Category Archives: Books

I was given an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I do have a soft spot for Sheikh stories, and I do love ones set during the Regency – this one is set in 1801.

The hero and Sheikh in question Zafar finds a French woman in a slave market, and not really knowing why buys her. Colette, our heroine is initially frightened and angry (and no wonder!).

A widow, still Colette doesn’t have much experience of the world aside from that of being the daughter and then wife of soldiers in the French army. Zafar himself is also not untouched by tragedy.

The ‘seduction’ of the title grows from the friendship and closeness that develops between Zafar and Colette. Colette feels she can trust Zafar to further their attraction into a full sexual relationship, despite knowing that Zafar intends to ‘free’ her and send her home.

Colette is feisty, and grows even in this short story. Zafar, for me, is one of the sweetest heroes I have read, especially as Sheikhs are normally portrayed as relatively fierce for obvious reasons. His instinct to protect people is strong from the beginning – and he shows he is particularly caring without being soppy!

I enjoyed this quick read very much.

A copy of this review can also be found on my Goodreads page.  I must say, when preparing a version of this for my blog I’ve realised just how much I loved Zafar since every other word is his name, lol!

A quick question for anyone reading this review – do you read M&B Undones, or have you read one or any?  I’m curious how popular this market is in Historical.  Thanks!

What can I say?  I’m spoilt for amazing author friends – and since I recently made the decision to invite them here to talk about their stories I’ve been totally glad that I did.  I hope you are enjoying these guests too. 

I should point out that I’m not paid by anyone for these and haven’t received any books unless I say otherwise – in this case I’ve bought both books myself – they are that good! 

Now over to Lindsay, who’s going to tell us about her awesome vampire series: Blackthorn.

Blackthorn was inspired over sixteen years ago, when I’d moved to a big city over 300 miles away from everything I knew. Walking home one night, I got lost in a very isolated and run-down part of the city. Iron bars were on windows. Metal shutters were on doors. The place was dead, but the idea for Blackthorn was born.

In an imaginary future, the world is controlled by humans who rule over vampires with an iron fist. Society is divided and ‘third species’ are both feared and discriminated against. Additional seeds of unrest are sown by whispers of a vampire prophecy foretelling the overthrow of the human regime.

Blackthorn itself is the most impoverished of several, newly formed administrative districts – a real melting pot for vampires, lycans and humans – and a subsequent hive of social unrest. Guarded borders, corruption and injustice add to the claustrophobic feel of a society about to implode.

But primarily, this dark and dystopian urban backdrop is the setting for intense forbidden romances – romances that will not only impact on the fate of humankind, but also on the fate of the ‘third species’ who have spent far too long waiting for their time.

So far, two books have been published in the series – the first is Blood Shadows

Gifted with the ability to read the shadows of ‘third species’ beings, Caitlin Parish is the Vampire Control Unit’s most powerful agent. Despite that, her mission to hunt down Kane Malloy – a master vampire – comes with a death wish. Many have tried but few have survived.

For Caitlin, tracking Kane is about more than just professional reputation. With her parents both mysteriously killed seven years apart to the day, Caitlin knows that without Kane’s help she is next.

She has four days to make a deal with the wicked, the irresistible, the treacherous Kane Malloy.

The vampire who despises everything she stands for.

Or die.

“LINDSAY J. PRYOR EASILY EARNS A PLACE ALONGSIDE PARANORMAL ROMANCE’S BEST WRITERS!” ~ Michele Hauf

“AN INCREDIBLE VOICE FOR PARANORMAL.” ~ Rhyannon Byrd

Her second book in the series has just been released today and is Blood Roses

A rare and powerful witch whose blood is lethal to vampires, Leila has always viewed her serryn abilities as a curse. After seeing her mother slaughtered as a child, Leila longs for a safe, quiet life.

That wish is shattered by Caleb Dehain – a vampire with a dark past and an even darker heart. The most feared serryn hunter of his generation, Caleb now needs the help of one of the very witches he despises to save his dying brother.

