Book Review with featured Author: Chasing the Duke by Tracy Sumner

Chasing the Duke by Tracy Sumner

 

Publisher & Release: Self-Published, December 7, 2020

Time and setting: Regency England

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 118 Pages

Heat Level: 1 Flame

Rating: 4 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

She’s not chasing a duke ever again.

*Second chance
*Best friend's little sister
*Girl who has loved him forever
*Duke who is just figuring it out...

With her final season in the ton a surprising success, Lady Camille Bellington retires to her family’s Yorkshire estate for Christmas with a marriage proposal in hand. Beautiful and charming, but too independent for society, Camille has given up on the hope to marry for love. So she will marry for duty. The man of her childhood dreams hasn’t been home in three years, even to secure his dukedom, and her heart went with him. 

His best friend's little sister is lost to him…

War hero Tristan Tierney, Duke of Mercer, returns to his ancestral home for the holidays to find himself burdened with a title and the woman he left behind betrothed to another. As he’s only seen death and destruction for years, he’s come to believe true love is a myth. His aloof demeanor veils his deepest unspoken desire, to possess Camille Bellington.

Childhood friendship gives way to something altogether more dangerous as two people give love a second chance.

If you like mischievous heroines and devilish dukes with a splash of Regency splendor thrown in, then you’ll adore Chasing the Duke.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Chasing-Duke-Seventh-Christmas-Days-ebook

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chasing-the-duke-tracy-sumner

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/chasing-the-duke-seventh-day-of-christmas

Google Play: 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52377610-chasing-the-duke

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/chasing-the-duke-by-tracy-sumner

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the author and Net-Galley for the complimentary copy of Chasing the Duke by Tracy Sumner. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this book prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and no one has influenced them.

 

Chasing the Duke is a delightful Regency romance with engaging characters and a light-hearted plot set during the twelve days of Christmas. The pacing kept me enmeshed throughout the novella, and this is definitely a short one, but since the heroine has been infatuated with the hero from childhood, it isn’t an insta-love romance.

 

Lady Camille is the heroine, and she is a strong-willed young woman determined to succeed as a botanist, an unusual career choice in the Regency period. I enjoyed her character for the most part, and her loyalty to her family is admirable.

 

Tristan, Duke of Mercer is an amazing hero, and I quickly became vested with his character. He’s a tortured soul, recently returned from war with nightmares of what he’d seen and experienced. He believes he is unfit to become any woman’s husband. This type of hero is my favorite!

 

The romance simmers in the first part of the tale, but once it ignites into full flames, it is combustible. The sexual scenes will appeal to anyone who enjoys steamy romance. I truly wanted them to find their happy ending, and I loved how the hero follows our lovely heroine, determined to earn her love.

 

If you enjoy Regency romances with plenty of spice, and an intriguing plot, then you will love Chasing the Duke as much as I did. This is the first novel I have read by Ms. Sumner, and I will be looking for more. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

Award-winning author Tracy Sumner's storytelling career began when she picked up a historical romance on a college beach trip, and she fondly blames LaVyrle Spencer for her obsession with the genre. She's a recipient of the National Reader's Choice, and her novels have been translated into Dutch, German, Portuguese and Spanish. She lived in New York, Paris and Taipei before finding her way back to the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

When not writing sizzling love stories about feisty heroines and their temperamental-but-entirely-lovable heroes, Tracy enjoys reading, snowboarding, college football (Go Tigers!), yoga, and travel. She loves to hear from romance readers!

 

Social Media:

Website: https://www.tracy-sumner.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tracysumnerauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sumnertrac

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracysumnerromance/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tracy-sumner

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5259839.Tracy_Sumner

 

 

Book Review with featured author: A Gift for Christmas by Julia Cassandra

A Gift for Christmas by Julia Cassandra

 

 

Publisher & Release: Self Published, December 1, 2020

Time and setting:  Regency England

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 120 Pages

Heat Level: 1 Sweetheart

Rating: 5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

Well born Cora Jameson has a secret. Cast out of her family home at eighteen, pregnant and alone, she's been forced through hard work and determination to find a position to support herself. After five years of working her way up the social ladder she fell down, she's comfortable, employed, and content.

