Time for some old Christmas reads…

Can you believe it?! December is here! That means whatever I’m reading that’s not a Christmas story, it needs to be abandoned for everything that is Christmas story.

Before I get to them though, I’d like to thank you all for making our second anniversary a huge success.To all the authors that have participated and to those that have been busy in their ‘writing caves’ and couldn’t stop by this year [and who I'll certainly accost next year], I want to send my heartfelt thanks. You are a bunch of unbelievably generous people that make me appreciate and love your work and you that much more.

My thanks go to all of my new and old subscribers who’ve faithfully followed and made comments [and made my days so much fun just by reading them all], I send my big, huge, humongous Serbian hug and a kiss! Without you, there wouldn’t be bookworm2bookworm. Period.

I also want to thank you all, authors and readers alike, for your patience with me on the contests that ran with every post [thirty-five in total for the month of November], as I procrastinated ’till the very last. I promise that by the end of this weekend many of you will be pleasantly surprised to find your names on our Contest page, and by the end of next weekend, we will have the Grand Prize announced and given away!

This month I’d like to dedicate to Christmas stories and will be recommending some that I’ve read before as well as some newly published. I hope you’ll stop by and join me in the coming weeks to find out which one’s I’m recommending and maybe recommend some of your own… I love this time of year and there’s nothing better than finding that perfect Christmas story that touches your heart, makes you sigh and cry…

Let me start with one of my all time favorites, and that is a story from Anne Gracie from an anthology I read a couple of years ago, Gifts of the Season. If you asked me about the other two stories in that book, I would have to probably think a bit to recollect them, but if you asked me about Anne’s, I’d tell you that I just cried and cried and smiled and smiled, that’s how much I loved the story and highly recommend you pick it up.

Gifts of the Season Anthology 

BOOK BLURB: The Virtuous Widow by Anne Gracie

Ellie was afraid she had no future. Left to her own devices now that her husband had passed away, she worried for her daughter’s welfare as well as her own. But her world changed when a stranger landed on her doorstep.

A Gift Most Rare by Miranda Jarrett 

Sara had never thought to see her precious Rev ever again. Yet here he was, come to stay for the holidays in the very home where she was a governess…and bringing up the painful memories of their shared past.

Christmas Charade by Lyn Stone

Beth didn’t want a husband. But when she agreed to marry handsome Jack as part of a scheme, she didn’t expect to be playing with her heart.

My next two recommends are from Mary Balogh. She never fails to give me one of the most touching Christmas stories and here are the two I think you’ll love.

A Christmas Promise

BOOK BLURB: A love that cannot be bought or sold proves to be the greatest gift of all, in this heartwarming classic that demonstrates once again why New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh is among the most celebrated authors of historical romance.

Weddings are supposed to be joyous occasions—especially when a couple seems as well matched as Randolph Pierce, Earl of Falloden, and his bride-to-be, Eleanor Transome. Ellie brings to the marriage a vast dowry, while Falloden, though distant, is handsome, tremendously desirable, and possessed of a title most young ladies can only dream of sharing.

Yet Ellie is not most young ladies. She knows that she must honor her dear father’s dying wish for her to wed the proud earl, but she dreads a lifetime in a union without love—and how can Falloden claim to love her when he married her only for her fortune? As Christmas descends upon the Falloden manor, the warmth of the season may yet melt away the trappings of duty and wealth, leaving behind only a man and a woman destined for each other’s arms.

Under the Mistletoe Collection

BOOK BLURB: In this collection of five Christmas-themed stories, beloved author Mary Balogh brings together tales of love, marriage, friendship, loneliness, and healing.

Includes four Balogh holiday classics, The Star of Bethlehem, The Best Gift, Playing House, and No Room At the Inn, as well as A Family Christmas, which is only available in this anthology.

A Christmas Scandal by Jane Goodger

BOOK BLURB: In her latest romance, Jane Goodger weaves an unforgettable tale of a woman who thinks she’s lost everything–until a little Christmas magic reunites her with the one man she could never forget. . .

