Release Day Blitz, Eyes Of The Seer; The Derbfine Series book 2 By Ashley York

Welcome to the Release Day Blitz of Eye of The Seer, The second book in the new Derbfine Series by Ashley York is released today, so I have a special release day post. We have a bit out Eye of the Seer, a bit about Ashley and my review of book one Curse of the Healer. 

In ancient Éire, men and women take to the legends for answers. Different-colored eyes are the mark of a Seer, it is said, and those who can see the future are in league with the devil. They cannot be suffered to live.

He wishes to prove himself…
Marcán of Clonascra bears the bloodline of Brian Boru, the legendary high king, and his prowess as a warrior has earned him great respect. But he was born with different-colored eyes, and there are some who would have him suffer a Seer’s fate. His fiercest adversary is Beibhinn, mother to Diarmuid, his close friend and king, and Astrid, the woman who holds his heart. If Astrid ever showed him any interest, he would fight Beibhinn and any army to wed her.

She is desperate to escape…

Astrid is sick of her mother’s belittling, but her brother is in no hurry see her married, so she decides to see to her own match-making. The man she approaches quickly reveals his lack of honor, but her overbearing mother pushes her to wed him anyway. When Astrid discovers Marcán’s love for her, she realizes that what she wants has been in front of her all along. True happiness awaits them, but only if they can put a stop to her mother’s plans.

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Curse of the Healer by Ashley York Descendants of the High King series (Derbfine Series) Book one.

After the death of Brian Boru in 1014, a legend arose of a healer so great she could raise a man from the dead, with a power so strong it could make any warrior the next high king of Éire…and to steal it away from her, he need only possess her.

Fated to be a healer…

Aednat has spent her entire life training to be the great healer, knowing she must remain alone. When she meets Diarmuid, the intense attraction she feels toward him shakes her resolve to believe in such a legend. If she gives in to the passion he ignites in her, can she settle for being less?

Destined to be his…

Diarmuid of Clonascra is renowned for his bravery in battle. Only one thing daunt’s him: the prospect of taking a wife. The safest course would be to keep his distance from Aednat, the bold, headstrong healer who’s far too tempting for his peace of mind. But his overking orders him to protect her from a group of craven warriors intent on kidnapping her to steal her power.

What starts as duty for Diarmuid quickly transforms into something more. Aednat’s power might be at risk, but so is his closed-off heart.

My View

This is first book I have read by Ashley York and I can absolutely say it will not be the last, what an absolutely wonderful way to be introduced to York’s writing. This is such a thrilling and intelligent tale that entwine’s myths and legends so effortlessly with an original love story.

In 1014 came a legend that stated a healer who had the greatest power a man would know, a healer who could raise the dead and make warriors into kings and if any man wanted her power and be the most powerful King of Eire all they had to do possess her and take her virtue.

Aednat is a healer in the making who as a child she was booted out of her clan by the then Chief – her grandfather none the less – for having a disability, a club foot and she was sentenced to a living as an outcast in the woods with the other people who had some sort of disability. Once her grandfather had passed away and her cousin became the new chief she was allowed back into her clan under the protection of her cousin Sean. Sean never did like the way Aednat was treated by her grandfather and the clan but at the time he couldn’t say anything to help her as he would have been severely punished for it. So when he becomes Chief he personally goes and collects his cousin, who becomes the jewel of his family. Sean knows just how special she is and just how much danger she could be in.

So he does what any protective head of the family does, he sends word for her protector.

Diarmuid is chief of Clonascra, another Clan and also a well renowned and powerful warrior in his own right. He s good friends with Sean and when he gets an urgent message from his friend to come quickly as he had a special mission for him, Diarmuid goes to his friend’s aid.

But what is it exactly Sean that wants of Diarmuid?

Sean is gathering all of the chiefs of the mighty clans in the area and asking them all to come together and to try to protect their people from invaders not just from foreigners but from danger much closer to home. Obviously Diarmuid believes that this is why he has been summoned, to help his friend with this alliance. But Sean has other ideas especially where Aednat is concerned.

Sean knows that because of her being a well-known and skilful healer in the making she is in very serious danger. Once the rebels and rival clans fin out about her, they will want her. She could be taken, abused and killed for her healing power and so Sean asks the only person in the world who he trusts to guard her – his best friend Diarmuid.

When the village is attacked by rebels Aednat is shocked to find out that they wanted her, and because of a legend that the rebels believe about possessing her and getting her healing powers they will stop at nothing to get her. There is only one way that she will have a chance of her being safe and only one person who can protect her; Diarmuid!

“Ye need to take her in hand.”Sean scoffed. “No one takes Aednat in hand. She’s a will of her own, and no man will bend her to his.”

Aednat is a great young woman she has ideas and opinions that for the time would have come across as witchery and evil, but in actual fact she is just a free thinking, opinionated woman who knows what she wants out of life. She knows she doesn’t want marriage, she hates the idea of becoming a mans object for the rest of her life. She is so much happier living on her own, but she’s not naive to think that is actually going to be able to happen.

After growing up in the dangerous outer skirts of the village, she knows how perilous life can be for her, not just the fact that she is just a woman, but she is a talented healer with a disability. Even with her powerful cousins protection she is still looked upon with scorn and fear, that is until she meets Diarmuid who looks on her with something that unsettles her.

Diamuid is a monosyllabic, brusque warrior and he is a hugely proud and honourable man who hates injustices. He is a good warrior and takes his duties very seriously, so when he finds out that Aednat is in danger he is the first to come to her rescue. As much as he would deny it he is a really good man and highly protective to this he cares about.

