THE DAY OF THE DUCHESS (Scandal & Scoundrel #3) by Sarah MacLean #Review

THE DAY OF THE DUCHESS (Scandal & Scoundrel #3)
by Sarah MacLean
Date Published: June 27, 2017; Avon

From Goodreads:

The one woman he will never forget… 

Malcolm Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven, has lived the last three years in self-imposed solitude, paying the price for a mistake he can never reverse and a love he lost forever. The dukedom does not wait, however, and Haven requires an heir, which means he must find himself a wife by summer’s end. There is only one problem—he already has one. 

The one man she will never forgive… 

After years in exile, Seraphina, Duchess of Haven, returns to London with a single goal—to reclaim the life she left and find happiness, unencumbered by the man who broke her heart. Haven offers her a deal; Sera can have her freedom, just as soon as she finds her replacement…which requires her to spend the summer in close quarters with the husband she does not want, but somehow cannot resist

LADY DERRING TAKES A LOVER (The Palace of Rogues #1) by Julie Anne Long #Excerpt #Giveaway #BlogTour

LADY DERRING TAKES A LOVER (The Palace of Rogues #1)
by Julie Anne Long 
Release Date: February 26, 2019; Avon Books
ISBN 9780062867469; $7.99

About the book:

A mistress. A mountain of debt. A mysterious wreck of a building. 

Delilah Swanpoole, Countess of Derring, learns the hard way that her husband, “Dear Dull Derring,” is a lot more interesting—and perfidious—dead than alive. It’s a devil of an inheritance, but in the grand ruins of the one building Derring left her, are the seeds of her liberation. And she vows never again to place herself at the mercy of a man. 

But battle-hardened Captain Tristan Hardy is nothing if not merciless. When the charismatic naval hero tracks a notorious smuggler to a London boarding house known as the Rogue’s Palace, seducing the beautiful, blue-blooded proprietress to get his man seems like a small sacrifice. 

Promo Blitz & Excerpt: REDEEMING LIES (The Sawtooth Range #4) by Samantha St. Claire

REDEEMING LIES (The Sawtooth Range #4)

by Samantha St. Claire

Date Published: September 2018

Publisher: River's End Books

Historical Western Romance

About the book:

Maddie Jennings possessed a unique skill exploited by her father. As a scam artist, he used his daughter’s talent for reading people. Her job—profile the mark for honesty. When her father’s fortunes improve, he enrolls her in Miss Emma Willard’s School for Young Ladies where she begins a progressive education in both academics and society. For two years, Maddie thrives under the tutelage of those who encourage her to challenge the culture’s views of acceptable work for women. This happy life ends when her father unexpectedly withdraws her, taking her with him on a desperate flight from deadly repercussions for a scam gone wrong.

Maddie soon realizes she and her father are being pursued by both the Pinkerton Agency and the vindictive Sicilian family, but she knows little more of her father’s most recent crime. When a heart attack takes his life at a small station in Idaho Territory, she must change her identity, take the money, and run for her life. On the north-bound train to Ketchum, Maddie meets a young doctor, David Reynolds, who is also running from something-a woman he can never possess.  Maddie, now trapped in her false identity by the indiscretions of her father,  can neither afford to reveal her true nature nor allow her attraction to the doctor to distract her from the need to simply survive.

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This is a stand-alone novel and the fourth in a series called The Sawtooth Range.

Other Books in the Sawtooth Range American Frontier Romance Series:

Kat's Law

The Sawtooth Range, Book 1

Published: June 2016

Buy now~ Amazon

Idaho Territory—1888

She was a doctor seeking justice for her town. He was a lawman who had turned in his badge after failing to protect the innocent.

Idaho Territory—1888

DREAMS OF AN EDUCATED WOMAN

Kat Meriwether left her hometown of Snowberry in Idaho Territory as a tomboy with a saucy reputation as a fighter of bullies, but she returns as an educated woman polished by four years in Boston. Throughout those years she's kept her mind on her studies, avoiding romantic entanglements that might hinder her from achieving her goals.

NIGHTMARES OF AN EX-TEXAS RANGER

Jonathan Winthrop, is a haunted man, running from his own tormented past. Snowberry offers him a chance to start over, but lawless men are changing the once peaceful town, and innocents will die without a defender.

LOVE CAN ALTER THEM ALL

Young medical school graduate, Dr. Kat Meriwether, doesn't like what she finds upon returning home, but she also finds a good man whose sense of justice is as strong as hers. Together they would find not only their unmistakable callings, but an undeniable love.