Dashing, debonair, and completely irresistible, Edward Hollings has all of Newport buzzing–and to Maggie Pierce’s surprise, she alone has caught his eye. But when the handsome earl returns to England without proposing, a devastated Maggie knows she must forget him. Life only gets worse for Maggie, as all her dreams of happiness and love come crashing down around her. When Maggie receives an invitation to go to England for the Christmas birth of her dear friend’s baby, she accepts–vowing to keep her devastating lies and shameful secrets from the one man she has ever loved.

Edward vowed he’d never marry, but he came dangerously close with Maggie. She’s beautiful, witty, indescribably desirable–and Edward can’t forget her. When Maggie visits mutual friends for Christmas, Edward can’t stay away. In fact, he finds himself more attracted to her than ever–a desire fueled even more by Maggie’s repeated snubs. With the love he never thought he’d find slipping away, Edward is determined to make Maggie his own, no matter what the cost. . .

The Present by Johanna Lindsey

BOOK BLURB: As the entire Malory family gathers at Haverston to celebrate the season, a mysterious present arrives anonymously. The gift is an old journal — a tender and tempestuous account of the love affair between the second Marquis, Christopher Malory, and a dark gypsy beauty named Anastasia, who seeks a love match with a non-gypsy in order to save herself from a prearranged marriage to a brute.

Though the dashing English lord Anastasia sets her sight upon burns for the exquisite, exotic miss, Christopher could never consent to wed such a lowborn lady. But miracles have been known to happen in this season of peace and giving and love, as two extraordinary people separated by circumstance of birth begin a passionate dance of will and wiles.

And in the miraculous blossoming of a glorious romance at a long ago Christmastime, there are wise and well-learned lessons that will enrich the hearts of the Malory descendants — and, indeed, of everyone who has ever dreamed.

Forbidden Magic by Jo Beverly

BOOK BLURB: Left penniless after her parents’ death, Meg Gillingham was in dire straits. Her cruel landlord threatened to turn her and her siblings out of their home by the New Year—unless she surrendered her sister to his lecherous whims. Only a miracle could save her: a magic statue that granted wishes—for a price.

Meg never expected the statue to bring her a marriage proposal, especially from the handsome Earl of Saxonhurst, who needed a bride to keep his fortune. Her heart raced wildly, for she was held spellbound by her desire for this man. But a villain was determined to destroy their union with mistrust, and see them dead. Now Meg had to put her faith in a more powerful magic—the magic of love.

A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas

BOOK BLURB: Rafe Bowman has just arrived from America for his arranged meeting with Natalie, the very proper and beautiful daughter of Lady and Lord Blandford. His chiseled good looks and imposing physique are sure to impress the lady-in-waiting, and if it weren’t for his shocking American ways and wild reputation, her hand would already be guaranteed. Before the courtship can begin, Rafe realizes he must learn the rules of London society. But when four former Wallflowers try their hand at matchmaking, no one knows what will happen…

Winning a bride turns out to be more complicated than Rafe Bowman anticipated, especially for a man accustomed to getting anything he wants. However, Christmas works in the most unexpected ways, changing a cynic to a romantic…and inspiring passion in the most timid of hearts.

That’s just a handful of books that I really enjoyed in the past and I hope you’d give them a try, unless you already read them, in which case I would love to know what you thought of them. I usually look for short Christmas stories, often found in Anthologies  at this time of the year. They are the best because they give me the feel for the authors that I haven’t read before.

Speaking of, do you like Anthologies and why? If you have any good Christmas recommendations for me please let me know. This month should be fun as we talk Christmas books…and giveaway a few of those…

‘The Mad Lord’s Daughter’ by Jane Goodger

STORY: Locked away by her reclusive and intensely protective father, the recently deceased “Mad Lord of Northumberland,” Melissa is beautiful and educated but painfully naïve about the real world–and the dark secrets of her birth. Now in the care of her uncle, the Earl of Braddock, she must prepare to enter London society and find a proper husband, a task that grows complicated when she falls for the one man she can never have. Just as a promising new life begins to eclipse her tragic past, she’ll find herself consumed by a forbidden love that could destroy it all…

REVIEW: There’s nothing worse for a reviewer then the fear that one’s review of a beloved book will be weighed, measured and found wanting.