As soon as he knows the full details of how much danger she is in he knows full well that the safest place for her is by his side, yes he might growl and moan but deep down he has a heart of pure gold and from the moment he saw Aednat he was drawn to her and there is no way in hell that anyone is going to touch her, she is his and has been since the day he set eyes on her. He will protect her with his last breath.

“I will not let them have ye. Rest assured. Ye’ve been entrusted to me, and I care for what is mine.”

Diarmuid reminds me of a wild wolf, leader of his little wolf pack. He is wild, viscous when he needs to be, caring and loving a natural-born leader but he is also so very normal. I especially love how he makes fun of himself when not on guard he has a lovely wit, and when he wants to be he can be really charming, especially when he doing what we all do and have a moan about his family. Joking with Sean about his demanding mother and free-spirited sister Astrid.

When they first meet she thinks he is nothing but an angry, arrogant and egotistical brute. Who because he is this feared this feared warrior he can do and say what ever he likes, he thinks of her as a spoilt little brat who needs her arse slapped. That first meeting between them is highly amusing, they don’t hide how they really hate each, when they are bickering they feed of each others emotions that makes their arguments really get going and it even gets to stage where she gives him a well deserved slap.

They are both such opinionated and passionate people who obviously when together there is fireworks in one way or another, yet beneath the bad-tempered words they both have genuine feeling for each other, but can both of them get past the fact that they have been forced to endure each others company and see that they are both good, kind-hearted and sensual individuals who needs love in their own way?

“I wanted ye to be happy with a woman, Diarmuid. Someone to warm yer bed when ye’ve returned from battle. Is that so bad? I thought she could be the one.” Clearly Sean had a great blind spot where Aednat was concerned. A wife like her would never give him peace.

This is really very interesting I love the mixture of love story and legend, which intricately entwine’s throughout the story. It is a smart and mesmerizing tale and you become completely submerged in the era.

I genuinely really love this it is an intelligent and enjoyable read, York has created a beautifully written atmospheric, mysterious love story. I cant wait to read more of this series, especially Diarmuids right hand man Marcan, who is a seductive Rogue who could charm the birds from the trees with his gorgeous of Eyes and cute as a button wit.

I cannot recommend this enough, this can be enjoyed by any Historical Romance reader, it has everything Medieval Romance, Myth’s and Legend’s and a game of cat and mouse.

Fabulous!

Curse of the Healer is out now and can be found at Amazon.

This was a complimentary copy via the author in exchange for an honest review.

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Meet Ashley

“Two things you should know about me right up front. I’m a hard-core romantic! And I love history!

I believe true love does exist and once found, can transform your life from a solitary journey into a passionate adventure. Easier said than done sometimes but writing about the infinite number of possibilities, working out the exact when and where, and developing the character’s personal journey to get there, thrills me to no end.

I love history with larger than life heroes, chivalrous knights, lords and ladies, castles, manors, battles and conquests. These are the foundations for passionate, historical romance novels. That’s what I write.  There is nothing like the intense emotions sparked between a driven, hard-working medieval warrior and a feisty damsel in  a quandary, often not of her own making.

It only makes sense that I use my MA in History and all those research techniques to create romantic characters from the past. Although I’m writing fiction, I like to incorporate authentic places, events, and people, embellishing the past. I use real history but with an artistic flare.  I love research, especially from primary documents, and could get lost in them! You’ll discover a world of fiction wrapped around historical people and events in my stories. Some events you may recognize, some you may recognize but a little different than you remember, and some are just from my imagination.

I’m fascinated by the High Middle Ages in Scotland, England, and Ireland. There are so many world-changing events taking place here from their participation in the Crusades to the Battle of Hastings that permanently connected the islands to the continent. Before the Declaration of Arbroath, before William Wallace, before the Doomsday Book, the area was ripe for great events and they never failed to deliver. It is on this combustible backdrop that I create characters with the same desires and motivations as we have today.

When I’m not writing, I enjoy cooking. It’s relaxing and I always like to find something new and easy. On Fridays I occasionally share simple recipes with Foody Friday. Sometimes entrees. Sometimes desserts. Sometimes snacks. Always delicious.”

If you want to find out more about Ashley’s work check out her Website and connect with her on Twitter : @AshleyYork1066 and Facebook

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Review – Wicked Surrender (Regency Sinners #2) by Carole Mortimer

Eight gentlemen known far and wide as The Sinners. Also agents for the Crown, they are each tasked with discovering which of eight ladies in Society has been acting as a spy for Napoleon. By fair means or foul.

Dante St Just, the Duke of Huntley, is less than pleased when he is asked to investigate the beautiful widow, Lady Isabella Aston. The two knew each other seven years ago, and parted badly. But neither can Dante bear the thought of passing Bella’s name on to one of his friends. If anyone is to seduce Bella into revealing whether or not she is a spy, then it will be him or no one.

Bella is surprised, and then suspicious, when Dante St Just calls unexpectedly at her home. She becomes alarmed when, that very evening, he carries her off in his carriage.

Alone with Dante, with not even a servant to act as chaperone, how is Bella to resist the helpless attraction she has always felt toward him?

Dante’s intention was to quickly confirm or disprove Bella’s innocence, after which he would either return her to London and the spymaster wishing to speak with her, or he would continue to keep her as his prisoner and the two of them would spend time together becoming reacquainted. Intimately.

But he had not fully taken into account his wild and uncontrollable response to Bella’s sensual beauty, or how it would affect his judgement where she is concerned.