A serryn who has no reason to help him. Except that he has her sister.

Caleb and Leila are each others’ worst nightmare – but the slow-burning spark of attraction between them is undeniable. Will Leila’s blood be his damnation? Or could her kiss be his salvation?

“A SHINING, BRILLIANT NEW TALENT IN THE PARANORMAL GENRE!” ~ CC MacKenzie

“THE BLACKTHORN SERIES IS URBAN FANTASY DYNAMITE.” ~ GraveTells.com

Lindsay J. Pryor is a British Paranormal Romance author who writes dark, intense, multi-layered stories set in the dystopian world of Blackthorn. Her writing was first discovered through Mills & Boon’s New Voices competition, where she was a finalist in both 2010 and 2011.

Blackthorn really captured the imagination of Lindsay’s publisher as a fantastically vivid and complex world, one which readers will utterly lose themselves in. She paints this multi-layered world effortlessly, and uses it as the setting for intense forbidden romances.

Combining sizzling passion and dark, sinfully seductive vampire heroes, Lindsay J. Pryor’s writing is an exciting new find for those who love paranormal romance and urban fantasy.

 If you’re a fan of J.R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Kelley Armstrong, Christine Feehan, Kresley Cole or Felicity Heaton then you’ll love Lindsay J. Pryor’s books too.

 Following the critically acclaimed Blood Shadows, Blood Roses, book two in the Blackthorn series, is to be launched today. Blood Torn will follow in the Autumn of 2013.

 Find out more about Blackthorn at www.lindsayjpryor.com

Thanks for stopping by Lindsay!  I have to say Kane from Blood Shadows was a total git!  He’s not what you might call a hero – but he and Caitlin are utterly compelling. I can’t wait to read more about Caleb…

You can find the links to buy the books via Kindle and in Print below.  I hope you buy and enjoy, and don’t forget to comment and share your thoughts.

I’d like to thank Lady Fury (and Shehanne of course) for popping by with her thoughts on Judith and Artemisia (art and history, hurrah!)  You can catch up on where to find the lovely lady herself at the end of this interview – along with a gorgeous excerpt from The Unraveling of Lady Fury.

Judith or Artemisia who would you choose?
Firstly I want to thank Alison for inviting me along.  Her blog consistently is composed of beautiful.  Of course I say nothing about myself in that regard.  But I am so grateful to her, not just for allowing me to continue my blog tour, but for guessing the places on this other little tour I am on, I want her to be first to see my latest Where Am I Now postcard?

I know she will guess it.  Although there are aspects of it and its place in the book I was very surprised about myself.  It comes into the category of thinking on one’s high heeled slippers.

It is sort of what I am doing here, having gotten rid of Shehanne and following on from my little blog about Mary Shelley and Genoa where she didn’t want me showing you the sights.

Especially the organ grinder at Porto Antica.

Artemisia Gentileschi is who I want to speak of today.  Please do not say Artemisia who when she was an Italian Baroque painter, today considered one of the most accomplished painters in the generation after Caravaggio.  Please go and educate yourself.
Why I want to speak of Artemisia is that she painted many pictures of strong and suffering women from myth and the Bible – victims, suicides, warriors.  As you can see it is the kind of picture I would like on my wall.

Indeed my only regret is, that while Shehanne was busily crafting the kind of hanging, or painting that would make me choose a place to stay, she had not heard of Artemisia.  Judith, or Holofernes either.  Well, she had, she just didn’t know the full story. 