Until Simon returns.

Simon Bristley, Lord Craven, lost everything dear to him at Waterloo. Wounded, struck dumb by cannon, and understanding his one true love had wed another, he returns to England with a hero's welcome and throws himself into work. 

Until he finds Cora once again. 

Now, these two lost lovers must sail a tide of misunderstanding and lies that have kept them apart for six long years.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Gift-Christmas-Novella-ebook

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-gift-for-christmas-julia-cassandra

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-gift-for-christmas

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56059067-a-gift-for-christmas

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/a-gift-for-christmas-a-christmas-novella-by-julia-cassandra

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the author for sending me a complimentary copy of A Gift for Christmas by Julia Cassandra. I have voluntarily agreed to read and review this novel. My opinions are my own, and no one has influenced them.

 

A Gift for Christmas is a lovely Christmas tale with endearing characters, and a heartwarming plot with plenty of emotion. This novel deals with several issues that were not viewed in a favorable light during the Regency period. Ms. Cassandra handles these issues with a great deal of sensitivity. Her novel also has an excellent sense of the Regency period.

 

Cora Jameson is the heroine, and I quickly became enmeshed with her character. Her determination to give her daughter the best life possible is admirable. When she meets the hero, she is overcome with several emotions, and my heart went out to her. 

 

Simon Bristley, Lord Craven is the hero, and I enjoyed his character a great deal. He comes across as an honorable man, and he’s suffered from memory loss, PTSD and a variety of other maladies pertaining to his war experiences. My heart ached for him when he discovers the betrayal of his father.

 

The romance between Simon and Cora is lovely, and filled with a great deal of emotion. Both characters are confused and hurt because they don’t have all the facts. The chemistry between them is strong and the passion only grows stronger as the story progresses. I truly wanted them to find their way to each other.

 

If you enjoy Christmas romances with characters that will touch your heart, especially Cora’s daughter, then you will love A Gift for Christmas as much as I did. Ms. Cassandra has a great deal of talent, and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

Julia Cassandra is a life-long lover of reading, and has enjoyed her favourite genre - Historical Romance - since she first stole a book from her mother's shelf to read at aged twelve. Many, many years later she finally has put all of that... research... to good use. Her premiere novel - Healing Words fulfils a dream of joining the ranks of all of her favourite authors. Look soon for her Christmas novella, and Book 2 of the 'Bent But Not Broken' series.

 

Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julia.cassandra.927758

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JCassandraBooks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliacassandrabooks/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56059067-a-gift-for-christmas

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/julia-cassandra

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Julia-Cassandra/e/B08GYKH3KK/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/a-gift-for-christmas

Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-gift-for-christmas-julia-cassandra/1138360608?ean=2940163083299

 

 

 

Book Review with featured author: Peak by Eliza Lloyd

Peak by Eliza Lloyd

Publisher & Release: Self-published, June 30, 2020

Time and setting:  Present Day, London

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 269 Pages

Heat Level: 1 Flame

Rating: 4.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

Meet The CHARBONNEAU TWINS, a two-book contemporary romance.

Claire Allen has just signed a new contract to star in and lead an expedition - a return to Mt. Everest - on a celebrity reality show. She's still carrying the grief and pain from the last failed climb where her best friend was killed. But she is determined to do this for her own peace of mind and to prove to the world she is still a top climber.

What she hadn't planned on was supermodel Paul Charbonneau joining the reality show...and being a contender.

Paul has just finished his runway career and is ready for a new challenge. That challenge is his complicated relationship with Everest climber, Claire Allen, and her quest to climb to the peak again. Paul tries to convince himself it's a great career move, not that he's joining the team because of his long-time attraction for Claire. But even he will admit it's more about the indomitable Claire than the dangerous peak.