My View

This is the first book I have read by this author after I had her recommend to me by fellow book reviewer Shell from Boonies123 and I really enjoyed it. It’s saucier than I usually read but not smutty and I did really like it.

The Sinners are a group of eight devilishly handsome men who, to all of society are unrepentant Sinners out to have fun and seek their own pleasures in what ever way they can. Seduce as many women as possible, drink, gamble you name and these men do it. But in actual fact they are secret agents to the crown, who have been given the mission to identify a traitor within the aristocratic ranks who is spying for and passing secrets to Napoleon.

Dante St Just, Duke of Huntley has been given the task of investigating beautiful widow Lady Isabella Aston, whose name was on the list of those eight woman who are thought to be the traitor.

Being a good agent and one to never shirk his duty he does what his superiors tell him to do and find the truth about Bella. But there is just one flaw in the plan and that is that ever since he was a young man he had always held a torch for her, she infuriates him and antagonizes him but yet he is drawn to her like a moth to a flame. He can’t get enough of her, especially once he sees her again after all these years.

She is no longer the timid seventeen year old she used to be, she is now a sharp-tongued, highly opinionated and troublesome widow, and he doesn’t trust her and inch. So Dante does the only thing he can do to find out if she is a traitor. He kidnaps her and sets off to his isolated hunting lodge where he soon realises his feeling for her are stronger than he thought.

But is she a traitor?

The first touch of her lips beneath his and Dante knew he was the one in danger of allowing his emotions to get the better of him.

Dante has basically lived his life being hated for who he is, after his parents died when he was a child he was sent to live with his uncle, aunt and cousin, it was OK except the fact that his aunt hated him from the start she and she made her feeling’s towards him very clear. He was sent off to school at a young age so that he couldn’t associate too much with his cousin, but the separation just made them closer.

But it was at school where he really found his own and met a group of boys who, like him had been through their own traumas so they banded together to form the sinners.

Dante as much as I do like him – and don’t get me wrong he is a cunning, suave and enigmatic man, who can charm the birds from the tree’s. But I can’t get on with his domineering personality he, is manipulative, dangerous and not one to take no for an answer and that doesn’t sit well with me the way he treat’s Bella, he can be harsh and brutal but on the other hand he can be a deeply emotional and loving man, when he lets himself.

“Left alone here, you might persuade Mr. Rogers into helping you return to London.”
“As is my right.” The deepening of the blush in her cheeks confirmed she had intended doing exactly that. In all likelihood once Dante was asleep and snoring.
“You have no rights when you are with me, Bella,” he stated firmly.
“Of course I have rights,” she snapped. “I am a free woman—”
“You are my captive,”

Bella is half French and half Spanish when she was a child her father died and her mother married an Englishman, her step father and mother sadly passed away she sent to live with her step aunt the Duchess of Huntley. The Duchess hated her and made Bella’s hell while she was the Duchesses ward.

She had fallen in love with the young Dante, she thought that if she tells him how she really feels about him, he would save her from her hell. But he cruelly put her in her place which forced her hand and for her to take drastic action, to get away from the St Just’s she married a friend.
Her husband died a year later during the Napoleonic Wars and all of a sudden Dante is back in her life, her old feelings for him start to rise their ugly head, but she can’t forget how he treated her and neither can she resist him and it’s probably that reason why she doesn’t scream kidnap at every opportunity.

I really like Bella she is free-spirited, fiery and she has the sharpest tongue, she doesn’t hold back with her set downs. She is in limbo with her motions she knows that she can’t trust anything he says to her. The way he has treated her is despicable, but yet her heart won’t listen to her intelligent brain and once again she has fallen under his spell.

I love the chemistry between then and I personally think they are at their finest when they are at loggerhead’s, the bickering and snipping at each other is highly amusing. Dante cannot stand the fact that with him being a Duke he is being spoken to in a way by her, and she just can’t stand him – His is manipulative, arrogant and demanding and they do make a terrific couple.

Dante’s mouth tilted into a mocking smile. “I believe being upon one’s deathbed tends to give one pause to reflect upon, and regret, one’s past actions.”
“Indeed?” Bella eyed him scornfully. “Then let us hope, for your sake, that your own death does not come too swiftly; otherwise, I fear there would not be time enough for you to regret all of yours.”
Oh yes, Bella was decidedly so much more than she had been seven years ago.

The only thing that I don’t like about it his Dante’s manipulative and controlling way he has about him when it comes to sex his actions for me are a too harsh, he does push her to the limit but apart from that this is highly enjoyable and this series is one that I am looking forward to following.

I am especially looking forward to Devil’s story, he caught my attention in this and he intrigued me.

I do very much recommend this it is an extremely hot, and may not be for those that prefer a sedate Historical Romance but it is a very entertaining Regency Romance.

Wicked Surrender book 2 in “The Regency Sinners” is out now and can be found at Amazon.

This was a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for an honest Review.

A Chat With…Author Jess Russell

Today I have the great pleasure of having Award Winning and Best Selling Author, Jess Russell visiting Chick’s Rogue’s and Scandal’s so take a seat and lets get to know a bit about Jess…

Jess Russell now Multi-Award Winning and Best-sellingauthor!
As a girl Jess escaped the world of rigorous ballet class and hideous math homework into the haven of toe wriggling romance novels. Now she writes them!

Jess lives in New York City with her husband and son and disappears to the Catskill Mountains whenever she can. She is a sometime actress, award winning batik artist, and accomplished seamstress. Along with her sewing machine, she loves power tools and, what’s more, she knows how to use them.