High Valley Promise

The Sawtooth Range, Book 2

Published: January 2017
Buy now~ Amazon

In this thrilling and romantic conclusion to Kat's Law, Dr. Kathryn Meriwether must deal with a Cholera outbreak threatening the residents she cares for in Snowberry, Idaho, a killer not armed with a gun as the one whom ex-Texas Ranger Jonathan Winthrop pursues into the Sawtooth Range, but just as deadly and unpredictable. Once again, each will handle the crisis with the skills they've been given, but ultimately will find a greater strength in facing their future together. A high valley promise will unite them as an undeniable force to meet the challenges of their frontier home.

Comes the Winter

Sawtooth Range, Book 3

Published: January 2018

Buy now~ Amazon

Avalanches, isolation and snow blindness were stark realities for those daring to remain in Idaho’s Sawtooth Range through the harsh winter months. For city dweller, Lena Sommer, the warnings seemed exaggerated.

In the fall of 1886, Lena leaves behind a life fraught with disappointments and loss only to arrive in Sawtooth City and find the man she’d pledged to marry has been killed. To return east is unthinkable; to stay is ill-advised, but she resolves to remain and manage the man’s lodging house despite the warnings. More than her stubborn nature influences her decision. From her first glimpse of this mountain valley, she falls captive to its wild beauty. Feeling she has at last found a hearth to call her own, she eagerly puts down roots. Sharing her love of literature with her lodgers before a warming fire, she builds a family of lonesome souls, where dreams awaken.

However, one man stands apart, disturbing her peace with ominous warnings to leave before winter comes. Evan Hartmann knows from personal loss that winter snows bring to these mountains both unimaginable beauty and death. He is also a man conflicted, because as much as he’d like for Lena to leave the mountains, his heart longs for her to stay.

BOOK EXCERPT:

Chapter One

Idaho Territory, April 1889

Maddie Jennings pressed back against the brick wall, taking in a sharp breath and swallowing hard. She removed the pin from her hair and pulled off her wide-brimmed hat, taking a moment to slow her hammering heart before lifting a gloved hand to the corner of the building. She peered across the street once again. Everything about the man screamed out to her, lawman. The bulge just below his hip kept his oilskin duster from falling close to his body as it should. He wore a gun strapped down to his thigh, probably a Colt.

She discerned him to be a man who paid particular attention to his appearance, but not so much as to be mistaken for a dandy or a gambler. His black hat, free of trail dust indicated he’d traveled by rail as she and her father had and not on horseback. That deduction was further confirmed by his boots which appeared polished. He wore the hat low on his brow, shadowing keen eyes that swept the crowded train platform, the look of a man on the hunt.

Maddie let out the breath she’d held, again flattening herself to the wall until the rough brick edges dug into her back. Into what scam had her father become embroiled this time? She had to get back on the train—fast.

Minutes later she collapsed onto the seat beside her father, telling him of her observations.

"Are you certain, Maddie? Maybe he was a policeman. Maybe he was out of uniform.” She detected the desperate tone to his words. “Your imagination sometimes. . . "

Irritated by the implication she had read him wrong, Maddie interrupted him, her tone terse. "Yes, Father, I am quite certain."

"But what makes you think he’s a Pinkerton agent?" A vein bulged above his stiff white collar. Nervous fingers fiddled at the starched fold pressing against his neck. "More likely he’s a simple local constable. Surely, not. . ."

She shot back, "I saw his badge when he showed it to the conductor. Is that proof enough?" He knew better than to question her in this, the talent she'd cultivated under his instruction. What she now saw written conspicuously on her father's face lifted fine hairs along the back of her neck. Maddie gnawed the inside of her lower lip, regretting her harsh response.

In her head, she heard the polished voice of Miss Emma Willard, almost as though the woman sat beside her. A lady never lets her face or body betray her emotions in public. With a breath that drove her ribs against her corset stays, she squeezed her eyes shut and drew her hands into her lap, her facial expression again impassive.

She leaned in close to her father, her voice low. "I heard his description of the man he’s searching for. The name was Alex Carlisle."

This was the name her father had assumed with his latest money-making scheme, Carlisle, a name he wore like his expensive Brooks Brothers overcoat. He'd told her it sounded more at home with the names of those with whom he was rubbing elbows and, not coincidentally, soliciting funds.

He turned, facing her, his complexion paling. "At least they haven’t discovered my real name."

"We don’t know that!" With another ragged breath, she reined in her anger.

All the years of mysterious deals that moved their fortunes like ships on unpredictable seas seemed to have brought them into the face of a storm that would capsize them at last. She wanted to rage at him, demand the truth, something she'd rarely asked of him before. But this was not the time for explanations. She pulled her lips into a thin line and said with a calm she did not feel, "Father, you must alter your appearance." When he didn't respond, she reached for his hand, squeezing it hard. "Did you hear me? There’s no time to delay. The agent appeared to be heading toward this train."

