You bet I was pleased as punch about this. I can safely say Rachel Gibson’s books are, hands down, my favourite single title contemporary romances. I have the lot of them in print and by April 1, 2012, I’ll have them all in digital too. Just want to share the good news.

She’s 33, unmarried, and stuffed into a Bubble Yum pink bridesmaid dress. And the whole town wants to fix her up with anyone with a dental plan… Who’s going to rescue Sadie Hollowell now? Everyone in Lovett, Texas knows Sadie has always been a ‘notional’ kind of gal. She got a notion to leave town asap , and never visit her daddy (bless his heart). Now, she’s back and got the notion to invite a good-looking, hard-muscled, total stranger to her cousin’s wedding. Better a stranger than some of the losers she’s dated.

Vince Haven got his muscles the hard way—as a Navy SEAL in Afghanistan. He’s staying in Lovett to visit his crazy aunt—the proprietor of the local Gas N Go. Before he can get the heck back out of the small town, his aunt makes him an offer he can’t refuse. Maybe he’ll stick around Lovett for a while. Maybe he’ll make a ‘go’ of the Gas N Go. Maybe he’ll rescue Sadie out of that pink dress!

Don’t forget RESCUE ME, the first chapter in Gibson’s new series on men of the military, will be on-sale 5/29/12.

NOW AVAILABLE AT THE DISCOUNTED PROMOTIONAL PRICE OF $5.99

True Love and Other Disasters

Nothing But Trouble

True Confessions

Sex, Lies and Online Dating

I’m in No Mood for Love

Tangled Up in You

Not Another Bad Date

Lola Carlyle Reveals All

Any Man of Mine ($4.99)

NEW TO EPUB RELEASES ON 4/1/12 ALL ONLY $3.99!

Simply Irresistible

It Must Be Love

See Jane Score

The Trouble with Valentine’s Day

Truly Madly Yours

Daisy’s Back in Town

A SECRET IN HER KISS by Anna Randol

JCP

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MY WICKED LITTLE LIES by Victoria Alexander

CANDICE ROYER

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SECRETS OF AN ACCIDENTAL DUCHESS by Jennifer Haymore

MOLLY

Congratulations, ladies! Please email your snail mail address to me at contests at theseasonforromance dot com and don’t forget to include the title you won. You have one week to collect your prize.

A Secret in Her Kiss
Author: Anna Randol
Publisher: HarperCollins/Avon
Pub. Date: January 31, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0062025807
Pages: 384
Digital Price: $4.99
Print Retail Price: $7.99
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SHE WOULD GLADLY RELINQUISH HER LIFE OF INTRIGUE…

A rare beauty, raised in the exotic heart of the mysterious East, Mari Sinclair knows it’s time to end her career as a British spy when she narrowly avoids a brush with death. Unfortunately, there are those who think otherwise – and they are not above using blackmail to keep Mari in the game.

Saddled with a handsome, duty-obsessed “minder” to ensure that she completes – and survives – one last mission, Mari is incensed…for her guardian, Major Bennett Prestwood is simply too dedicated, too unbending, and too disarmingly attractive. But in the face of dark secrets and deadly treacheries, as the true peril to Mari is slowly revealed, loyal soldier Bennett realizes that to save and win this extraordinary woman, he will have to do the unthinkable and break the rules – rules that passion and desire have suddenly, irrevocably changed.

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REVIEW

A Secret in Her Kiss is a unique and wonderful debut historical romance.

A Secret in Her Kiss takes place during the regency period, but instead of the glittering ballrooms of London the hero and heroine find themselves risking their lives and falling in love in Constantinople.

I’m always a little leery about regency romances that aren’t typical. I’ve read some fantastic ones. (It’s a personal preference that there are drawing rooms and balls.) I was wonderfully surprised by A Secret in Her Kiss. The setting plays such an important roll in the story and it is wonderfully written. There is a touch of mystery and intrigue that surrounds the couple.

Mari Sinclair’s only real goal in life is to help the Greek people. Her mother, once a slave, had taught her the importance of helping her people. Mari is willing to do whatever it takes, including spying, to accomplish her task. She doesn’t want to put up with a stodgy English soldier. She knows that he will only get in her way.

Major Bennett Prestwood wants nothing more than to get home to his family. His sister is in an untenable marriage and he knows that he must get home soon to rescue her. Bennett wants nothing to do with the beautiful spy. These two go through so much together and find themselves falling in love around the way.

