Thursday, March 4, 2021

Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: The Earl's Lady Geologist by Alissa Baxter

The Earl's Lady Geologist JustRead Blog & Review Tour 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Earl's Lady Geologist by Alissa Baxter, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

 

The Earl's Lady Geologist

Title: The Earl's Lady Geologist
Series: The Linfield Ladies Series
Author: Alissa Baxter
Publisher: Vinspire Publishing
Release Date: February 28, 2021
Genre: Clean Regency Romance

Cassandra Linfield is a lady fossil collector who declares she will never marry as no man will ever take her studies seriously. When circumstances force her to travel to Town for the Season, Cassy infiltrates the hallowed portals of the Geological Society from which she has been banned. She is horrified when she comes face to face with her nemesis, the infuriating Earl of Rothbury. 

Lord Rothbury is a gentleman-geologist with a turbulent romantic past. After a youthful disappointment, he vows never to fall in love again and makes the decision, instead, to seek out a convenient wife when he returns to England from his geological travels abroad. 

Brought together by their close family ties, Cassy and Rothbury collaborate on a geological paper and discover a powerful attraction. Marriage, however, is the one subject they cannot agree upon. But when Cassy’s life is threatened, the two realize that love matters more than their objections.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound | BookBub

 

EXCERPT

Lord Rothbury’s silence unnerved her, and she peeked at him. His grim profile said more than words. They walked on, and she racked her brain for a suitable topic to deflect attention from her controversial hobby.

She’d never been good at making polite conversation. She preferred to discuss interesting subjects in depth rather than flitting from one shallow topic to the next. No wonder Cousin Agnes despaired of her.

The silence stretched between them until her taut nerves insisted she break it. “Is Aunt Ella well?”

He came to an abrupt halt, and Cassy along with him. He frowned, and she released his arm as if it were a snake. Why did he have to glower so?

“My mother is concerned about your well-being. Your cousin wrote her a fine tale about your unorthodox activities here in Lyme. My mother asked me to ascertain whether Mrs. Linfield’s letters were in any way exaggerated. I see now they were not.”

She drew in a sharp breath. Cousin Agnes frequently threatened to write to Aunt Ella about her activities, but it was a shock to discover she had done so. How unfortunate that Lord Rothbury had discovered her on the beach today—muddy, untidy and much the worse for wear. She could not appear more unladylike if she had tried.

She eyed him doubtfully. “It…it may be slightly unorthodox for a lady to hunt for fossils, but I assure you I am not the only female in Lyme who does so. Mary and Miss Philpot are often here as well. Cousin Agnes fusses so.”

“And yet…” His grey eyes narrowed. “My mother is no fusspot, and she is as concerned about your activities as Mrs. Linfield is.”

Her brow creased. “She is? Cousin James spent many weeks over the last few summers hunting along the beach with Papa and me. Your mama made no objection then.”

“My mother’s concern is not for my brother.”

“Only for me?”

“Indeed.”

“But why? It puts me out of all patience. I dislike being cooped up indoors, and fossil hunting is a hobby I enjoy.”

“Surely you must see why it is inadvisable, ma’am.” Impatience edged his tone. “When you were a child, it did not matter. But now you are an unmarried lady, and you have yet to make your come-out in London. Collecting fossils is an eccentric activity for a young lady on the lookout for a suitable husband.”

Her hands clenched into fists. “I see no difficulty then, my lord, as I am not on the lookout for a suitable husband.”

“Come now, ma’am. Surely you must see the lack of sense in that statement.”

Her eyes glittered. “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single lady in possession of a good fortune must be in no want of a husband.”

“And it is also a truth universally acknowledged that a single lady with a penchant for novel reading is not always wise.”

She gritted her teeth. He was impossible. She longed to give him a heated dressing-down, but it would do her no good.  


 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Alissa Baxter 

Alissa Baxter wrote her first Regency romance, The Dashing Debutante, during her long university holidays. After traveling the world, she settled down to write her second Regency romance, Lord Fenmore's Wager, which was inspired by her time living on a country estate in England.

Alissa then published two chick-lit novels, The Truth About Clicking Send and Receive (previously published as Send and Receive) and The Truth About Cats and Bees (previously published as The Blog Affair). 

Many years later, Alissa returned to her favorite time period and signed a three-book contract with Vinspire Publishing for her Linfield Ladies Series, a trio of Regency romances that feature women in trend-setting roles who fall in love with men who embrace their trailblazing ways... at least eventually. 

Alissa currently lives in Johannesburg with her husband and two sons. She is a member of The Beau Monde - Regency Fiction Writers.