He continued to stare at her as though she was unrecognizable to him; his mouth opened and closed twice, no words, just the mechanical workings of his jaw.

Maddie reached for the top button of his traveling coat as she said, "Father, get ahold of yourself. It isn't like you've not done this before." She helped him extract his arms from the sleeves. His traveling valise lay beneath the seat. With a grunt, she tugged it onto the seat between them.

Expressionless, her father sat beside her. His lack of responsiveness caused her to lay her fingers upon his sleeve, speaking each command as though he were a child. "Father, find the wash room, use your shaving kit, and shave off your mustache and beard."

He gripped the valise handle, his knuckles white. Grabbing for her hand, he pleaded, "I'm sorry, Maddie, so sorry. I never thought...I thought that..." His mouth twisted as if conjuring the words from the air above them.

His stuttered apology only increased her anxiety. Father never apologized. Maddie forced a smile to her lips, giving his shoulder a gentle nudge. "We can talk later. Now go!"

He hesitated and her smile faded. "Go."

She drew another painful breath, convinced the corset had cinched on its own. Think, Maddie. Devise a plan, then execute it. She reached for her father’s black silk topper and flattened it. Next, she hid it under the coat draped over her arm. With her eyes squeezed tight, another wave of anger surged. This part of her life was supposed to be over, and yet here she was trapped in her father’s schemes yet again. He’d promised her he’d not involve her again. Promises, no matter how sincere, wouldn’t save them now. As much as she felt revulsion for being forced into this, love for him compelled her to act. She bit her lip, rose to her feet and stepped into the aisle—in a moment transformed to an accomplice.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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Samantha St. Claire is the pen name of an author of historical fiction who made the cross-over to romance with The Sawtooth Range series. With roots that go deep into pioneer heritage, the American West is a perfect calling for her lyrical style of writing that evokes the romance of a time when courage and strength of character were skills for survival.

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Excerpt & Giveaway: THE WITCH OF WILLOW HALL by Hester Fox

THE WITCH OF WILLOW HALL
by Hester Fox 
Release Date: 10.02.18; Historical Fiction
Publisher: Harlequin’s Graydon House Books
Format: Digital eBook / Print
Digital ISBN: B077MKGQLR
Print ISBN: 9781525833014

About the book:
Two centuries after the Salem witch trials, there’s still one witch left in Massachusetts. But she doesn’t even know it.

Take this as a warning: if you are not able or willing to control yourself, it will not only be you who suffers the consequences, but those around you, as well. 

New Oldbury, 1821

In the wake of a scandal, the Montrose family and their three daughters—Catherine, Lydia and Emeline—flee Boston for their new country home, Willow Hall.

The estate seems sleepy and idyllic. But a subtle menace creeps into the atmosphere, remnants of a dark history that call to Lydia, and to the youngest, Emeline.

All three daughters will be irrevocably changed by what follows, but none more than Lydia, who must draw on a power she never knew she possessed if she wants to protect those she loves. For Willow Hall’s secrets will rise, in the end…

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BOOK EXCERPT: 

Copyright© 2018 The Witch of Willow Hall 

Hester Fox 

Hello readers, I’m so excited to share an excerpt with you from my debut novel, THE WITCH OF WILLOW HALL (on-sale October 2, 2018). My name is Hester Fox, and hailing from Boston, I’ve always been fascinated with the rich and oftentimes dark history of this period. My novel takes place in a small New England town over 130 years after the infamous Salem Witch trials, and features a Gothic, melancholy atmosphere, restless spirits, and of course, resilient women. I hope you enjoy this excerpt I’ve pulled for you. 

~*~ 

Gingerly, I get up, my legs full of pins and needles from sitting on the floor so long. Just like the night of the woman in the garden, I can’t stay in the library knowing that someone might be there. I must go and look for myself. 

Even with the sun coming through the windows, illuminating the wood floors and catching the light of the crystal lamps, I feel as if I’m making my way through a dark, murky passage. My feet are heavy, as if they know something that my mind does not. 

The door to the dining room is closed. It beckons me, yet repels me, exuding a sense of silent occupation. My ears buzz. A singsong chorus of whispers grows as I approach. 

Are you ready? 

I am here. 

You attract them. 

Are you ready? 

Prepare for what lies ahead. 

Prepare. 

Prepare. 

They mount and mount into a dizzying jumble of sound and I run the rest of the way to the door, my heart in my chest, my eyes squeezed shut. Grasping the knob, I fling open the door. The voices die away. 

I knew it would be there. But it doesn’t stop me from gasping as every part of me curls back in on itself in horror. My blood turns to ice. 