Judith? Or Artemisia? Who do I like best? And why do I like them at all?
Well, Judith, like me was a widow, Holofernes an Assyrian general about to destroy her home, the city of Bethulia, which I have to say she dealt with quite nicely by seducing, then decapitating him.  So I suppose you could say that again, she did what she had to do in a man’s world in order to survive.  (A little…ahem..like myself.)
Artemisia? That she was a woman painting in the 17th century, that she was raped and participated in prosecuting the rapist.  How can I not love her, when I see her struggle to survive that same world, where she was regarded as the curiosity? (Ahem…saying nothing about myself here, although I am sure Flint would.)
You know I really can’t make my mind up.
EXTRACT
“No, docile’s hardly the word for you. It never was.”
“Why should it be?” She steadied herself. No. She would not debase herself before him. No matter how much he hurt her. “The things you did to me.”
He frowned. “What things?”
“Oh, please, allow me to spend the night telling you when I’ve nothing better to do. But since you’re asking, why don’t we start with the way you took my virginity?”
“Took it? Hell. You were giving it away.”
“So it pleased you to believe.”
“Never saw you refusing, sweetheart.” His gaze picked over her face. Then he narrowed his eyes seductively. “Leastways…” He stepped closer in that way that had always made him very dangerous. “I’m offering now to get you out this little hole you’re in.”
Of course.
“I don’t need any shovel of yours for that. I’ve got myself out of more than one these past seven years, after you left me.”
“That’s not how it looks to me this time, which is why I’ve just about had enough of this. Now.” He yanked her closer, so she could feel the hard press of his body through the enveloping layers of satin and wool. “You want that heir or not?”
She almost fainted with shock. Straight to the point as ever. So straight she was appalled by what flamed in her blood, how he towered, and how his body—scent and strength—was pure, beckoning male. She had only to reach out and sweep the hair back from his face to let him take control, as he always had.
But not only did she not want her guests coming from their chambers to find him taking control against the banister or even the wall—the stairs, as she had learned last night, were not ideal—she remembered the last time he had issued a similar threat, about her wanting something or not.
Then her trunk, or rather Lady Celia’s, had landed with a thud on Fishside Wharf, displaying its contents for all to see. She did not want the Beaumont heir following suit.
She cleared her throat—if nothing else, it was an action designed to remind herself his offer was outrageous. She refused to be tempted like this.
“No. Not particularly. I believe…I believe I have said all there is to say on that subject.”
BLURB
Rule One: There will be no kissing. Rule two: There will be no touching…

Widowed Lady Fury Shelton hasn’t lost everything—yet.  As long as she produces the heir to the Beaumont dukedom, she just might be able to keep her position.  And her secrets.  But when the callously irresistible Captain James “Flint” Blackmoore sails back into her life, Lady Fury panics.  She must find a way to protect herself—and her future—from the man she’d rather see rotting in hell than sleeping in her bed.  If she must bed him to keep her secrets, so be it.  But she doesn’t have to like it.  A set of firm rules for the bedroom will ensure that nothing goes awry.  Because above all else, she must stop herself from wanting the one thing that Flint can never give her.  His heart.

Ex-privateer Flint Blackmoore has never been good at following the rules.  Now, once again embroiled in a situation with the aptly named Lady Fury, he has no idea why he doesn’t simply do the wise thing and walk away.  He knows he’s playing with fire, and that getting involved with her again is more dangerous than anything on the high seas.  But he can’t understand why she’s so determined to hate him. He isn’t sure if the secret she keeps will make things harder—or easier—for him, but as the battle in the bedroom heats up, he knows at least one thing. Those silly rules of hers will have to go…
Fury can be found here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
All Romance Ebooks
Shehanne can be found here:

https://shehannemoore.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/ShehanneMoore
https://pinterest.com/shehanne
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaTv5I170o0
http://shehannemooreweeblycom.weebly.com/books.html
http://www.facebook.com/…/Shehanne-Moore/163736780417433

Thank you for coming by to visit ladies!  If anyone has any thoughts on Judith or Artemisia, or indeed Lady Fury, please do leave a comment.

I do know the answer to the next postcard, but my lips are sealed!  

I was given a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

It is of course, a Christmas-set story and has a lovely festive (and yet pink and pretty!) cover – but don’t let that put you off.  In my opinion, Christmas stories can be read at any time of the year!

