‘How to Ravish a Rake’ by Vicky Dreiling

BOOK BLURB: SCANDALOUS DESIRES . . .

Amy Hardwick has one last Season to shake off her wallflower image and make a love match. If she can’t, she’ll set aside her dreams of romance and return home to a suitor who can provide security-if little else. What she doesn’t count on is the inappropriate-and irresistible-attention lavished on her in a darkened library by rake extraordinaire Will “The Devil” Darcett . . .

DEVILISH DELIGHT

When Will is caught in a tryst with the ton’s shyest miss, he knows he must offer for her hand. Yet Amy is not the shrinking violet she seems to be. Passion lies beneath her prim exterior and Will is eager to release it. But winning Amy isn’t simply a matter of seduction; first, Will must convince her that he’s mended his wicked ways . . .

EXCERPT:

CAUGHT!

Pots banged and laughter rang out from the kitchen. Then a voice sounded close to the kitchen door.  Amy’s heartbeat drummed in her ears. Realizing that someone might come out and find her, Amy turned left and tried the door to the wine cellar. It was open. She stepped inside, closed the door, and released a relieved breath. It was rather cool, but at least she was safe from prying eyes.

Footsteps clipped on the floor.

She flattened her back against the cold wall. Her legs trembled. She squinted in the darkness. Should she make a mad dash for the door? Or should she wait to see if the other person would leave? She inched along the wall, and then a candle flame wavered.

The footsteps clipped closer and closer. Her heart pounded. Please, please, please leave.

“Who goes there?”

The voice startled her. No, it couldn’t be. She must be having a nightmare. But she knew that voice all too well. Drat it all. What was the devil doing here?

He drew closer. In the dark cellar, the single candle cast flickering shadows over his face. “Miss Hardwick, did you follow me?”

“I did not,” she said. “What are you doing here?”

“Admiring Boswood’s excellent wine collection,” he said. “I saw the butler accidentally leave the door open and came to investigate. But you still haven’t answered my question.”

“Leave me be.” She sniffed.

“Are you weeping?”

“N-no.”  Her face burned. Of all the people to witness her cry, it would have to be him. The devil. The man who had tried to trick her into going in a dark room alone.

She heard the whisper of cloth, and then he handed her a handkerchief. “Dry your eyes.”

Amy blotted her face and handed it back to him.

“I’ll find another candle; those stairs are dark. Don’t move,” he said.

The minute he stepped away, she turned round to escape, but she bumped her hip into a stack of crates and hissed in her breath. He came to her side in a few long strides. “You’re injured.”

“It’s only a bruise,” she said. In truth, it hurt. She knew her hip would be purple and tender for some time. Lizzy would see it when she helped her undress tonight.

“There’s a candle branch, but you’ll arouse suspicion if you carry that. Stay still until I can locate a second candle,” he said. “You don’t want to fall and hurt yourself. You’ll have difficulty trying to explain how it happened.

Of course it was the sensible thing to do.  She worried her hands, wishing he would hurry with that candle.  His features were indistinct in the darkness, but she could make out his movements as he walked about.  She had no idea how much time passed, but she grew increasingly anxious.

“Found it,” he said.

Thank goodness. She meant to leave as soon as he lit the candle.

He used the flame from the first candle to light the second one. .

As he moved around, she saw bottles nestled in diamond-shaped cabinets. There was a long table just beneath. There were more bottles than she’d ever glimpsed in all her life. Lord Boswood’s collection must add up to a tidy fortune.

Mr. Darcett walked toward her. “I’ll escort you to the door. You go upstairs first. I’ll wait for a few minutes before following.”

She nodded.

When he offered his escort, she took it. The faint scent of sandalwood soap clung to him. Her mouth dried as they neared the door. All she wanted was to escape unobserved. Hopefully, the redness had left her nose and cheeks by now. As they neared the door, footsteps clipped on the other side.

Her heart stampeded. She held her breath, terrified they would be discovered

Mr. Darcett beckoned her and turned round. He led her farther back into the cellar where they hid behind the stack of crates and blew out the candles. Her nerves jangled. Mr. Darcett was so close, she could hear his breathing. Please, please, please don’t let anyone discover us.

A key scraped inside the lock and turned over.

Amy covered her mouth.

The footsteps retreated.

“Bloody hell,” the devil muttered. “We’re locked in.”