Jess is currently working on renovating a condo in uptown Manhattan (The Lipstick on a Pig Project) and writing two other stories for the Reluctant Hearts series. Captivated by the Countess, and Daft for a Duke.
Jess Russell is a member of RWA, as well as the Beau Monde and the NY chapters of RWA.

Frankie Reviews : Hi Jess, welcome to Chick’s Rogue’s and Scandal’s. Firstly, what five words would you use to describe yourself?

Jess : Thrifty, multi-talented, sentimental, impatient, and (at the moment) overwhelmed!

Frankie Reviews : If you could live in any era and place, When and where would it be?

Jess : Oh, this is tough. I am drawn to the periods in which I write. I love the fashion of bygone years, and the chivalry. BUT, the reality of living in the Regency or Victorian era is pretty daunting. Women were certainly second-class citizens with very few options in life and almost no rights. I would hate that. So, without wearing any rose-colored glasses, I would have to stay right where I am. (though perhaps I would beam myself back 4 years or so. My son is leaving for college this Fall!)

Frankie Reviews : I totally agree with you about that, Jess. Who was your childhood hero?

Jess : A good question. I think I would have to say my ballet teachers. I was totally devoted to being a dancer until my senior year in high school when I became more interested in drama. These ladies inspired me and fired my imagination.

Frankie Reviews : How interesting, What is your favourite time of the year?

Jess : Spring! I am an aspiring gardener and every Spring I love to look to see what actually survived the Winter. I feel rather maternal about my plants. Of course the May flies are hideous, but I have a sort bee-keepers net hat that I wear which helps a bit.

Frankie Reviews : Out of all your work, who is your favourite character?

Rhys Merrick, Duke of Roydan, my hero in The Dressmaker’s Duke. He is heart-breaking in his isolation.

A few lines of Rhys thinking of Olivia~

God, if only she would want him just a little. Hope seeped into that tender void that lay quietly waiting between the steady rails of his oh-so-rational behavior.

Frankie Reviews : Oh, fabulous! Thank you for sharing that quote with us, Where does your inspiration for your books come from?

Jess : My inspiration starts with an image and then a scene. Being an actress, I am drawn to character first. I love putting myself in their shoes and often improvise playing first the Hero then my Heroine. I have designed and sewed a gown for each of my Heroines. If you want to see the gowns stop by https://jessrussellromance.com/ I also have a blog called Trash to Treasure where I take a thrift store find and transform it into something new and wonderful! I just love creating something out of nothing.

Frankie Reviews : Oh, wow! What a super talented lady, you are. Those gowns are amazing! What three tips would you pass on to an aspiring author?

Jess :

1. Write! Write everyday (something I need to take to heart.)
2. Have the next book nearly ready to publish when you get your first book out! I did not and could not take advantage of the success of The Dressmaker’s Duke.
3. Enter contests! That is how I got my publishing offers.

Frankie Reviews : If you were hosting a dinner party what three people would you invite? (They can be real/fictional, from any era)

Jess :

1. Jesus
2. Muhammad
3. Buddha

I am not a fan of organized religion, but I am spiritual. I love the notion of these men finding a commonality. Our world is so divisive, I long for more empathy and communal understanding among all cultures. John Lennon’s song, Imagine, is a favourite of mine.

Frankie Reviews : Thank you, Jess for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat with me today, I have just one more cheeky question, just for fun . . . What is your all-time favourite naughty but nice food?

Jess : Oh boy. Twinkies! I used to love them as a kid. Sadly, I rediscovered them. So bad, but so good!

Yum, thank you!

Thank you for having me, Frankie!

If you want to find out more about Jess and her work then check out the links below.

 

Website

Facebook @jessrussellromance

Goodreads

Amazon

Review – The Lost Letter; A Victorian Romance by Mimi Matthews

A Proud Beauty

Society beauty Sylvia Stafford is far too pragmatic to pine. When the tragic death of her gamester father leaves her destitute and alone, she finds work as a governess in a merchant’s household in Cheapside. Isolated from the fashionable acquaintance of her youth, she resigns herself to lonely spinsterhood…until a mysterious visitor convinces her to temporarily return to her former life—and her former love.

A Scarred Beast

Colonel Sebastian Conrad is no longer the dashing cavalry officer Sylvia fell in love with. Badly scarred during the Sepoy Rebellion, he has withdrawn to his estate in rural Hertfordshire where he lives in near complete seclusion. Brooding and tormented, he cares nothing for the earldom he has inherited—and even less for the faithless beauty who rejected him three years before.

An Unexpected Reunion

A week together in the isolated Victorian countryside is the last thing either of them ever wanted. But when fate intervenes to reunite them, will a beastly earl and an impoverished beauty finally find their happily ever after? Or are some fairy-tale endings simply not meant to be?

My View

My, oh, my! This is absolutely remarkable!

Everyone who has read my reviews before will know how much I love my heroes to be trouble and vulnerable and wanting a strong women to help them back to happiness and this is just that, this is truly breath-taking and I loved every single moment of it, and I will apologize now if I start rambling on, but this is really something special and I have so much I want to say about it.

I have read a lot of Mimi Matthews’ blog posts and I have always hugely enjoyed them but this is the first book I have read from her. I knew before I opened it that it would be really rich in detail because Mathews has this undeniable skill for writing articles with atmospheric and Historical accuracy, but I like to start a book with a clean slate as though this is the first time I have read this author. But even though I knew what an amazingly talented lady she is, this blew me away.