Tilly, the heroine is sure that her Christmas has been cancelled.  After all, she just caught her boyfriend cheating on her with her friend,  and subsequently lost both her job and home.  It’s the last straw when the train taking her to her brother for the Christmas holidays is cancelled – and distraught – she stumbles into a very important ex – Dean.

I really warmed to Dean straight away, trying to make an effort to make Tilly’s Christmas better, and inviting her to stay at his home.  The hero and heroine soon find that are falling in love all over again (if indeed they ever stopped).  Only – Tilly’s brother and some ghosts from the past have to be dealt with before they can have their happy ever after.

I really liked having a different setting too than a lot of the modern romances I have recently read.  The hero and heroine re-connected in the city of Manchester, and Dean’s home is in the Peak District, another area I hadn’t really encountered before – that sounds really beautiful.  The tenderness and reconnection between them is also nicely dealt with, and you are cheering them on to be together again – despite Tilly coming straight from a recently ended relationship, and perhaps against the reader’s own instincts.

I did find the revelations that Tilly’s brother brings into the story a bit jarring at first, but once explained the story was soon back on track for me, and came to a satisfying conclusion.

Dean’s diary at the end of the story was very touching and a nice addition.

This is a nice Christmas read (and whenever else you might want to read it!) and an enjoyable début from the author.  I would be happy to read books by her again.

A copy of this review can also be found on my Goodreads page.

I was given a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I am reviewing the ebook edition, and it has a snazzy cover showing a mix of historic events.  This is as stated volume 1 of an intended series, and all the histories are from England.

Those of you that read this blog regularly will be aware that anything history is likely to be of interest to me, so I jumped at the chance to read it.  Please note that it is not what I might call ‘pure’ history – and I don’t mean this in any way as a bad thing.  What I’m trying to say is that it is history presented with the experiences and interests of the author woven in between the history that is presented in the book.  It might also be a piece of history that there is not necessarily a huge amount of factual information on – almost legend-like.

The 15 histories contained within range from that of Boudicca (yes, I caved and spelt it the ‘new’ way), one of my favourite people, the Princes in the Tower (Richard!), Jack the Ripper and Elizabethan Witches.  All the histories are bite-sized so to speak, so you can read one or three and then come back and read the rest later if you so desire.  Also, the author’s relationship and interest with each of them is interwoven, so it is not at all disjointed and all the more personal for it.

What I really like about this book is the passion for his subject that the author has, its readability and variety of subjects, the dialogue being laced with humour.  It’s a great little book for those wanting to dip their toes into history, or reminisce about some of the history stories you may have heard as a child.

What I didn’t like so much was the length of the introduction and conclusion.  I felt that I would have preferred one afterward, with only perhaps a short introduction – and  I did begin to feel a little bogged down with both.  I also found the formatting a little funky – this may be personal preference – i.e. when referencing information/facts the bracketed number was a bit large and distracting.  This is probably not the fault of the author however and a minor quibble.

I really appreciate anyone who attempts to bring history to everyone and make it more accessible without being badly researched or dull, and recommend this as a light, entertaining read.

A copy of this review can also be found on my Goodreads page.

I was given a copy of this book for an honest review. Part of the Castonbury Park continuity series, this book stands alone, but numbers third in the series. *likely spoilers ahead*

Lady Kate Montague, always a square peg in a round hole was never going to be conventional, despite her privileged upbringing. Bring in former slave Virgil Jackson and you have a huge scandal on your hands.

This book for me, was something of a surprise – though in a good way. It begins with a prologue which explains some of Virgil’s history as a slave and is brutal indeed, a real eye opener.

Kate and Virgil meet via the Wedgwood family – who were famously abolitionists, and as they meet they strike sparks from one another. Virgil is now a wealthy businessman with contacts high up in English society, and Kate has already scandalised society by a broken engagement. Despite the forbidden nature of their relationship the more they meet, the more they are attracted to one another intellectually and otherwise, resulting in some sensual scenes and adding to the scandal!