CONNECT WITH ALISSA: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card!

The Earl's Lady Geologist

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight March 2, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 9, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.






Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Review: Fortune Favors the Sparrow by Rebecca Connolly



My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.comhttp://www.barnesandnoble.comhttp://www.bookdepository.comhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

Mischief is as mischief does... 

Clara Harlow is perfectly content with her life as a teacher of art and French at the Miss Masters Finishing School, so nothing startles her more than to discover that the school is far more than it seems, and its purposes more complicated than anything she could have imagined. She finds herself accepting an assignment from the highest powers in England to use her talents for a particular mission: to impersonate the ward of the late Duke of Kirklin, gain access to the estate, and to discern how a strip of the Kent coastline there is being used against the security of England.

The present Duke of Kirklin, George Russell, better known as Hawk, does not know what to make of the appearance of the former ward of his late uncle, but he is captivated by her. Her skills in art are unlike anything he has ever seen, and her company grows more agreeable with every passing day. His boring, bachelor life grows less and less appealing, and the company within his walls more perfectly suited for the place than he ever dreamed.

What could possibly go wrong?


My Review

I'm so excited for another series with undercover agents in London! This first book introduces us through Clara to some of the major players in the underground spy network. The variety of people helping her is fun and I especially enjoyed Phoebe, who plays Clara's aunt on their assignment. Clara is naturally overwhelmed, but her mentors have faith in her, and she doesn't want to let them down. I loved how quickly she grew dedicated to her task and the risks she was willing to take the deeper she became invested. Wonderful romantic chemistry mixed with adventure and suspense gave this series a strong beginning! I can't wait to continue with the next book.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.



Monday, March 1, 2021

Book Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: The Soldier's Unexpected Family by Tanya Agler

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

The Soldier's Unexpected Family
(Heroines of Hollydale #3)
By Tanya Agler
Adult Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 230 Pages
March 1, 2021 by Harlequin Heartwarming

He had a plan…
She changed it all!

Major Aidan Murphy arrives in the charming small town of Hollydale to take full guardianship of his six-year-old nephew. Only there’s a slight problem—his vivacious, fiery co-guardian. School teacher Natalie Harrison has no intention of letting Aidan take her best friend’s heartbroken little boy away. Now Aidan must convince Natalie that blood is stronger than love…even if his heart tells him otherwise.

(Affiliate links included.)
 
Excerpt
 

A new project to sink her teeth into. Something unplanned and spontaneous to get behind. Rubbing her hands together, she headed toward the picnic table for the printout of Marisa’s plans. The sooner she evaluated her supplies, the sooner she’d have a sense of what else was possible and stop for the day. She hated to miss a minute of fun with Danny. Summer vacation was too short for her liking, although once August rolled around, she’d love the thrill and challenge of teaching twenty new students. She wouldn’t trade her job for all the fried green tomatoes in North Carolina.

She grabbed the pages and saw a black car parking alongside her mother’s. The driver’s door opened and a tall man in a blue dress shirt with rolled-up sleeves that highlighted muscular arms emerged from the car. Unlike the typical park runners in athletic shorts, tank tops and sneakers, this newcomer wore jeans paired with dark brown loafers. Sunlight glinted off his dark chestnut hair, its short length reminiscent of... He closed the car door.

There was also something familiar about the determination in his every step, but she still couldn’t place him.

The oversize manila envelope in his hand caught her eye. For a second, she worried Danny’s uncle was serving her with some sort of legal action in case he wanted to take his nephew with him once he returned stateside. Considering the uncle hadn’t been involved the past three months, she wouldn’t entertain that kind of negative thinking.

The man glanced at the envelope and headed back to his car. He must be lost. She transferred her attention to the plans. Movement caught her eye, and she looked up to find him heading straight toward her, no envelope in hand. His gaze gave the distinct impression he was looking for her. If she didn’t know better, she’d say he recognized her. However, Hollydale was a small town, and she’d have remembered anyone with his commanding presence.

 

Other Books in the Series

(Amazon affiliate links.)


About the Author


Tanya Agler remembers the first set of Harlequin books her grandmother gifted her, and she’s been in love with romance novels ever since. An award-winning author, Tanya makes her home in Georgia with her wonderful husband, their four children, and a lovable rescue beagle. When she’s not writing, Tanya loves classic movies and a good cup of tea. Visit her at www.tanyaagler.com or email her at tanyaagler@gmail.com.

Tour Giveaway


One winner will receive an ebook of The Sheriff's Second Chance and a $25 (USD) Amazon eGift Card (open internationally)

Ends March 17, 2021

Grab Our Button!