FEATURED AUTHOR: Vicky Dreiling

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‘How to Ravish A Rake’ by Vicky Dreiling

STORY: SCANDALOUS DESIRES . . .

Amy Hardwick has one last Season to shake off her wallflower image and make a love match. If she can’t, she’ll set aside her dreams of romance and return home to a suitor who can provide security—if little else. What she doesn’t count on is the inappropriate—and irresistible—attention lavished on her in a darkened library by rake extraordinaire Will “The Devil” Darcett . . .

DEVILISH DELIGHT

When Will is caught in a tryst with the ton’s shyest miss, he knows he must offer for her hand. Yet Amy is not the shrinking violet she seems to be. Passion lies beneath her prim exterior and Will is eager to release it. But winning Amy isn’t simply a matter of seduction; first, Will must convince her that he’s mended his wicked ways . . .

REVIEW: This is the third story in the How to series from Vicky Dreiling and I was looking forward to Amy’s story since we were first introduced to her character. I had such high hopes for her and frankly, after the previous two books, my expectations were very high.

The blurb sets this story very well, so I’m not going to go into it, but rather I’ll tell you why I liked this story.

I liked the way the author took her time to set up the background on both of these characters and then she placed them in some complicated and interesting situations which made both take a very serious look at their past, present and future.

Will was always a ‘rolling-stone’ and to really understand this complex man, the author gives us little bits and pieces from his past through his families stories and especially through his own musings. He admits to his own failings and wonders as to the reasons behind his past liaisons with many women and why he’s never wanted nor desired a true relationship.

Amy was such a contradiction, even to herself. She, like all that knew her, always thought of her as shy and timid, yet once she really got to look deep down into herself, she found out that she had a backbone and all she ever wanted was for people to see her as she really is, a woman with a mind of her own.

In contrast to Ms. Dreiling’s other two books which were filled with lots of humor and wit, this one was just a tad on the serious side and slower paced, but I believe that both of the characters dictated the story take that turn.

Don’t misunderstand, there’s still plenty of humor, especially when we get to hang around Will’s family, just not as much as I am used to from this author.

The author also gives us plenty of secondary characters such as Georgette and Beau and their romance. We get to meet Will’s ‘misguided’ friends as well and can’t but hope that Bell and Fordham will soon find their own happily ever after.

It appears that Andrew Carrington, the Earl of Bellingham’s love story is next and you can get a peek at what’s coming up for him in ‘A Season for Sin’ which is an e-novella and a prelude to ‘What a Wicked Earl Wants‘ a new series ‘The Sinful Scoundrels’ coming our way in Spring 2013. It promises to be yet another of Ms. Dreiling’s unique fun-filled romantic comedies set in the Regency Era. In the meantime, if you haven’t had a chance to read any of her books, please try to find her previous two, ‘How to Marry a Duke’ and ‘How to Seduce a Scoundrel’. Trust me, you’ll love them all.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

‘A Season for Sin’ by Vicky Dreiling

STORY: Introducing the Sinful Scoundrels…

The Earl of Bellingham is nothing is not a creature of habit: money, meals, and mistresses must be strictly managed if a man is to have a moment’s peace. It’s a system that works splendidly for him–until now. With his oldest and dearest friends succumbing, one by one, to wedded bliss, Bell is now restless and a trifle lonely. Enter the Sinful Scoundrels–Colin Brockhurst, Earl of Ravenshire, and Harry Norcliffe, Viscount Evermore–who drag him back into society and draw his rakish eye to the ton’s new beautiful young widow. Bell isn’t after a wife, but a challenge. And Laura Davenport should fit the bill quite nicely…

REVIEW: This is an e Novella and as such it is a short introduction into the upcoming series Sinful Scoundrels from an author on the rise, Vicky Dreiling. If you’ve never read anything by this author, then this is just the perfect vehicle for you to ‘sample’ and ‘taste’ her fresh take on the regency era. I find her writing style light and refreshing and I hope you will too.

As the story opens we are introduced to Andrew Carrington, the Earl of Bellingham, who is getting ready to ditch his latest mistress. It’s something he dreads to do, but alas she’s begun to grate on his nerves with her whining and nagging. It turns out, the mistress has a mind of her own and she’s about to shock the poor man!