“How dear you were to me,” she murmured.
A deep tremor went through Sebastian’s body. He bowed his head, eyes closing as he drank in her words like a man too long deprived of water.
“I am going to kiss you now,” she told him. There was a distinct quaver in her voice. “Just here.” She leaned forward and pressed her lips to the scar on his cheekbone.
Sebastian exhaled a shuddering breath.
“And here,” she whispered, kissing the corner of his blind eye. “And here, too, I think.” Her lips brushed the ragged edge of his ear….

Sylvia fell in love the devilishly handsome, Sebastian Conrad younger son of the Powerful Earl of Radcliffe, on the eve of Sebastian going off to war Sylvia and Sebastian share a beautiful moment together as they say good-bye. They share a longing kiss and being the mischievous Rogue he is, he hr for a token to take into war with him.

After granting his request she watches as he walks away never to be seen again, she sits down every week sometimes more than once, two, three times she writes to him and – nothing! She hears not a word from him, no reply no goodbye not even when her father commits suicide and she is ostracized from society destined for destitution she hears nothing from the man she thought she loved.

Because of what her father did. Gambling away until they had nothing left then killing himself leaving her to face the world and their scorn on her own forcing her to remove herself from society and do the only thing she can to keep her had above water and that is to take on a position as a governess.

Years later a stranger turns up at her employer’s home, she lives and states that she is the sister of one Sebastian Conrad, Earl of Radcliffe and that her brother had come back from the war a very changed man. He is severely wounded, physically and psychologically, she is worried About her big brother, since his returning home taking on the title after their father and elder brother died and having to deal with his own state she worries that he may do something stupid and the only thing keeping him m not doing that is a certain keepsake that she gave him all those years before.

Does she dare go to him and do ad his sister asks, and try to bring him back to the land of the living before it’s too late? And more importantly can she do it?

Sylvia is a charming woman who has gone through a lot, with her heart-break over Sebastian, her father’s gambling and suicide and being cast out of society then having to take up a position as a governess. She has sealed her heart off from further hurt, and buried her memories to the back of her mind in an attempt to forget and move on with her life, but behind that stern and un-emotive facade she is a resilient, free thinking and kind woman, who loves deeply.

“Have other gentlemen made such a request?”
“Yes.”
“And have you…?”
“No,” she had said. “You are the first.” And then she had carefully removed one of the pale blue silk ribbons from her gown and given it to him to bind up the freshly cut tresses. “What will you do with it?” she had asked him afterward.
“Keep it close to my heart,” he had replied gravely. “And whenever I despair of coming home again, I shall take it out and look at it. And I shall think of you.”

Sebastian is living in a constant hell, he is blind in one eye, unable to drink properly because of the sever scarring down his face, he is plagued with head aches and nightmares and he lost the will to go on a long time ago. He is constantly monitored by his sister and her husband – who quite frankly he would happily throttle and throw his lifeless corpse in a ditch but he resists for his sister.

Sebastian shouldn’t be the earl, his father was and his eldest brother was groomed for the job but Sebastian being the younger son his destiny was the army. He was never happier than following the from, having day-to-day life set out with discipline and routine. He was free to do what he was good at, and he was a good cavalry officer and what he enjoyed. He hated the killing at seeing all those wasted life strewn over the battle field but he loved the life of a soldier – until an enemy Saber blinded and ruined him for ever.

The one thing that kept his going first through the horrors of the battle field and then through his daily hell was his talisman he carried around in his pocket the thing that brought him so much joy through so much pain and with that he thought of her and how much he did love her and how she broke his heart when he never heard from her again.

Since the moment he walked away from her on that night in the garden he hadn’t heard from her, no letters no nothing and now all these years later he finds out that his sister had brought her to his house to do what, exactly? …Torture him some more, perhaps?

I adore Sebastian, he is the epitome of vulnerability he truly believes he is a beast and can’t be ever seen again, he has locked himself off from the world and now is only seen by his valet and his sister. He would rather be left alone, to wallow in self-pity which he has become very good at since coming back from the war. That is until he sets eyes on Sylvia again!

Sebastian is in his own way hugely charming, once you get past that the growling and his constant look of wanting to throttle someone. He is a loving but lonely man who has been through Hel and back and just wants a quite life, away from staring eyes.

And then he froze.
The door to his room stood open. Julia was striding toward him, Milsom standing by the door with a helpless look on his face.
And in the hall, her wide, blue eyes meeting his from across the distance, was Sylvia Stafford.
Sebastian felt, all at once, as if all the breath had been knocked out of his body.
He would know her face anywhere…..

They both soon realise that the other isn’t what they expected, they have both gone through so much and they are both changed from the people they used to be. But the longing and built up tension between them is palpable and the old gut wrenching sexual chemistry is still there hidden behind two veils that have been pulled down to protect each of their hearts.

Can either of them trust the other? After all both of them have gone through the years thinking the other had intentionally turned their backs, which is as far from the truth as can be. But can they believe the other? And more importantly what did happen to those letters that Sylvia had been writing?

This s right up there with the best books I have read this year, the plot is gorgeously written. The simplicity of the story is what gives it real back bone, there isn’t twists turns at every corner so you lose track of the initial story. The Lost Letter is a beautiful, romantic and emotionally shattering, as the writing is so well-defined that you feel every emotion and I just love it to bits.

For me this is one of those books that you keep on the bookshelf for ever, you will read and re-read it and you will never tire of Sylvia and Sebastian’s love story.

Flawless!

I really cannot recommend this enough, every person has to read this, The Lost Letter is Released on 19th September and can be found at Amazon.

This was an ARC copy from the Author in exchange for an honest review.