I love the relationship between Mari and Bennett. It evolves from them merely tolerating each other (and not well) to them being unable to live without the other. Ms. Randol does an excellent job of making their relationship progress naturally and in a realistic manner.

A Secret in Her Kiss is a fantastic debut novel and I can’t wait to see where Ms. Randol takes us next.

Rating: 4 (Very Good)

Heat-Level: 4 (Hot)

Reviewed by Carrie

Comment and enter to win your own copy of A SECRET IN HER KISS

I love Lorraine Heath. I’ve only recently started reading her and I can definitely say her last series was fabulous. With SHE TEMPTS THE DUKE, she’s starting a new trilogy–The Lost Lords of Pembroke (review is coming soon). I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but I’m expecting another gripping emotional read from the talented Ms. Heath. Today, I’m giving away an advance copy of SHE TEMPTS THE DUKE to one random commenter. Good luck!

She Tempts the Duke

Author: Lorraine Heath
Publisher: HarperCollins/Avon
Pub. Date: January 31, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0062022462
Pages: 384
Digital Price: $4.99
Print Retail Price: $7.99
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Three young heirs, imprisoned by an unscrupulous uncle, escaped—to the sea, to the streets, to faraway battle—awaiting the day when they would return to reclaim their birthright.

Sebastian Easton always vowed he would avenge his stolen youth and title. Now back in London, the rightful Duke of Keswick—returning from battle a wounded, hardened, changed man—cannot forget the brave girl who once rescued him and his brothers from certain death.

Lady Mary Wynne-Jones paid dearly for helping the imprisoned young Lords of Pembrook, and she remembers well the promise she made to Sebastian all those years ago: to meet him once more in the abbey ruins where they shared a bold, forbidden kiss. While Mary is now betrothed to another, a friendship forged with dark secrets cannot be ignored. Unexpected passion soon burns dangerously between them, tempting Sebastian to abandon his quest for retribution and fight for a love that could once again set him free.

How the Marquess Was Won
Author: Julie Anne Long
Publisher: HarperCollins/Avon
Pub. Date: December 27, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0061885693
Pages: 384
Digital Price: $4.99
Print Retail Price: $7.99
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The Scandal Sheets call him Lord Ice.

Ruthless, cold, precise, Julian Spenser, Marquess Dryden, tolerates only the finest— in clothes, in horseflesh, in mistresses. And now he’s found the perfect bride, the one whose dowry will restore his family’s shattered legacy and bring him peace at last: the exquisite heiress Lisbeth Redmond.

She’s about to play with fire…

But one unforgettable encounter with Lisbeth’s paid companion, Phoebe Vale, and the Marquess is undone. This quiet girl with the wicked smile and a wit to match is the first person to see through the icy façade to the fiery man beneath. But their irresistible attraction is a torment as sweet as it is dangerous, for surrendering to their desire could mean losing everything else they ever wanted.

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REVIEW

An unconventional woman is bound to inspire the abandonment of propriety in a man…

Looking forward to a life of missionary pursuits and teaching young girls, Phoebe Vale spends her spare time inhaling the scandal sheets, and dreaming about the life of the ton. She doesn’t truly wish to join their ranks, but years of reading books inspire a longing to experience the decadence. When her previous student, Lisbeth Redmond, invites her to country house party to act as a paid chaperone Phoebe accepts—a chance to earn the last of the funds needed to begin her own adventure. What she doesn’t know is that her adventure has already begun.

Marquess Dryden, known as Lord Ice, has descended upon the Redmond house party with the goal of marrying Lisbeth, and regaining the last piece of land his father lost in gamble. His intimates call him Julian. He’s the epitome of propriety and the ton’s adored playboy. Julian is known for his determination, and his calculating control. Yet, when he meets Phoebe the hold on his control suddenly derails. She’s everything bright and untainted, possessing wit that rolls of the tongue, challenging and taunting his very beliefs. Can he push aside his sudden awareness of a woman that he can only obtain through secrecy or will he abandon his goals for a chance at something wonderful?

Long’s next tale in the Pennyroyal Green series is decidedly delicious. At first I was a little taken aback by the idea that this book’s main characters did not feature a Redmond or an Eversea, but my fears were quickly put to rest. The characters of Phoebe and Julian are a pure delight. Phoebe is no simpering miss, she’s keen and intelligent. While Phoebe is not entirely knowledgeable about the ways to move within the ton, she’s quick to determine motives and ferret out secrets hiding in a person’s eyes. These traits, along with her ability to speak her mind, quickly endeared her to me. Julian, of course a tortured hero, was an immediate favorite. At first he appears arrogant and dismissive to those beneath him, but early on, this initial assessment is thrown to the rocks. His duty and desire to redeem his family name is just one facet of this character.