Lady Chesfield is a young widow with a seventeen year old stepson that just can’t stay out of trouble and unless she can reel him in, she just may lose him altogether, and that she’s not willing to accept.

What I liked best about this little novela, is the way Ms. Dreiling introduced her hero. She took her time and took me on an entertaining and fun journey of a life of an Aristocrat. It was too much fun to live in this man’s mind and I can truly say that A Season for Sin is a perfect Prequel to What a Wicked Earl Wants and I am eagerly awaiting the full story of happily ever after of these two characters that are witty, passionate and charming.

And then she gave us the other two scoundrels and as secondary characters, Colin and Harry, were so well written, that they really jumped off the page and I was glad that Ms. Dreiling reined them both in, otherwise, left to their own devices, those two would have taken over the story!

ARC provided by NetGalley.

May RRAH reviews ….

Hello my bookworms!!

Have you noticed it’s middle of May already?! This is ridiculous! This year’s just flying away from me…I’m still recuperating from my January fall and felling better some days, and then there are some that just plain suck… The weather’s not helping much either…Some days are outright gloomy, and then some are so warm and sunny that make me want to be a cat and just lazy around the house….

Even with my mood swings I managed to read and review some of the books Nancy from Romance Reader At Heart had sent me, so here they are….

Shall I start with the ones I liked, then slowly end with the ones that disappointed me a bit? Okay, you talked me into it!

LOVE FOREVERMORE by Madeline Baker

The West – it had been Loralee’s dream for as long as she could remember, and Indians were the most fascinating part of the wildly beautiful frontier she imagined. But when Loralee arrived at Fort Apache as the new schoolmarm, she had some hard realities to learn..and a harsh taskmaster to teach her.

Shad Zuniga was fiercely proud, aloof, a renegade Apache who wanted no part of the white man’s world, not even its women. Yet Loralee was driven to seek him out, compelled to join him in a forbidden union, forced to become an outcast for one slim chance at LOVE FOREVERMORE.

“Once in a while, I’ll venture out of my comfy regency ‘zone’ and stumble on a real ‘gem’ of a book. This is the case with LOVE FOREVERMORE.” – Melanie

LORD MIDNIGHT by Donna Cummings

Gabriel DeVault, a dashing highwayman, lives to avenge himself against the uncle who stole his title and tried to kill him as a child. One night’s robbery yields unexpected riches when his uncle’s spirited bride-to-be falls into Gabriel’s arms. Now his plans for vengeance include seduction of the innocent miss, in the home that once was his own.

Marisa Dunsmore is blackmailed into wedding the cold and calculating Edmund DeVault, Lord Westbrook, to protect her beloved aunt. When her attempts to escape the upcoming marriage fail, she turns for help to the man she knows as Lord Midnight, entrusting him with her love, and her future.

Soon Gabriel must choose: saving the woman who stole his heart, or destroying the man who stole his life.

“I’m giving this story a Top Pick rose because it’s well written with three-dimensional characters (and some secondary ones that are memorable as well), fast paced with witty dialogue, and in one word: DELICIOUS.” – Melanie

TEXAS BRIDE by Joan Johnston

Miranda Wentworth never imagined becoming a mail-order bride. Now marriage to a stranger is her only hope of finding a home where she and her two younger brothers can escape the brutality of the Chicago orphanage where they live. With any luck, she can even start a family of her own, once the three of them are settled at Jacob Creed’s Texas ranch. But Miranda has one gigantic concern: Her husband-to-be knows nothing about the brothers she’s bringing along. What if he calls off the deal when he discovers the trick she’s played on him?

Jake Creed is hanging on to his Texas ranch by his fingernails. His nemesis, Alexander Blackthorne, is determined to ruin him. Jake will never give up, but he’s in desperate trouble. His wife died six months ago in childbirth, along with their stillborn son, and his two-year-old daughter needs a mother. The advertisement Jake wrote never mentioned his daughter—or the fact that he has no intention of consummating his marriage. He’s determined never to subject another wife to the burden of pregnancy. But Jake doesn’t count on finding his bride so desirable. He doesn’t count on aching with need when she joins him in bed. And he never suspected his bride would have plans of her own to seduce him.