Release Day Blitz of Hell Hath No Fury by Annabelle Anders

The Hell Hath No Fury by Annabelle Anders, Release Day Blitz
Read on for an exclusive to the Blitz Tour Except, Get to know Annabelle  and an exclusive to the Blitz Giveaway and my Review of her debut Historical Romance, Hell Hath No Fury.

 

Title: Hell Hath No Fury
Author: Annabelle Anders
Genre: Regency
Publisher: Blue Tulip Publishing

Amazon 
iBooks
Barnes and Nobles
To keep the money, he has to keep her as well…

Cecily Nottingham has made a huge mistake.

The marriage bed was still warm when the earl she thought she loved crawled out of it and announced that he loved someone else.

Loves. Someone else.

All he saw in Cecily was her dowry.

But he’s in for the shock of his life, because in order to keep the money, he has to keep her.

With nothing to lose, in an attempt to goad the earl into divorcing her, Cecily sets out to seduce her husband’s cousin, Stephen Nottingham.

Little does she realize that Stephen would turn out to be everything her husband was not: Honorable, loyal, trustworthy…

Handsome as sin.

Stephen returned to England for one reason. Save his cousin’s estate from financial ruin. Instead, he finds himself tempted by his cousins beautiful and scorned wife.

He isn’t sure what to do first, strangle his cousin, or kiss his wife. His honor is put to the test, right along with his self-control.

Amid snakes, duels and a good catfight, Cecily realizes the game she’s playing has high stakes indeed.

There are only a few ways for a marriage to end in Regency England and none of them come without a high price. Is she willing to pay it? Is Stephen?

A ‘Happily Ever After’ hangs in the balance, because, yes, love can conquer all, but sometimes it needs a little bit of help.

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Exclusive Excerpt

“Stephen!” she gasped, shocked by what he seemed intent upon doing. “What on earth are you doing?”
He looked up at her, smiling lustily. “Nothing.”
And then he went about his business.
Not in a million years had she ever imagined allowing a man to do… this!
And with his mouth no less!
“Oh, my God! Stephen, you are wicked,” she said, feeling quite wicked herself as she grasped the sides
of his head.
He was not to be deterred. His tongue stroked and sucked in much the same way he’d done with her
mouth, causing a new multitude of sensations to spiral inside of her.
He paused only a moment to look up at her.
“Surrender, Cecily.” He said. Giving her a lazy, sensual smile, “And prepare to die.”

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Exclusive Trailer

A little about the music in the trailer by Annabelle Anders

The song for the trailer was written by myself and my sister, Marcie Stanley. Marcie’s beautiful voice is
featured while she plays the piano… Due to illness, Marcie doesn’t perform much anymore so it was
very special for me to be able to use the song that we wrote together, over twenty years ago.
The Song is titled “Disposable Relationship.” I have a few tweeks for the lyrics to fit Stephen and
Cecily’s situation. Next time Marcie is up to recording I’ll change them to this:

For you, I would have done anything.
For you, can NOT have my soul.
For once you looked at me with empty eyes, the consequences… began to roll…
You’re a disposable relationship, damn the ton I’ll see your body gone. I’m throwing away a piece of
my heart with you.
with the ash and the chamber pots of my life… you’re going down and I won’t cry… anymore…

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My Review

There is nothing more frightening then a woman scorned, and this really showcases just how far women will go for the revenge they so desperately want.

And that is exactly what Cecily wants. Revenge…

I have come across real bad egg before, but Flavian Nottingham is one real nasty piece of work. He is egotistical, self righteous pain in the backside, who unfortunately can charm the bird out of the trees with his golden looks and manners. But in actual fact he is anything but, he is exactly how Cecily describes him; as a toad! The way he treats Cecily is really terrible and this guy deserves everything that’s coming to him!

Cecily wasn’t born an aristocrat her father is a Merchant/Business man, who has built up his Empire from scratch h she grew up learning the ropes and ways of business, she knows her ways around the books and banking and even legal documents. There is nothing that she cannot have she has everything a girl would want, the only thing her father can’t seem to purchase for her is respect and social standing, he cannot buy her someone to love her.

Then came along handsome, charming Flavian Nottingham. This god took an interest her, he charming her and made her fall in love with him and she thought he loved her too. So contracts were signed, the marriage was sealed and then he told her the awful truth …that he only married her for her !money and he didn’t love or feel anything for her.

Obviously Cecily was devastated but the hurt from her husband wasn’t finished there, he goes out of his way again and again to ostracize her from society and humiliate by flaunting his mistress about adorned in Jewels he had bought with Cecily’s dowry.

This really is the last straw for her so she decided that she needs to rid of him, now this is where her fabulous three friends come in and basically tell her, she needs to bump him off and live as a lavish widow, but she isn’t keen on that idea so with help of her toadish husband’s cousin Stephen she comes up with a plan that will force him to divorce her.

There is only two issues, one that someone is trying their damdest to murder her and secondly she falls head over heals for the cousin.

Cecily is in her own right an intelligent, strong-minded women but I felt as soon as she married Flavian and learnt the horrible truth she did loose s lot of her spark. She returned into some kind of simpering mouse who cries and whines – a lot! But once she has got over that and her friends start coming up with hilarious ways to get rid of him she really comes into her own.

I like the fact that she is from a normal background, it is so refreshing to have a working class woman as the lead but this is what Anders has done perfectly, the social divide between then is as clear as a bell, the way she gets ostracized just for her back ground really is quote appalling and true for the time.

Stephen is an enigma he keeps his emotions and the thoughts under wraps, he is a powerful man in his own right as handsome as sin but what I like about him is he respects her and takes as she is. Being business man and one of her father’s competitors he has a good solid intelligent head on those impossibly wide shoulders.