Seated at the table is a woman, or what used to be a woman. She sits as if she has every right to be there, as if she has always been there. A veil covers her face, but it is gauzy and threadbare, and I can see the contours of the features beneath. Her dress is old, black as night yet opalescent as the moon through a cobweb. Paralyzed with fear, I watch as it moves about her of its own accord, a soft undulation as if she were underwater. And though I can see her as clear as day, the veiled woman in our dining room, there’s a translucence to her, and the panoramic wallpaper is just visible behind her. She is like nothing and no one I have ever seen before, and yet she is familiar, as if I have always known her. 

“Come, child.” Her voice comes from everywhere and no¬where, and when her words are finished, I have the unnerving feeling that they weren’t spoken aloud at all, but came from within my head. 

She beckons me with a knobby finger, more bone than flesh. 

I can’t drag my gaze away from her face, the sunken holes where there ought to be eyes, the lipless mouth, all teeth and blackness. The cold pie that I just enjoyed churns in my stomach and threatens to come up. She beckons me again, and I imagine those long, terrible fingers closing around my neck and choking the life out of me. I imagine them raking me across the face until ribbons of skin flutter from my skull. I stand my ground, unwilling to deliver myself up to her. She is the stuff of my novels, a grotesque horror that titillates on the page, but sends terror into my heart when in the same room as me. 

She gives something like a grunt, and as if able to read my thoughts, says, “One hundred and thirty years of death is not gentle on a body. Come, do not gawk.” I dare not disobey her, so I force my leaden feet to move a few steps closer. 

The smell of decay and death fills the room, sickly sweet and putrid at the same time. My stomach clenches at the memories the odor brings back of Emeline in her coffin. My throat is tight, my mouth cotton, but somehow I’m able to gasp out, “W-who are you?” 

She makes a noise, something between a snort and a laugh, a scraping, rattling sound, though it’s devoid of humor. “Do you not know your own forebear?” 

The blackness of her dress curls around her like a snake, but she sits as motionless as if she were carved of stone. Her stillness is suffocating, it dares the house to be silent, and punishes the sunlight for filtering in through the window. 

Warily, I come to a halt at the edge of the dining room table. I don’t know what she’s talking about. “Forebear?” 

“Have you not looked upon me since you were a babe? Do you not recognize in me what flows through you?” 

“I…” But then it comes to me. The lace collar, though tattered and black as her dress, is unmistakable around her neck. “You’re the woman in the painting. Mother’s ancestor.” 

The inclination of her head is small, barely perceptible.

Praise for The Witch of Willow Hall: 

"Fox’s spins a satisfying debut yarn that includes witchcraft, tragedy, and love, set in 1821 New England... The inclusion of gothic elements adds a visceral feel that fans of historical fiction with a dash of the supernatural will enjoy." -Publishers Weekly 

"Hester Fox's THE WITCH OF WILLOW HALL offers a fascinating location, a great plot with history and twists, and characters that live and breathe. I love the novel, and will be looking forward to all new works by this talented author!" --Heather Graham, New York Times bestselling author

"Beautifully written, skillfully plotted, and filled with quiet terror, readers will devour this absorbing, Gothic tale of romance and suspense. Perfect for fans of Simone St James and Kate Morton." -- Anna Lee Huber, the national bestselling author of the historical Lady Darby Mysteries 

"Beautifully written, with an intriguing plot full of suspense and mystery, The Witch of Willow Hall will cast a spell over every reader." -- Lisa Hall, author of Tell Me No Lies and Between You and Me

"I was entranced by this intriguing and spellbinding novel with its messages of love and loyalty and being true to who you really are. I hope Hester Fox goes on to write many more such novels--I for one will be buying them." -- Kathleen McGurl, author of The Girl from Ballymor 

"With its sense of creeping menace and chilling undertones, this compelling story had me gripped from the first page. The vividly drawn characters cast their spell so convincingly, I couldn't stop reading until I discovered what happened to them. A wonderful debut novel.”--Linda Finlay, author of The Flower Seller

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Website   Twitter   Facebook    Goodreads    Amazon   BookBub

Hester Fox has a background in the museum field as a collections maintenance technician. This job has taken her from historic houses to fine art museums, where she has cleaned and cared for collections that range from paintings by old masters to ancient artifacts to early American furniture. She is a keen painter and has a Master's in historical archaeology, as well as a background in medieval studies and art history.

Hester lives outside of Boston with her husband and their two cats.

GIVEAWAY:
Harlequin’s Graydon House Books is offering one lucky Grand Prize winner a fun witch themed prize pack containing a paperback copy of The Witch of Willow Hall, a pumpkin spice scented candle, a Witch’s Brew coffee cup, a witch’s hat, a witch’s wand, and a bottle of black nail polish! Four (4) Runners-up will receive an e-copy of The Witch of Willow Hall. To enter for your chance to win one of these great prizes, please fill out the Rafflecopter link below:

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