“I am all in knots waiting for WYOMING BRIDE (Hannah’s story), MONTANA BRIDE (Hetty’s story) and BLACKTHORNE’S BRIDE (Josie’s story). I am not a patient person, so I’m reading all her books while waiting for these to hit the shelves or my Kindle.” – Melanie

PERFECT STRANGERS by Rebecca Sinclair

Gabrielle Carelton is one of Queen Elizabeth’s most devoted ladies-in-waiting. But her loyalty is put to the test when Her Majesty commands her to marry Scotsman Collin Douglas. When Gabrielle is kidnapped by Collin’s twin brother, not even Good Queen Bess can save her.

Dubbed the Black Douglas, devilishly handsome Connor is known throughout the land for his magnificent feats of strength and cunning. But now he is in need of an heir. An English bride will bring peace to the warring nations — and give him the son he craves. What he doesn’t expect is a woman as passionate as she is proud … and a desire that knows no boundaries.

Set against the pageantry and savage splendor of 16th-century England and Scotland, here is the story of a man and a woman who begin as enemies and strangers — and find a love that will triumph against all odds.

“All I have to say is, WOW! This book blurb doesn’t do this book justice.” – Melanie

HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL by Vicky Dreiling

Miss Julianne Gatewick is in a pickle. It started when her brother’s best friend-for whom she’s long nursed a secret tendre-agreed to act as her guardian for the Season, only to seduce her with a risqué waltz. But when the music stopped and the expectant ton waited for Marc Darcett, Earl of Hawkfield, to claim her as his own, he made his disinterest clear. Rather than succumb to humiliation, Julianne does what any self-respecting, recently discarded young miss with a wicked sense of humor would do. She secretly pens a lady’s guide to enticing unrepentant rakes . . . and it becomes the hottest scandal sheet in London.

Every honorable rake knows that friends’ sisters are forbidden. But suddenly Julienne has a spark of mischief in her eyes that Hawk can’t resist. Try as he might to push her away, he spends his days listening for her laughter and his nights dreaming of kissing her senseless. He’s always avoided innocents and their marriage-minded mothers, but has the man least likely to wed finally met his match?

“There’s a lot to recommend this read, but the romance of it would be my first recommendation. The second is the humor; the third, pace; and last but not least are the three-dimensional characters, even the secondary ones.” – Melanie

THE REBEL PRINCESS by Judith Koll Healy

Paris, October 1207. There is nothing that Princess AlaÏs of France wants more than to settle down with her lover, William of Caen, and to reveal to his ward, Francis, that she is his mother. but intrigue is afoot in the palace, and tensions are pushed to the brink when a much prized relic is stolen and young Francis goes missing. frantic for his safety, AlaÏs will risk life and limb to find the boy—donning a disguise to outwit cunning enemies as she makes her way into unfamiliar territory to save her son, and perhaps prevent a bloody holy war that threatens her beloved France.

From the opulent halls of Paris to austere monasteries in the south of France, The Rebel Princess combines history and suspense in an unforgettable tale involving one of the most enigmatic and intriguing female figures in medieval history.

“Where to start? This was a very, very, very long read for me. I would start reading it and stop, then repeat the exercise for the next month and a half.” – Melanie

TO PLEASURE A DUKE by Sara Bennett

It has taken Eugenie Belmont but a moment to decide whom to marry . . .

Unfortunately the gentleman in question, the Duke of Somerton, hasn’t yet offered—a mere formality for a confirmed member of the Husband Hunters Club of Miss Debenham’s Finishing School. Like her friends, Eugenie is unwilling to wait demurely until the perfect mate happens by. And, despite the handsome duke’s imposing reputation, she can feel his heated glances in her direction are charged with desire . . . and possibilities.

Saddled with a dukedom, a haughty dowager, and an irresponsible younger sister, Sinclair St. John is far too occupied with important matters to indulge in romantic whims. But for the first time in his life, a brazen temptress has him utterly distracted. He could—and he should—dismiss her and court someone more befitting his station. But he is irresistibly drawn to this bewitching woman . . . and must match her game of seduction, move for passionate move.

“This is my first ever book by this author, and my last, sad to say.” – Melanie

And there you have it, my bookworms. Now, remember! It’s always possible that what I liked you may not, and vice-versa. These are only my opinions based on what I like, and what I preffer. If you’d like to purchase any of these books, click on the cover and it’ll take you to Amazon.