The two of them as much as they try to keep those feeling under wraps and under control the atmosphere sizzles with a built up tension. I especially like when they are plotting both their revenge on Flavian and it is highly entertaining watching as Cecily plot revenge on him and when Stephen asks her what she wants the fist it me she says is her husband’s head on a silver platter is very funny.

I adore this it is by far the funniest Historical Romance I have read, the plot is enjoyable very fun and I can see some really good things coming from this author. Her writing flows she has created a story that has you laughing out loud, gripped to edge of your seat and shouting at the book wanting to know what comes next.

This is highly recommended, really very good and a fabulous debut.

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About the author

Married to the same man for over 25 years, Annabelle Anders is mother to three children and two
Miniature Wiener dogs. After owning a business and experiencing considerable success, she and
her husband got caught in the financial crisis and lost everything; their business, their home, even
their car.

At this point, she put her B.A. in Poly Sci to use and took work as a waitress and bartender.

Unwilling to give up on a professional life, she simultaneously went back to college and obtained a degree in Energy Management.

And then the energy market dropped off.
And then her dog died.
We can only be grateful for this series of unfortunate events, for, with nothing to lose and completely demoralized, she sat down and began to write the romance novels which had until then, existed only in her imagination.

She is happy to have found her place in life.

Finally.

You can find out more about Annabelle via the following links Website / Facebook / Instagram

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Giveaway

Annabelle is generously giving away some of her tasselled Hell Hath No Fury, Bookmarks. So to be in for a chance of winning one answer the question that Annabelle has set and follow the instructions… Over to Annabelle..

“I write under the name ANNABELLE ANDERS and my first book, Hell Hath No Fury released on 7-7-17. I love the date!

Anyway, my novel is an edgy Regency Romance. I say ‘ edgy’, because it’s a little off the beaten path. Whereas most heroines in Regency Romances begin the story NEEDING a husband, my character, Cecily, needs to get rid of one. The man she married (an earl) turned out to be a
complete and utter toad (not literally! LOL)”

To be in for a chance of winning a bookmark answer the following Question :

Does it bother you that the hero is not the man she is married to in the beginning?

E-mail your comment to andersannabelle@gmail.com along with your address and I’ll send you a Hell Hath No Fury tasselled Bookmark. (First 20 Respondents) Please include the name of the group or blog you are responding from ☺

I look forward to discovering your thoughts on this concept!

* I received this ARC copy from Love Affair With Fiction via the author in return of an honest review.

* The Promo including; Excerpt, Trailer and Author information were provided to Chick’s Rogue’s and Scandal’s exclusively for this Release Blitz.

 

Review – Angel Heart by Marie Laval

Devonshire, January 1815.

Marie-Ange, the young widow of an English officer, accepts an inheritance in France only to find that everything in Beauregard is not as it seems. Why is the sinister Malleval so obsessed with her family? And could her darling Christopher still be alive? Marie-Ange finds herself trapped in a dangerous web of lies, intrigue, and mystical possession, and the only person to whom she can turn for help is Capitaine Hugo Saintclair.

Yet the enigmatic Hugo represents a danger of a different kind …

Angel Heart is a lavish mix of romance, adventure, and a hint of the supernatural, largely set in France against the turbulent background of Napoleon’s return from Elba

 

Brief Preview

Marie-Ange received word from the mysterious Malleval, a distant relation of hers, who has a bequest for her from her mother’s family all she has to do is go over to France to sign to the paperwork. Malleval has sent  cavalry officer, Capitaine Hugh Saintclair, who has his own more personal reasons to have taken on the job of being a Madame Norton’s escort.

Hugh is in debt, deep debt and the only way he could repay his gambling debt’s without sacrificing his family was to do as Monsieur Malleval wants and travel to England and deliver Madame Norton for what ever reason. Hugh knows that there is more to Malleval’s explanation that just getting a document signed. But Hugh is a good soldier and he has never shirked his duty.

Once Marie-Ange reaches France her whole life is turned up side down, firstly while out in Paris she comes across none other than her husband, Christopher who was declared dead six years ago. He is alive and well and for some unexplained reason using a different name and meeting up with the nefarious spy master Fouche. Secondly on reaching Beauregard she soon realises that there is so much more going on than she expected. This Malleval is obsessed with her mother and her history, she knows that there is more than meets the eye but she isn’t expecting the all the danger and twists and turns that she is thrown into.

As well as very personal dramas going on, she also has to contend with her growing feelings for the gruff but charming Capitaine Saintclair.

My View

This is the first book I have read by this author and it won’t be the last, I haven’t read a lot of books which has a supernatural undertone and those that I have, haven’t been my cup of tea so I started this with an open mind. But I really didn’t need to worry, Marie Lavel has done a great job at building the story up and not over powering the reader with too much paranormal, in fact I found that side of the story very subtle.

I like how the story is spread over three years with lots of unexpected twists and turns that keeps you ripped to edge of your seat wondering where on earth this is going and what if our couple are going to get their so much deserved happy ending.

“Whatever are you doing, Capitaine ? You forget your place,” she snapped, shocked as much by his gesture as by the way her body had responded.
“And where would that be, Madame? Of course, I forgot. The stables.” He shot her an amused glance. “Don’t worry, I’m going,”

The minute that Marie-Ange and Hugh meet there is an instant attraction between them, the chemistry sizzles between them even when they are bickering, they are a fascinating couple. They are very much chalk and cheese her from a well to do aristocratic French family, and Hugh from a good, hard-working and honest family. They couldn’t be more different, but yet they really work.