Both claim they are not in love with one another, but it became clear to me that in spite of their very different backgrounds they were both very lonely people wanting to love and trust another. Throw in the fact that this is a multi-racial relationship and set in the Regency period with such an potentially explosive and emotive subject as slavery, this makes it a very unusual book indeed and quite a poignant one, love triumphs but some large sacrifices must still be made.

If you only read one of the Castonbury Park series, this one is highly recommended.

This review can also be found on my Goodreads page.

I have recently read the wonderful The Lady Who Broke the Rules by Marguerite Kaye, Condensed Histories Volume One: Histories From England by Greg Chapman and Christmas Is Cancelled by Aurelia B. Rowl.  Reviews for these will be posted very soon.

Next I will be reading and reviewing The Hammock: A novel based on the true story of French painter James Tissot by Lucy Paquette, so do stay tuned for all of these.

Once again, if you want me to review something, check out my ‘Book Reviews’ tab at the top of the page and contact me via email for more information.

I was given a copy of this book on condition that I write an honest review.

This is obviously – given its title – a collection of Christmas novellas set in the Regency period. There are a total of five stories contained in this book. I should also point out that all of the stories have previously been available as Historical Undone! ebooks. *Spoilers ahead*

Story 1: One Wicked Christmas by Amanda McCabe
I really enjoyed this story, as it was a well written, sexy tale and suited the novella format. I also warmed to the hero and heroine and their story was also rather sweet, but not saccharine.
It has as its heroine Lady Cassandra Osborne, a widow who is secretly in love with the hero, Sir Ian Chandler a friend of her late husband. Daringly attending the wicked Christmas house party of one of her friends Cassie finally has the chance to act upon those feelings and seduce Ian.

Story 2: Virgin Unwrapped by Christine Merrill
I normally really enjoy Christine’s stories, but I’m afraid I found this story very disjointed and didn’t like either the hero or heroine and wasn’t bothered if they ended up together. It didn’t really have a Christmas feel, or a Regency one for that matter for me.

The heroine is the rather oddly puritanical figure of Anne Clairemont and the hero Robert Breton, a figure I felt we didn’t really get to know. Anne is engaged to be married to save her family fortunes, and Robert is a temptation who finds it incredibly easy to seduce her out of it.

Story 3: An Illicit Indiscretion by Bronwyn Scott
Another rather sweet story that I enjoyed, featuring the heir to an Earldom and a young lady who both feel that they will need to marry for duty, but have rather a surprising meeting when the young lady escapes from a window from the house he is visiting and they go on an adventure together.

The heroine is Elisabeth Becket and the hero Dashiell Steen. I particularly loved the fact that the heroine had such unusual interests, and the hero helped her pursue them.

Story 4: A Rake for Christmas by Ann Lethbridge
This is a very sensual story, but amusing and poignant too, which is a great mix.

The slighty scandalous Lady Eugenie Hardwick’s neighbour, a rake, Lord Richard Townsend is driving her crazy with the sounds of passion she can hear through the wall of their rented accommodation!

Story 5: Spellbound and Seduced by Marguerite Kaye
I really enjoyed this tale, as it was particularly intimate and magical as the hero and heroine are isolated throughout most of the story in a very snowy Scotland in a cottage in the middle of nowhere. It is quite different from the others also, as the heroine is a witch, and believes that she is cursed for her husband to die, and is scared to love anyone. The hero knows nothing of this, but has come to claim the castle that is connected to the terrible curse on the heroine’s family from centuries ago.

Jura Mcnair is also a rather different heroine as she is not a titled lady, but a healer of sorts. The hero, Lawrence Connaught is looking to make a change in his life after growing tired of the life he has been leading in London.

I really enjoyed this collection and felt that even though there were five stories contained in the book, they were still long enough to be satisfying. Please note that all the stories have a high level of sensuality/sensual scenes.

At the time that I read this I also read Gift-Wrapped Governesses, and if I had to chose only one from the two, I would definitely chose this book.

This review is also available on my Goodreads page.