Now off I go to see what’s left on my Kindle…

Oh, BTW: What are you reading right now and what’s the latest book you’ve read and just couldn’t connect to? Let’s give away a book today, shall we? we still have some left over from RT’s…

*US ONLY sorry*

b2b will be ONE year old!

Guess what?! We’re about to celebrate our first year in the blogosphere! I ‘brain-stormed’ some ideas that were swirling in this head of mine, but none of them were ‘right’. I started to think about why and how I got to reading and loving romance novels and it hit me!

I was a ‘late bloomer’ and Romance Novels came to me when I was in my late twenties. My best friend gave me a copy of Kathleen E. Woodiwiss’ ‘A ROSE IN WINTER’ and I was hooked. I went out and stocked up on all of her books. Then my friend gave me Johanna Lindsey’s ‘GENTLE ROGUE’ and I had to read everything she wrote.

I ‘got’ what my friend tried to do. She wanted me to get ‘hooked’ on her favorite authors, so she’d pick one of their books and give them away as a gift. It worked in my case. I not only got hooked on the authors, but the genre as well. I took up the banner of the ‘pay it forward’ and started to give my friends ‘books that will hook you’ gifts.

What a better way then to celebrate our first year ‘on’ by celebrating AUTHORS as well as READERS with what connects us all – BOOKS!

Through the month of November, b2b will be honored to host Authors such as Katharine Ash, Grace Burrowes, Anna Campbell, Vicky Dreiling, Eileen Dreyer, Maureen Driscoll, Cara Elliott, Shana Galen, Kieran Kramer and last but not least Rose Lerner.

This amazing group of very talented ‘tale tellers’ have agreed to gift you, the reader, with a book that they hope will ‘hook’ you to either their own work, or the author they chose to share with you.

b2b, in return for their generosity of time and gifts to you, we’ll be celebrating them!

Won’t you join our celebration by:

1) Telling us which ‘Hook-a-Book’ did/would you likely give your friends…

2) Subscribing to our Blog…

3) ‘LIKE’ -ing us on our Facebook!

All three are required for a TRIPLE chance to win in the Giveaway!

On November 1st I will let you know my ‘Hook-a-Book’ and celebrate with you this author that had me at ‘Sin’!

Author Guest Post and Giveaway with… Vicky Dreiling

Today, I am so happy and excited to welcome an Author that just stunned me with her début novel “How to Marry a Duke” and on June 28^th her second novel “How to Seduce a Scoundrel” will be out and I can tell you Hawk will melt your hearts! 

To find out more about her hero and how he sneaked into her dreams, read on.

Scene Stealing Characters by Vicky Dreiling

Some characters just leap onto the page and try to steal the show. The minute Hawk showed up as a secondary character in HOW TO MARRY A DUKE I knew that he would be the hero of a follow-up story. Hawk’s antics were legendary.  He always had a witty come-back and some rather ridiculous advice for his friend Tristan (the hero of  HOW TO MARRY A DUKE). If there was an opportunity to crack a joke, Hawk managed to plant himself center stage.

So basically, Hawk charmed me into letting him be the hero of HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL. I’m fairly certain he thought he could be the star and avoid the parson’s mousetrap. He probably had a wager or two at White’s Club that he could outwit me. After all, he is mortally afraid of catching ‘wife-itis.’ However, as his creator, I get to call all the shots.

I wish.

The truth is characters sometimes reveal things that completely and totally flummox authors. And that was especially true in the case of Hawk. I won’t reveal the details here, because that would be a spoiler. However, I will confess that I discovered Hawk had a startling secret. How did I find this out?

Let me back up a bit. In the early planning stages of ‘Scoundrel,’ I knew that the book would involve the high concept premise The Rules in Regency England. I also knew that Hawk’s role in the book would be to act as Julianne’s unofficial guardian. I had a good grasp of Julianne’s conflict, given her family’s history. Hawk, however, remained an enigma to me. I’d created this completely charming, witty, and handsome man, but I had absolutely no idea what made him tick. He seemed like a well-adjusted guy, if you could overlook the numerous mistresses. But I knew that wasn’t going to work. I had to give him some imperfections (beyond being a lady’s man).