Everything that Marie-Ange has been told about her parents and her past is false, she feels like she has grown up in a lie and she doesn’t know who she is. She sets out find out more about exactly what happened to her mother and on top of that she, by chance she comes across her husband who has been pronounced dead for six years.

She has always believed her husband was out there somewhere, even when she was told he was dead when his ship went down. But when she sees him living in France under another name and working for the evil man and spy master that is Fouche, she begins to conclude that there is more than meets the eye.

Marie-Ange is emotionally conflicted, she wants to know the truth about not just her past but her husband and what is going on with the mysterious Malleval but she is also conflicted over her feeling for Hugh.

His throat tightened and he swallowed hard. There were other things he longed to do, too…
The woman was a mass of contradictions, a fascinating, tempting puzzle.
Too tempting…..

Hugh is a brooding roguish Cavalry officer under Napoleon rule, Hugh does, at first actual prefer the little ruler, Napoleon – that is until he comes to his senses. Because during Napoleonic rule normal men like Hugh were able to prove their worth and gain higher ranks, respect and homes, something that couldn’t be done while the King ruled. Now that the King is back all the aristocrats are coming back out of hiding and they are taking everything back that ordinary people like him have gained and that is a very sore point for Hugh, and not really surprising he doesn’t like aristocrats that much.

I do like Hugh, and in some ways you can really see his point of view he is exactly what you see and what you expect him to be. He is a life long soldier and a hardworking man, your heart really aches for him when he keeps coming up against aristocratic, spoilt men who treat him like mud of their shoes. He is so much better than them, he is a good man who unfortunately has a gambling problem.

He looked down at her.
Barefoot and swamped in an old dressing gown, the woman hardly reached his shoulder.
He wondered what she wore underneath, if anything.
His pulse quickened and a sudden rush of heat coursed through his veins….

I really like this, the story flows effortlessly. It intrigues you with all the various twists that keeps you guessing right to the last page, it has got so much more than a regular Historical Romance the plot keeps you on you toes and gets you thinking. It has everything from highway robbery, Templar secret codes, spies and a baddie that may be completely off his rocker but he really does steal the show all mixed in with a charming love story, that has a bit of magic.

I really like Lavel’s work her attention to detail is flawless especially when it come to the French areas and customs, she writes with such passion and there is tender, atmospheric charm to her writing that I have completely been drawn in to and I can’t wait to read more of her work.

I highly recommend this.

I his was a complimentary copy from the author in return for an honest review.

This is out now and can be found at Amazon.

From Page To Screen! Can Turning Books To Film Really Ever Work?

I think, I can safely say that if you read Romance then you most likely watch it too, or is that just me? I love a chick flick there is nothing better than whiling away a Sunday afternoon, watching some light good-hearted Romanic fun. My personal favorites have to be; One Fine Day, You’ve Got Mail and Leap Year. But what about when the film producers decide to take one of our much-loved romantic books and turn them into a film or drama?

When I hear that a book, that I have read and enjoyed is being turned into a film, then I do at first get excited. I find it very interesting to see how the characters that I have come to love will look from the eyes of these directors/producers and all the other people who make up a film production team – Will the characters have that same charisma and charm that I love about them from the book? But then on the other hand I start thinking, that something that is so wonderfully vivid in my head is going to be ruined by these film makers, because obviously a two-hour long film cannot connect with me like the book did, or can it?

Personally speaking they don’t all work for me, once I have read the book I have already got an image of how the hero, moves, sounds and in some cases even smells like – yes, I know that’s weird! I have a vision of the scenery, the atmosphere and so on, that obviously cannot be translated to the screen. So when it comes to watching it on screen I think because I am already biased as to what I already know these books to be like, I’m like – That’s not my hero, he doesn’t look, talk or even move like my hero and I think that does mar what may be a very good film.

True, I have seen some really good book to film/dramas I adored Atonement and The Notebook was so emotional and then there is Sharpe, which is in another league of its own. Then there are those where I have watched the film first and then read the book, and in those cases its been the film that has won over.

For example I watched The Book Thief and since I have tried to read the book by Markus Zusak on many occasions and just can’t get into it as I already know what each character looked like, where the story goes and so on.

But there is a few, a very small few that have bridged the gap of what the “What is best, film or book” debate, these few and quite beautiful pieces of work have resonated with book lovers and movie goers alike. In these rare cases it doesn’t matter if you watch or read them, the story and characters are just so beautiful and thought-provoking. Its that what wins over again and again, not how you absorb the story, but the story its self.

The two that I think falls into this category has to be Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights, for me like a lot of women, there will only ever be one Mr Darcy, true it’s not the book version, but the drama version of Colin firth. I think this one has tested and won that argument over book or film and it does prove that if made right, with the perfect actors then you can take a book and put it on the screen.

Buts that’s just my opinion and I would love to hear other’s views on this. Do you watch the films or dramas of well loved books? And if so, do you think of them?

I have made my own list of my favorite books to screen, your more than welcome to add your views to my little debate.

1. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

As much as I absolutely adore the black and white original with Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon, but this one starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche is my favorite.

2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

No other reason but the fabulously, talented Colin Firth is Mr Darcy.

3. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

Absolutely beautiful, the acting is spot Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams do a fabulous job with the lead roles.

4. Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

An absolutely beautiful film, I had read the book before I watched this but this is fabulous.

5. Atonement by Ian McEwan

Keira Knightly and James Mcavoy will always be the ill fated lovers to me.