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Peak-Charbonneau-Twins-Book-1-ebook/dp/B08B53J7KG

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/peak-eliza-lloyd

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/peak-18

Apple Books: https://t.co/bFiCEMGTVq?amp=1

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54341619-peak

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/peak-the-charbonneau-twins-1-by-eliza-lloyd

Vikki’s Musings

Thanks go to the author and Net-Galley for the complimentary copy of Peak by Eliza Lloyd for the purpose of reading and reviewing. My opinions are my own, and no one has influenced them.

Peak is a well-written contemporary romance novel with complex characters and a unique plot. The pacing pulled me in from the first page and kept in its thrall until the last. There’s no doubt Eliza Lloyd did tons of research on mountain climbing or is one herself! While I’ve read several of her historical romances, this is the first contemporary, and Ms. Lloyd easily makes the transition from one sub-genre to the other.

The story line is so different. I know very little about mountain climbing and found the rigorous training a surprise. Although I suppose it shouldn’t have since it is an extreme sport. The challenge reality show, featuring Claire and the contestants, is fascinating.

Claire Allen’s character has a great many facets that makes her fascinating. She’s suffering from survivor’s guilt over losing her best friend while climbing Mt. Everest. She also has difficulty with relationships, which makes her encounters with the hero highly entertaining.

Paul Charbonneau is a great hero and is a male super model, so of course, he’s gorgeous. He has a stalker and it causes him great anguish. It plays into his relationship with Claire. I could feel his pain when he shares what happened to him.

The romance between Claire and Paul is combustible and threats to set the pages on fire. Ms. Lloyd’s love scenes are erotic and visceral, yet still has plenty of emotion, so I enjoyed them. I truly wanted them to find their happy ending.

If you enjoy contemporary romance with great sensuality and character that will intrigue, along with an unusual plot, then you will love Peak as much as I did. I look forward to reading Pinnacle, the second book in the Charbonneau Twins series. In fact, I’ve already pre-ordered it. Happy reading!

Author Bio:

Getting stranded on a desert island with every historical romance novel ever written is my dream retirement. David Gandy and Henry Cavill can come along.

In the meantime, I'll happily write about the 19th century with novels featuring ridiculously handsome heroes. Oh, and there is always a heroine who is a little ahead of her time and not so sure she wants to put up with the antics of any man unless said man is madly in love with her.

The stories dancing around in my head aren't limited to the 19th Century. I also write romantic suspense espionage capers ala Robert Ludlum (except my Jason Bourne is having a whole lot of sex with the suspected bad girl,) and contemporary romance ala Susan Wiggs (with sex instead of recipes.)

Social Media:

Website: http://elizalloyd.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizalloyd.author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/elloydwriting?lang=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lloyd.eliza/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/elizalloyd/boards/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/eliza-lloyd

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4486707.Eliza_Lloyd

Promo Blitz: Beside the Music by BJ Knapp

Contemporary Women’s Fiction

Date Published: June 2016

Publisher: Lime Green Books

On Sale for $.99 August 1-3

What happens to a marriage when an 80s metal band moves in? Winner of the 2016 Human Relations Indie Book Award, Beside the Music answers the question: can you be one man's wife and another man's muse? Brenda and Tim are dealing with enough chaos in their marriage: a run for public office, threat of getting fired at work, and a snooty meddling mother in law. Things get even more complicated when 80s metal sensation Hydra moves into their home to record their comeback album--and soon they also have screaming fans on the front lawn to contend with. Will Brenda and Tim's marriage survive?

About the Author

As a former college radio station DJ, BJ was inspired to write this book after asking herself “Whatever happened to all those 80’s rock stars and one-hit wonders?” Her writing career has contributions to RI Fit Magazine. But her prouder achievements are her original angry chick rock songs, usually about bad boyfriends, accompanied by her out of tune guitar. She blogs at http://bjknapp.com.

BJ resides in Rhode Island with her husband, Todd, and dogs Nemo and Potter. She is an avid sailor and scuba diver, and also enjoys pretty much any outdoor activity such as hiking and geocaching as well. She has also single-handedly orchestrated hundreds of failed attempts at cooking.

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