I confess I walked around the house, mumbling to myself for several days as I tried to figure out exactly what to do with Hawk. Much of the time, I visualized scenes for some of the turning points in the plot. And then I would go to bed, visualizing these scenes again. Eventually, I would fall asleep, thinking about the characters.  I rarely remember my dreams, but I think I must have dreamed about Hawk. Why? Because when I awoke the next day, a scene played out DVD-style in my head of a much younger Hawk talking to his father. And in that scene, I learned something that his father said to him.

That’s all I got. Imagine my frustration as once again, I paced around the house, only this time, I was trying to figure out what that scene meant. Again, I went to bed visualizing Hawk and Julianne in a scene. The next morning, I awoke to another DVD-style scene. And this time, I learned that Hawk had a heart-breaking secret, one that tormented him.

I’m happy to report, however, that Hawk does have a chance to right a wrong. Even better, he and Julianne find their happily ever after.

Have you ever been surprised by a secret in a romance novel? Did you guess the secret correctly? Or was there a big twist in the plot? Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of  HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL and a set of Vicky’s Romance Trading Cards. We have a second prize and that’s a HOT of the press copy of Loretta Chase’s “SILK IS FOR SEDUCTION” which will be out also on June 28th.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

Become a B2B subscriber. Greatly Appreciated!

Post a comment with your email address. (If uncomfortable with that, send me an email).

Tweet or share the post.

Do all three, and you’ll have three times the chance to win.

Giveaway starts June 24th and ends June 29th.

Winners will be notified via email the following day and have 5 days to respond.

Open to residents of the U.S. only.

One winner per household.

Winners will be announced on this blog.

Thank you Vicky for stopping by and giving us a ‘peek’ into the process of developing one of the best secrets I’ve read in a long while. Behind the scenes look at my favorite stories is something I cherish as much as the stories themselves. I can tell you by reading the excerpt from “How to Ravish a Rake” (coming out in the Spring of 2012) that I’m looking forward to meeting the man, William Darcett, Hawk’s younger brother, who will sweep our shy Amy Hardwick off her feet. You’re welcome to stop by sometime before their story hits the shelves and tell us more about them. ‘Till then, congrats on your success and May your Magic Romance Fairies never leave us! 

Vicky Dreiling is a confirmed historical romance junkie and Anglophile. HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL will be available on June 28^th.To find out more about her and her books, click on the images or visit her website at www.vickydreiling.com.

For an Excerpt of the ‘Scoundrel’ go to my ‘Book Excerpts’ page or click here.

Enjoy the trailer for “How to Marry a Duke”!

“How to Seduce a Scoundrel” by Vicky Dreiling

STORY: Lady Julianne Gatewick is in a pickle. It started when her brother’s best friend—for whom she’s long nursed a secret tendre—agreed to act as her guardian for the Season, only to seduce her with a risqué waltz.

But when the music stopped and the expectant ton waited for the Earl of Hawkfield to claim her as his own, he made his disinterest clear. Rather than succumb to humiliation, Julianne does what any recently discarded, wickedly witty young miss would do. She secretly pens a lady’s guide to enticing unrepentant rakes . . . and it becomes the hottest scandal in London.

Every honorable rake knows that friends’ sisters are forbidden. But suddenly Julianne has a spark of mischief in her eyes that Hawk can’t resist. Try as he might to push her away, he spends his days listening for her laughter and his nights dreaming of her kisses. He’s always avoided innocents and their marriage-minded mothers, but has the man least likely to wed finally met his match?

REVIEW: A book has to be dammed good to keep me up all night and Vicky did this to me yet again! It was THAT good! Shit! I finally got to bed at 5 am and got some shut-eye! I was up by eight and by the time I got to work I needed a double Espresso. PRONTO! I thought I might need toothpicks to keep my eyes open. Thank God my day at work was slow today.

Romance World, watch out! Vicky Dreiling has arrived and she aims to stay. With this second book she’s managed to draw me into the story so much, that I was totally blindsided by the fact that…HA! I’m not telling!

What I am going to tell you is that you will fall in love with Marc Darcett, Earl of Hawkfield or Hawk to his family and friends. He’s charming and funny; teasing and cheery; domineering and secretive. His past mistake holds him prisoner and he willingly stays locked in it. When his grandmother becomes ill and takes away his mother and sisters to her bedside, he’s asked by the Duke of Shelbourne to guard his younger sister Julianne for the Season while his eccentric Aunt Hester takes his mother’s place in sponsoring her

Julianne Gatewick is in her fourth Season and she just knows that this will be the Season that Hawk proposes to her. She has loved him since she was eight years old and there was never a doubt in her mind that he is the man for her. Now was the perfect time to show him and tell him of her feelings. How hard can that be? She was his Julie-girl. He encouraged her mischief, teased her to no end, and thought her to climb trees. And now she’ll have him all to herself for all the Season! It could not have been more perfect!