Secondary characters are just as absorbing. I found that Long portrayed the ton action’s similar to those obsessed with the trends of celebrities, quickly adopting any practice, insane or not, for the sake of appearing at the height of fashion. The determination of who leads the fashion movement are just as entertaining, with Julian, unfortunately, being at the forefront. The main characters interactions together and apart create plenty of tension and hilarious moments. Let’s just say that I’ve never known a marquess to scream, unless in pleasure, but Long changed that for me.

My only issue with this story is that I didn’t feel that Phoebe received justice when all the events played out. Her character goes through a rough ride, and I wanted more redemption on her behalf at the end. An HEA just wasn’t enough for me. Long has also primed everyone for more Pennyroyal books as more hints to Olivia and Lyon’s estrangement are scattered throughout the story. This left me in shambles because I have to wait for it!

Overall, this book has intelligence, a well-paced plot, and characters that seem to jump off the pages; even if the events don’t turn out the way one expects. While, it’s not my favorite Pennyroyal Green book this one definitely takes points for going outside the box, and gives us a unique way to see the ‘popular boy’ fall in love with ‘the geek girl’.

For those who enjoy Anna Campbell.
Rating: 4 (Very Good)

Heat-Level: 4 (Hot)

Reviewed by Landra

Comment and enter to win your own copy of HOW THE MARQUESS WAS WON

Cynthia Eden’s ANGEL OF DARKNESS

MISSY

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Elizabeth Essex’s THE DANGER OF DESIRE

BEEBS

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Stephanie Laurens’  VISCOUNT BRECKENRIDGE TO THE RESCUE,

IN PURSUIT OF ELIZA CYNSTER & $10 eGift Certificate 

JEANETTE JUAN

Congratulations, ladies! Please email your snail mail address to me at contests at theseasonforromance dot com and don’t forget to include the title you won. You have one week to collect your prize.

Today, we have a brief Q&A from Stephanie Laurens as we anticipate the release of her final book in her Holding Out For a Hero trilogy, THE CAPTURE OF THE EARL OF GLENCARE, which goes on sale January 31^st.

Comment and enter to win a copy of VISCOUNT BRECKENRIDGE TO THE RESCUE, IN PURSUIT OF ELIZA CYNSTER, and a $10 Gift Certificate to Amazon or BN (to purchase Ms. Laurens’ upcoming release).

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You’ve described this book as: Elizabeth Bennet rescues Errol Flynn in the wilds of Scotland. Why?

Ah…I have to be careful here to avoid spoilers, but suffice it to say that, speaking literally as well as figuratively, that is indeed what happens. I wanted a twist to the customary, expected plot line wherein the hero always rescues the heroine – why couldn’t a heroine rescue a hero? And when it came to the story itself, Angelica was clearly the sort of young lady to carry off such a challenge.

The hero of this book is the head of a highland clan – how does his role differ from the head of a large family?

After writing about the Cynster family for so long, this was an area of research that fascinated me specifically because of the parallels that emerged between, for instance, the role of Devil Cynster, Duke of St. Ives, the head of the Cynster family (whose members have often enough in multiple books referred to themselves as the Cynster clan) and the role filled by Angelica’s hero, the head of a Scottish highland clan. At one point, after examining her hero’s status and responsibilities, Angelica considers the comparison, and, indeed, the highland clans still surviving at that time may well  have been very similar to her conclusion, which was that a highland clan operated on the same familial relationship lines as her extended Cynster family, but that the members of the clan were even more directly interdependent for their welfare and overall survival. Angelica concludes that clan is the equivalent of family taken to the extreme, and that seemed a valid description for a clan tucked away in an isolated glen, one that had managed to survive the earlier highland clearances intact.

You refer to a story involving Sir Walter Scott and George, the Prince Regent. Was that story true?

This was one of those serendipitious quirks. I sometimes wonder who it is who whispers in my head when I’m spinning a story! I needed a, for want of a better word, maguffin – an object of worth, a treasure of great meaning, something of the sort that could mean a great deal to my hero, and be important and valuable or powerful enough for others to want to possess it. I was typing away on the outline, and paused – then simply typed on because to me it was obvious, for reasons I had no clue about, that the object was XXX. (Again, I’m trying to avoid spoilers!)  I finished the outline, then went back to research and check that there really had been, or at least might have been, an XXX. And lo and behold, I all but immediately stumbled across the story of Sir Walter Scott, novelist and patriotic Scotsman, and his great obsession, and how that tied in with the Prince Regent, a close friend of Scott’s, and…I  swear I had never heard even a whisper of the story before, but there it was, with all the history, pomp, ceremony, and mystery I could possibly want, the perfect, true life basis for my maguffin! I am still seriously tickled that I could use such a fantastic yet true story – and yes, the story of Sir Walter Scott’s obsession is told, albeit in condensed fashion, in the book – to underpin my entirely fictitious tale. For a novelist, this was a dream find.