Ms. Jane Goodger is very new to me and after only two books, her writing leaves me breathless. She weaves her stories with out most care and I find her characters, even the ones on the periphery of the story, were given an element of humanity, which brought them to life for me.

Her broken heroes or heroines always rise like a phoenix from the ashes and my heart is filled with joy watching them reach their happily ever after.

She never takes her secondary characters for granted and she cleverly incites our curiosity with them that in the end we’re left asking to know and want one of their own stories. That was the case of Miss Diane Stenhope, our heroines chaperon and Lord Braddock, the hero’s father. Their happily ever after was as much interesting as John and Melissa’s. That kind of writing takes forethought and ingenuity and the author has achieved both in this novel.

The story was paced to perfection, as our hero and heroine slowly develop a friendship and comradery, which gives both time to develop deep and lasting feelings of love for one another. Melissa grew up in such a confined enviroment, that the first thing that comes to her mind when she meets John is a feeling of awe and strong desire, not of passion, but of longing to be just like him, fearless and carefree.

If you’re looking for a story that will curl your toes with sweet, passionate and very sensual content, you won’t go wrong in picking this one up.

ARC provided by the Author.

Lord Willington and Miss Melissa Atwell of ‘A Mad Lord’s Daughter’ Interview

Ms. Friedman: It is an honor to host you both and I’m truly humbled by your visit today.  Thank you for making time in your busy schedules for this interview. Please, make yourselves at home and we shall begin….

Miss Melissa Atwell: Thank you so much for inviting us!

Lord Willington: I’ve been looking forward to it.

Ms. Friedman: Now, the questions I have are quite personal, but fun never the less. But before I get to them, tell me how have you both been since last I saw you? I believe it was only four days before your impending nuptials?

Miss Melissa Atwell: Well, we’re doing wonderfully. Very happy. John was so handsome at the wedding. And Charles was there, which I thought was very nice of him.

Lord Willington: Indeed. Though I did think he just might cold-cock me again. It was a nice wedding, wasn’t it? And Lady Willington was beautiful.

Ms. Friedman: My congratulations to both, and I guess you are now officially Lady Willington. It does have a nice ring to it, yes? Tell me, as your childhoods were vastly different, I hoped you would share with us a childhood memory that brings a smile to your face or makes you tear up?

Lady Willington: Oh, it has to be listening to my mother and father talk whilst sitting by the fire on those cold winter nights when the wind whistled outside. I can’t remember what they discussed, but it was calm and so safe. I remember thinking how wonderful it would be to love someone the way they did each other.

Lord Willington: I suppose for me it would be the time I hid my father’s braces. All of them. He chased me about the house, holding his pants up, and of course he couldn’t catch me—until I collapsed in tears, I was laughing so much. We have had so many grand times, father and I.

Ms. Friedman: That is very touching, Lady Willington. Lord Willington, it sounds like you have had and continue to have a very rare and loving relationship with your father, Lord Braddock.

You know, I was so happy to see your friendship blossom into love, but do either of you have a wish or a dream still left unfulfilled and what would that be?

Lady Willington: I would like to have the laws changed so that people are more accepting of illegitimate children.

Lord Willington: We are working on that, my colleagues and I, but it is so difficult. People have become so rigid in their beliefs.

Ms. Friedman:  With both of you giving so much of yourselves, I have no doubt that changes will happen.

I wondered if you would be so kind to share with us your greatest accomplishments and regrets thus far….

Lady Willington: I went to a country fair! Just last week. I didn’t even mind when the juggler took my hand and tried to teach me to juggle. Well, not so much. Regrets? I wish my father were alive so he could see how very happy I am.

Lord Willington: I wish I hadn’t been quite so pig-headed about love.

Ms. Friedman: Oh, I am so happy to hear that you are conquering your fears my Dear. [leaning to Lord Willington's side and in a stage whisper] Most of us knew you had no prayer after we saw you look at her, but are so happy that you came to your senses, young Man.

Now, before we get to more questions, hoe about some tea? [as both Lord and Lady Willington not with thanks I pour]. Delicious…well, where were we? Oh, yes, let’s have some fun and lighthearted questions, shall we? Lord Willington, what is Lady Willington’s weakness?

