Friday, May 29, 2020
Review & Giveaway: Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey by Abigail Wilson #MiddlecrestAbbey #AbigailWilson #HFVBTBlogTours
Thursday, May 14, 2020
Review & Giveaway: A Proper Charade by Esther Hatch
Lady Patience Kendrick was born to a life of privilege, and with the London Season looming, she finds herself facing unprecedented pressure to adhere to the rules of society. Unfortunately, the free-spirited young woman is anything but proper. Patience's elder brother, a former military man, bemoans his sister's antics - but when he accuses her of incurable frivolity, it is simply more than she can bear. Determined to prove her brother wrong, Patience undertakes a drastic experiment: she will disguise herself as a maid and demonstrate her ability to work as hard as anyone.
Taken on as household staff by her brother's former general, Patience soon learns that willingness and ability are two very different things. While her plan sounded promising in theory, the reality is that she is out of her depth - and the irresistibly charming son of the house isn't helping matters. Patience soon finds herself embroiled in a charade far more complicated that she imagined. With both her pride and her heart at stake, she is determined to prove her brother wrong - even as her plans spiral delightfully out of control.
My Review
A Proper Charade is full of delightful characters with endearing mannerisms. Patience is a character I can't help but like. She's impulsive and adventurous, but with a good heart that wants to please her brother and I think prove it to herself that she can be more than what society expects of her. I most enjoyed that Anthony and Patience were genuine, especially with each other. They are sincerely seeking to find their place in the world without compromising their true selves or being forced to change for someone else or society. Their personalities complement each other- she appreciated how he grounded her, and found her liveliness engaging. I thought it was admirable that she was not fooled by the other charming and frivolous men in higher society, but saw clearly Anthony's superior character. And the first kiss scene is so fun- definitely not the generic kisses that are often found in the genre. I found it inventive and felt that it also demonstrated their personalities in a creative way.
One thing I really appreciated in the story was that Miss Morgan, who plays the role of villainess, wasn’t overdone. She was portrayed with just the right balance of unlikeable while still being believable that Anthony would be pursuing her for so long without suspecting her true motives. The personalities of the family members and their dynamics were complex without being complicated, and added depth to the story and aided in showing more layers of Anthony and Patience. Overall this story was highly entertaining and had such a satisfying resolution and happy ending. One of my favorites of the year and I'll definitely be re-reading it in the future. Highly recommend!!!
Don't miss the first book in the series . . .
Connect with Author Esther Hatch
Giveaway
Book Tour Scavenger Hunt with Excerpt & Giveaway: Alaskan Dreams by Beth Carpenter #ADPrism
Patrick went to claim the denim jacket he’d left hanging on
a fence pole near the goats’ pen. Spritz raised up on her back legs to greet
him. He gave her a pat before turning to join Lauren on the path to the
farmhouse.
They passed the old cabin on the way. Lauren smiled. “It
must have been a blast, you and Bonnie searching for treasure together when you
were a kid.”
“It was,” Patrick admitted. “Even then I didn’t really
believe there was treasure, but it was fun to pretend. Gran and Rowan were all
in. And then when we found that pyrite—we thought we were rich. Even though it
didn’t turn out to be real, it was exciting.”
“You were lucky.”
“We were.” Patrick smiled at some memory. “I still am. Gran
and Grandy were the reason I moved to Alaska and went the electrician route
rather than college. My parents weren’t too happy, but I knew this is where I
wanted to be. Besides, they had my sister, Rowan, to follow in their footsteps.
I like my job, and I love the life here.”
“You live in Anchorage?”
“Yes, I have a house—well, a duplex. My renter keeps an eye
on things and mows my lawn, which works out well while I’m on the slope. So how
about you? Did you grow up in Oregon?”
“Not exactly. We moved around a lot.”
“Oh yeah? Me too. My parents were in the diplomatic corps.”
Lauren gave a short laugh that even to her own ears sounded forced. “My mother was...not.” Not unless she was some sort of ambassador of short-lived romance. Her mom must have fallen in love with a dozen different men by the time Lauren graduated from high school, and every time it meant a different school in a different place.
Friday, May 8, 2020
Book Tour, Excerpt & Giveway: Her Cowboy Sweetheart by Cathy McDavid #HCSPrism
Her Cowboy Sweetheart
He’s been a good friend
But can he be her sweetheart?
At Sweetheart Ranch, single mom Carly Leighton finds a fresh start, and a friendly neighbor in former bull rider JD Moreno. Neither are looking for love—Carly must think first of her son, Rickie, while JD is recovering from a career-ending balance disorder. But when her former in-laws demand access to Rickie, Carly turns to JD for support and finds he is becoming more than a friend in need…
BAM | IndieBound | iBooks | Kobo | GooglePlay | Harlequin Print
Excerpt
One winner will receive a $10 Amazon gift card, $5 Starbucks gift card, author swag, and either a print or Kindle copy of THE COWBOY’S PERFECT MATCH
(US only - if outside the US winner will instead receive a $15 Amazon e-gift card and a Kindle copy of THE COWBOY’S PERFECT MATCH).
Ends May 13, 2020
ENTER HERE