And then the unthinkable happens…Not going to tell you! You’ll have to buy the book to find out!

In the first book, I thought to start the petition for Tristan’s mother to get her own love story, and in this one I’m thinking that Lady Rutledge or Aunt Hester to all her family, needs to find a man of her own. I loved her spunk and sass. Oh how I wish I had me one o’those when I was twenty! She’s the one that encourages Julianne to anonymously write a pamphlet to help the girls of the ton catch a husband.

Everything about this book I loved. Ms. Dreiling gave me a true romance filled with so much humor that I laughed so much that I was glad I wasn’t reading it in a public place; otherwise they just might have taken me to the loony-bin! I guarantee that if you start reading this book, you won’t be able to put it down until the last page, and then you’ll be wanting more!

Contest & Giveaway with Vicky Dreiling on Friday 6/24!

You all know how much I loved ‘How to Marry a Duke’ and now get ready to meet Julianne, the Duke’s younger sister who is head-over-heals in love with his Rake of a best-friend Hawk in ‘How to Seduce a Scoundrel’. To tell us all about her newest book we’re happy to have Vicky stop by this Friday June 24th. To help her celebrate her June 28th release we’ll have some giveaways for you! Subscribers have double the chance to win! If you haven’t subscribed, what are you waiting for

Vicky will be giving one lucky commenter her ARC of ‘the Scoundrel’ and I’ll be giving away a copy of one of Vicky’s favorite author’s Loretta Chase’s newest book ‘Silk is for Seduction’!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

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“How to Marry a Duke” by Vicky Dreiling

STORY: Tristan, the Duke of Shelbourne is a man with a mission: find a wife he can tolerate as long as they both shall live. No love is necessary—nor desired. But how to choose amid a dizzying array of wealthy-yet-witless candidates? Hire London’s infamously prim and proper matchmaker. Then pretend she’s not the most captivating woman he’s ever met . . .

Helping a devilish Duke create a contest to pick his perfect mate is the kind of challenge Tessa Mansfield relishes. Her methods may be scandalous, but she’s determined to find the notorious bachelor more than a wife—she’ll bring him true love. Yet when Tessa watches the women vie for the Duke’s affections, she longs to win his heart herself. And after a stolen kiss confirms Tristan’s desire, Tessa knows she has broken a matchmaker’s number one rule: never fall in love with the groom.

REVIEW: I have come to realize that the best books I’ve ever read were purchased on impulse, and this one is at the top. I was frankly STUNNED at how good this début book was. I started to read in the afternoon, and read it through the night, and early morning. I just could not part ways with it. The above blurb does not do it justice.

Our Hero meets our Heroine on page 4 by stepping on and crushing her fan. That scene was written so well, that it took me into that ballroom with it! From that point on, I was hooked, lined and sunk by the page 371 where I just broke down and wept.

I’ve read a few reviews of the book, and a lot of them are describing it as “hilarious”. To me the word “warm” would describe it better. This read, at least for me, was a perfect balance of romance, drama, and humor. I’ll go ahead and admit that I had my doubts about the premise of “The Bachelor” in Regency England. I didn’t think it would work, but boy was I proven wrong!

This was very fresh and entertaining. As for the “secret” and the mystery, even that surprised me! Just when I thought I figured it out, I’m knocked off my rocker! I loved the chemistry between the two main characters as much as I loved the chemistry of all the secondary ones as well.  I can’t begin to tell you how much I enjoyed the character of the Duchess, Tristan’s mother. I’m thinking of starting a petition for her love story in a novella if nothing else. Her Grace deserves her own happy ending!

There’s not a thing that I didn’t like about this book. Nothing. NADA! If you want to feel fuzzy kind of warm, and you want to laugh and cry, don’t pass this one up.  “How to Seduce a Scoundrel” is a story of Julianne and Hawk and it will be out in July of this year. Vicky Dreiling, where have you been hiding? Welcome to my Keeper Shelf!