Lord Willington: Iced cream. I swear I could get her to do just about anything with the promise of some. Oh, and she’s rather fond of Darling, her dog. She’s rather big-hearted about just about everything, come to think of it.

Ms. Friedman: That’s marvelous! I love them too! Lady Willington, can you tell us what is Lord Willington’s favorite scent?

Lady Willington: He does rather seem to like the way my hair smells.

Ms. Friedman: Interesting…This question is for both of you. What is your favorite mode of transportation?

Lady Willington: The train. It’s so wonderfully fast.

Lord Willington: The train. It’s so wonderfully private [winking at his lovely wife, while she blushes].

Ms. Friedman: [smiling at both and with a cough to get their attention] Here are some questions that would make all young debutantes blush, but never the less all want to know:

Silk or cotton? Outdoors or indoors? Top or bottom?

Lady Willington: I’m afraid I don’t understand your question [as Lord Willington leans over and whispers in her ear] Oh, goodness! Silk, indoors. And both! [with a lush and a broad smile at her husband]

Lord Willington: I concur. [wagging his eyebrows at his lady, he takes her hand and softly kisses it]

Ms. Friedman: Well, this was such a delightful visit. I would like to thank Ms. Goodger for making the introductions and to both of you for being so gracious to indulge me with this visit. Before I let you go let me thank you both for an enlightening and fun visit! Please be sure to convey my regards to Lord Braddock and Miss Stanhope and give them my felicitations in regards to their upcoming nuptials.

Lady Willington: We’re so happy for them.

Lord Willington: I’m rather smug about the whole thing, actually. I’ll pass on your regards.

Ms. Friedman: Thank you and God Bless you!

I hope you all enjoyed this post and now author Jane Goodger will choose two winners to receive her new release of ‘Mad Lord’s Daughter’. ut before she does, let’s make this a bit interesting, shall we? What is your favorite mode of transportation?

*open to US only

RRAH October and November reviews….

Now that  we’re done with celebrating and the prizes have been given away, I thought you might want to read some of my November reviews at Romance Reader At Heart website. It was a balancing act and I felt like a juggler but I managed to squeeze a few reviews in between!

First up is VIRTUOSO by Grace Burrowes and need I tell you all yet again how much I love this family that Grace created?! It fascinates, it grabs and just is so interesting that I literally wish them to be real!  As I said in my review…”Ever since I read her first novel THE HEIR, I have been amazed by her prose. She never fails to astound me by giving her characters real life crises; real life emotions; real life passions; and with that, bring them so vividly to life! This family has now become my family, and I will forever love them all; and if the old Duke wasn’t so much smitten with his Duchess, I would have given her a run for her money! I look forward to their adventures and will never be bored with them. Their love of one another has touched my heart, and it will touch yours. The romance, passion, and sensuality that Ms. Burrowes so eloquently conveys to us through her characters, is something that has a life of its own. Highly recommended, and VIRTUOSO is a keeper.”

Next up is TOO WICKED TO WED by Cara Elliott, and I thought this story so fun! I’m not sure why I never got around to read any of Cara’s books, even though I made it a point of buying her earlier series. I just moved them closer to the top of my TBR and hope to get to them soon. This should be a fun series about …”three men who formed a friendship and bond while fighting a war in Portugal. They’re known through the ton as Hellhounds, and Connor Linsley is the Irish Wolfhound, Gryffin Dwight’s a Deerhound, and Cameron Daggett’s a Bloodhound. The Society sees them as dangerous predators, and how could they not? Wolf’s Lair, a notorious gaming hell and brothel, which is owned by Connor, is their favorite place to hang out! First up is Connor’s story in TOO WICKED TO WED.”

EVERY SCANDALOUS SECRET by Gayle Callen is a light and entertaining read about opposites attracting. My advice is to read this series in order because of the plot, and you’ll like them all. I promise. Some are faster paced then the others, but all are fun. As I said in my review…”Ms. Callen’s third installment of this series is as much entertaining as the previous two, and I enjoyed the ‘battle of wills’ these two displayed in full force. My only complaint would be that it was a tad slow-paced, but with well-developed characters such as these two, it didn’t bother me too much. Watching them fall in love was heartwarming and entertaining, and at times, just too funny.”