Avon Books has created a quick, 10-minute survey asking readers their reading habits—how they find and buy their books, how they engage with authors, publishers, and other readers online, what they like about romance novels specifically, at what price point they will buy who and what etc. Please take a little time out of your day (or weekend) and offer your valuable input.   Here’s the link to the survey, which can be found on Avon’s  Facebook page.

The Price of Temptation
Author: Lecia Cornwall
Publisher: HarperCollins/Avon
Pub. Date: December 27, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0062018946
Digital Price: $4.99
Print Price: $7.99
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Once wed to England’s most notorious turncoat . . .

Lady Evelyn Renshaw can ignore the disgrace her former husband has brought down upon her. She can even disregard the accusations. But when her life is threatened because of his actions, she realizes a stiff upper lip won’t be enough to keep her safe. So she hires a new footman powerful enough to protect her . . . only to find herself shamelessly intoxicated by his breathtaking masculinity.

Captain Sinjon Rutherford is no footman . . . but there are those who believe him a traitor. The only way to prove his innocence is by playing the part of elegant Lady Evelyn’s servant in order to infiltrate her home and uncover the truth about her suspicious relations. Yet what seems at first an easy deception is anything but, once he meets his alluring new employer and discovers just how tempting a woman in charge can be . . .

Because sometimes passion hides in plain sight.

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REVIEW

A hero and heroine both on the wrong side of the law…

Sinjon Rutherford is a fugitive of the Crown; charged with treason and murder. He only wants a shot at redemption by capturing the man truly responsible for the crimes. The Earl of Westlake offers him a chance to prove his innocence if he works as a footman in the home of the notorious traitor Lord Phillip Renshaw. Renshaw is missing, but his wife, Evelyn remains and it’s presumed she knows where her husband is hiding, and where he’s stashed the one item that could turn the war against Napeleon.

There’s no love lost between Evelyn and her husband, yet everyone thinks she knows where he is. In truth she just wants the spies to stop following her, her sisters to stop encouraging her to take a lover, and her name to disappear from the scandal sheets. The only one worth her time is her new footman, Sam, who seems to understand her loneliness and pain. When Evelyn’s life is threatened Sam comes to her rescue, and pretty soon she’s wondering how horrible it would be to engage Sam’s services beyond a simple escort.

Going into this book the words ‘traitor’s wife’ had me already disliking Evelyn. I really wondered if I was going to get behind a heroine that might possibly be in on betraying England.  Let me say that I firmly stand by never judging a book by its cover; in this case even more so. Evelyn is not all she seems, and I quickly fell in love with this heroine. She’s the example of a good woman who has been horribly wronged and public opinion damns her instead of learning the truth, except for Sinjon.

Sinjon relates to Evelyn’s plight because of his own circumstances. He knows what it’s like to be whispered about and considered an enemy. The similarities between the two situations end there, but just that one common link begins to form a bond between the two. Cornwall does a remarkable job of giving readers something new and fresh. Yes, Sinjon is technically a nobleman, but his role as a footman is supposed to make him off limits. Evelyn should be, as she’s technically married. Unfortunately for the pair, they just can’t seem to avoid the turbulent emotions they feel when in close proximity.

The novel’s setting takes readers from London to the French countryside, with plenty of action and intrigue. Ultimately Cornwall threw me off guard, and I couldn’t stop reading until I knew what would become of these two. If you’re looking for a book that surprises and entices—this one is an excellent pick.

Rating: 4 (Very Good)

Heat-Level: 4 (Hot)

Reviewed by Landra

Comment and enter to win a copy of your own!!

The Perfect Christmas by Debbie Macomber  ~~ Making Spirits Bright by Fern Michaels

LSU READER

WENDY P

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The Duke is Mine by Eloisa James

QUILT LADY

Congratulations, ladies. LSU Reader and Wendy, it’s first to respond, first gets to pick. Please contact me at contests at theseasonforromance dot com with your snail mail address and don’t forget to include the title of the book you won. You have one week to claim your prize.