 comments:

  1. Thank you for spotlighting me today, Vikki! I appreciate your lovely review.

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  2. You're welcome. Thank you for allowing me to read your great story!

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  3. Wonderful review and excerpt! Adding another book to my tbr list. Wishing you all the best, Angelina! :)

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. You will love this excellent love story.

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    2. Thank you for the kind words, Mary. I appreciate the support.

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  4. Fantastic review and such an intriguing plot for a book! I just have to get my hands on this one!

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    1. It's an excellent story line, very unique. Thanks for stopping by.

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    2. My book is a little bit spicy, Laura. :) Thank you for dropping by. I appreciate you taking the time to help a new author.

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  5. Excellent review, Angelina. Congratulations.
    It's another book o my TBR pile.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Marlow and for the nice words. TWRP authors are a great group to belong to.

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    2. Thanks for visiting today!

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  6. Great review! Congrats on the new release!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by! Glad you enjoyed my review.

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    2. Thank you for the well wishes, Katie!

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  7. It's hard to believe this is your first, Angelina. It does sound incredibly unique. I'm adding it to my pile too. Good luck and great sales for A LADY'S ADDICTION and the stories I'm sure will follow.

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    1. Thank you, Sandra. You are so sweet. I hope the book isn;t too spicy for you. :)

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    2. I agree. Never too spicy. Since you critiqued To Live Again, you know I didn't find it too spicy!

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  8. It is indeed unusual for a heroine to have an alcohol addiction, at least one she has't already overcome. Congratulations for taking on this challenge in your début book.

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    1. Thank you, Jana. I'm so happy the publisher took a chance on the story. I also tried to make her battle/recovery realistic rather than have her 'fixed' overnight.

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    2. It is unusual and handled extremely well! Thanks for stopping by.

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  9. Angelina, you've chosen a challenging and very emotional journey for your heroine and hero to travel together in many ways. I can't wait to read this. Congrats on your debut!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. It's a great story.

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    2. Thank you, Miranda. Not everyone will love my heroine but hopefully enough readers will. :) And congrats on all your success. I'm very happy to see you soar.

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  10. Love the excerpt, Angelina! Good luck with your debut novel. :)

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  11. Thank you, Jennifer! I appreciate all the support from the Roses.

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