ALL ABOUT SEDUCTION by Katy Madison might have been predictable but because of the hero and who she made him to be, the story, at least for me was unique in spite of the recently used trope. I found the story fascinating because of the hero not being Alpha and some of you just might not like that! So, in the end, I stand behind my review…”To say that Jack Applegate is your typical hero is an understatement. The handsome, young man we meet comes from a huge family, is poor, hardworking, and thoroughly down on his luck. Yet he’s got dreams and a plan to better himself, to basically pull himself out of this Godforsaken place and make his fortune in manufacturing. Then the unthinkable happens, and our hero is faced with life-changing decisions that will make or break his future.

Jack and Caroline embark on a journey of discovery that is not to be missed. While Caroline finally connects to her passionate nature, Jack learns that determination and perseverance are his strengths, and no matter what or who stands in his way, he will prevail.

If you’ve never read this author, please seek her work out. I highly recommend this emotional story of unique and tender love that impressed me to a point that I was sure to track down the author’s earlier book, TAINTED BY TEMPTATION, and add it to my TBR shelf.”

THE HIGHLANDER’S HEART by Amanda Forester was everything you’d want in a romance with men in kilts! It ‘sounds’ and feels’ Highland! Be aware that this is the second book in a series and that THE HIGHLANDER’S SWORD  precedes it. I can vouch that you don’t have to read the first to follow the second. You’ll enjoy it regardless. My final verdict on this one was…”THE HIGHLANDER’S HEART has all the elements a romance should—two very strong main characters that will melt your heart with their sweet romance, and an intriguing and suspenseful plot with an entertaining villain. I highly recommend this fast paced and thoroughly entertaining story. It really captured the ‘feel’ of the Highlands, and I could hear the Scottish burr in my head. Loved it!”

THE KING’S WITCH by Cecelia Holland is every history buff’s dream. It’s full of moments in history that is so very well told that you’ll feel the battle blood. If you loved ‘BRAVEHEART’ you will love this story, its plot, pace characters and the battle scenes will leave you breathless. I stand behind my words in the conclusion of my review …”For some reason, the recurring thought I had reading this story was that if this novel ever became a movie, it just might be even better than ‘The Braveheart’. It certainly had all the elements of it, down to the gory battle details. The author didn’t shy away from painting a very realistic picture of the times she was writing about. Every character we meet is multi-layered and complex. Everything I thought I knew about the Crusades went out the window. Richard the Lionhearted was bigger than life, yet only a man. Like I said, if you liked ‘The Braveheart’ and ‘The Lion in Winter’, you will love this novel. It is full of political intrigue and epic battles vividly and painstakingly portrayed by an author that knows her craft.”

And now we come to the last review, but I must tell you, WHEN A DUKE SAYS I DO by Jane Goodger , is one of those books that will leave you wanting more. I wanted it to be longer. My affections for this hero went deep and I truly felt him to be real. He wasn’t your ordinary bloke, and Alpha male. He was a mix, and that’s what made him interesting. The ‘infirmaty’ that the author gave him was unique and it made up for one unique hero and story of love conquers all. I do warn you …”If you’re looking for a lighthearted read, WHEN A DUKE SAYS I DO will not be for you, despite some lighthearted moments. For a romance that will melt your heart and make you shed a tear or two, then by all means, pick this one up.”

And that concludes my reviews for the past two months. So, what do you think? Which one of those appeals to you? Tell me what you like…

Fan2Author Interview…Jane Goodger!

I am so excited that Ms. Jane Goodger has included b2b in her Blog tour because I read her newest book (mark your calendar for this one my bookworms DECEMBER 6)  WHEN A DUKE SAYS I DO and she impressed the hell out of me, so now I’m shouting from the rooftops about this heartwarming, heartbreaking and totally awesome story!

Without further ado, please help me welcome Jane with my first question…I never read any of your work before this latest book, so please tell us a bit about yourself and your writing career.

JG: I’ve been around for years, but I know there are a lot of romance readers who’ve never heard of me! My first book was WHEN THERE IS HOPE, a time travel set in Newport, RI, released in 1996. I love writing about Newport and have set several books there. To me, it’s as interesting as England.

I live in Rhode Island with my husband and three children, but I’ve also lived in Washington D.C., Virginia and Italy (two years). In addition to writing books and freelance writing, I also edit for www.ebookeditingpro.com (so if anyone out there wants to enter the indie publishing arena, I can help).

b2b: The book that you’re promoting now is WHEN A DUKE SAYS I DO and I can’t tell you how much fun I had reading it. Tell us more about it, the idea behind it. What came first, the plot, voice or setting?

JG: I so appreciate your comments. I love this book, too. Here’s how I got the idea: For a time I was a substitute teacher in my town. One of the little boys in a class had something called “selective mutism.” This completely fascinated me. When someone has selective mutism, they cannot physically speak in front of strangers or anyone they feel uncomfortable with, but can talk fine with people they are familiar with. Now, this is a recognized and treated condition. But I thought…what if someone  had selective mutism in the 1860s and couldn’t talk in front of his tyrant of a father? What would happen to such a boy? And that’s how I got my story.

b2b: What made this such an enjoyable read for me was this man you created. I’ve fallen in love with him! You did such a great job in weaving his profession through the story

However, his ‘panic attacks’ were something that almost broke my heart because a close member of my family went through that particular hell, and today we can heal almost anything with medication, so watching Alexander go through his attacks and knowing nothing was available to him to make him better, but his own strength was just heartbreaking. He was so real, so please tell us who inspired him? Is there a story behind the profession and his infirmity you chose for him to deal with?

JG: I love him too. Why can’t the men I invent really exist? One of the most fascinating things about selective mutes is that they often use their isolation to develop  artistic talents. So it made sense that he was a wonderful painter and pianist. As far as his panic attacks, I did a lot of research on this condition, which can have long-lasting implications if not treated—including anxiety. A  member of my family has a mild form of social anxiety disorder. He gets physically  ill before he has to do any public speaking (which, unfortunately, is a big part of his job), and, though panic attacks are quite infrequent with him, I have watched him suffer through one. It was very frightening!

b2b: How is Alexander different from your other heroes? And speaking of, who is your favorite hero (not including your work; I’m not making you choose) from the written word (oh, and no classics either)!

JG: Alexander is much more Beta than a lot of my heroes. Even though he is very strong (and turns a bit Alpha when he feels he’s been wronged) he is more sensitive than many of my heroes. My favorite hero? I’ll tell you but you can’t laugh. Capt. Gregg, the ghost from The Ghost And Mrs. Muir. Anyone who loves romances will love that old movie—and love the captain, too. He’s blustery and fierce but has a huge heart.

b2b: Is there a difference between, and specifically, what sets apart in your opinion the ‘traditional’ regency novels from ‘historical novels set in the regency time period’?

JG: Oh, there is definitely a difference. Let’s call it Regency and Regency Lite. Regencies are extremely true to the time period. You won’t find glaring errors in costume or customs, while Regency Lites are a bit more, let’s say, creative, about the period. My book is technically a Victorian because it’s set in the 1860s. I love the Victorian and Edwardian periods because so many changes were happening at that time.

b2b: Jane, what do you consider the Historical Romance canon?

JG: Keep the romance in romances. I adore a good love scene, but books shouldn’t simply be a string of sex scenes (unless it’s erotica, of course). It takes skill to create sexual tension, and that is something that is lacking in some books.

b2b: What’s up next for Jane Goodger?

JG: I have one more book that’s definitely coming out, THE MAD LORD’S DAUGHTER, in August 2012. I’m hoping to get my older books available digitally, and I also plan to self- publish at least two books that never made it to print—COMING HOME TO JOEY and a work in progress, THE JERSEY DEVIL. The JERSEY DEVIL is actually a contemporary paranormal—very different for me. So unless sales of WHEN A DUKE SAYS I DO are through the roof, I may not be able to complete some projects I very much wanted to.

b2b: Jane, it has been so much fun doing this with you, and I hope you come back often to chat with us! I’m looking forward on stocking up my shelves with some more of your books until the next one comes along!

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