Blog Tour: Jane Austen's First Love Excerpt + Giveaway!

Hello! Welcome to this stop on the blog tour for Syrie James' new book, Jane Austen's First Love. I have a lovely little excerpt to share with you, as well as a chance to win a prize pack full of goodies. Enjoy!

About the Book:

In the summer of 1791, fifteen-year-old Miss Jane Austen is determined to accomplish three things: to do something useful, write something worthy, and fall madly in love. While visiting at Goodnestone Park in Kent for a month of festivities in honor of her brother's engagement to Miss Elizabeth Bridges, Jane meets the boy-next-door—the wealthy, worldly, and devilishly handsome Edward Taylor, heir to Bifrons Park, and hopefully her heart! Like many of Jane’s future heroes and heroines, she soon realizes that there are obstacles—social, financial, and otherwise—blocking her path to love and marriage, one of them personified by her beautiful and sweet tempered rival, Charlotte Payler.

Unsure of her own budding romance, but confident in her powers of observation, Jane distracts herself by attempting to maneuver the affections of three other young couples. But when her well-intentioned matchmaking efforts turn into blundering misalliance, Jane must choose between following her own happily-ever-after, or repairing those relationships which, based on erroneous first impressions, she has misaligned.

Excerpt From Chapter the Sixth

Jane Austen’s First Love

By Syrie James

Jane Austen, bright and vivacious at age fifteen, is walking the grounds of Goodnestone Park in Kent, home of the Bridges family, where they are to enjoy a month of festivities in celebration of her brother Edward Austen’s engagement to Miss Elizabeth Bridges. Earlier that morning, Jane met a charming young man, Edward Taylor.

          “We are so glad to have this interval to speak to you on our own,” remarked Sophia, as we crossed the expanse of lawn towards the woods, “for soon the house will be full of people.”

          “We heard that your mother has a great many events planned,” said I. 

          “She does, indeed,” responded Marianne. “Monday is our annual strawberry-picking party, which will include an al-fresco luncheon and lawn games.”

          “After that,” added Elizabeth, “is our engagement ball. Edward is to wear his blue coat—he looks so handsome in it—and my new gown is so becoming!” 

          “There is to be a sketching and painting contest,” said Sophia, “a cricket match, horse-races, carriage rides, a dinner-party at a neighbour’s house, a concert, and a Midsummer’s Eve bonfire.”

          To have all these thrilling events before me, was a truly wonderful prospect. “It all sounds tremendous.”

          “I only hope that in between, we can find a moment to ourselves,” said Sophia. “You must tell us what you particularly like to do. What are your interests and occupations, Jane?”

          I thought for a moment. I had many interests; it was hard to know where to begin. “Well,” answered I hesitantly, “although I know that some consider it to be the lowest and most coarse form of behaviour—I love to read—novels.”

          Sophia gave a little gasp. “Marianne and I both love to read, and novels most especially!”

          “Do you?” said I, delighted.

          “My father has an excellent library, and we borrow what we cannot buy,” said Cassandra.

Elizabeth soon left us, and as we continued our stroll with Sophia and Marianne, our shared admiration of the works of Henry Fielding (Tom Jones), Jonathan Swift (Gulliver’s Travels), Goethe (The Sorrows of Young Werther) and Fanny Burney was brought to light.

          “Evelina is one of my favourites,” said Sophia, to which Cassandra and I offered our assent.

          “I believe Cecilia is the best book I have ever read,” said I. “Fanny Burney is a genius. I am captivated by her depiction of characters like Mrs. Delville, who are not perfect, but neither are they wholly good nor evil—they possess both noble qualities and incurable defects—as such, they seem to me more true to life than any I have read in novels elsewhere.”

          Sophia’s eyes widened. “What a fine assessment of Miss Burney’s literature. I never thought of that before.”

          I wanted to add that it was my dearest hope to write something equally fine one day; but my own efforts were so unworthy, and the dream so unattainable, that I could not voice it aloud.

Marianne now grew weary (I recalled Mrs. Knight describing her as being something of an invalid), so we returned to the house. As we approached the grand edifice, Cassandra asked, “Should we change our gowns for dinner to-night?”

          “No; you are to be our only guests,” replied Sophia. “That is—you and Edward Taylor and his cousin Thomas.”

          “Is it true that Edward Taylor is your cousin?” said I.

          “He is. His father is a very distant cousin of our father’s,” answered Sophia. “We are told the connection goes back a hundred and fifty years, to the time of King Charles I.”

          “That is a very distant cousin indeed!” laughed Cassandra.

          “How old is Mr. Taylor?” asked I.

          “He is sixteen,” answered Marianne, “although he will turn seventeen later this month.”

          I could not stop my smile. Edward Taylor was exactly eighteen months my senior—the perfect age, I thought, for me.

          “We have not had much opportunity to get to know each other,” added Sophia. “We used to play together as children—he was the sweetest little boy—but when he and his brothers and sisters were very small, his family emigrated to the Continent. They have been gone ever since, other than one annum about two years past, when they returned to Bifrons to check on their property.”

         “The Taylors have lived abroad all that time?” said I, astonished.

         “Yes, and there the family still remains; it is only Edward who has come home for good.”

I wanted to ask why it was only Edward who had come home, but the opportunity was lost, for we had reached the house now, and as Sophia led the way up the main staircase, she went on:

          “As far as we—and Papa—are concerned, Edward Taylor is a member of our family. Papa insisted that he and the Paylers, with whom he is residing, be included in all our festivities this month, and we are so glad.”

          Boldly, I asked: “Does your mother share his enthusiasm for Mr. Taylor?”

          Sophia hesitated; then, catching some understanding in my tone and expression, she replied in a lowered tone: “I think you have guessed that she does not.”

          “Why not? He seems very amiable to me.”

          “Oh! He is,” replied Marianne. “We love Edward Taylor. But Mamma disapproves of the way he was brought up, travelling all over the Continent as he has done since he was five years old. She considers him a little too wild, a great deal too foreign, and worst of all (and I do not agree), pompous and overly-educated.”

          “Mamma’s favourite saying,” added Sophia with a sigh, “is: a little bit of learning goes a long way at Goodnestone. I think she fears that, with Edward’s wealth of knowledge, experience of the world, and many accomplishments, her own children will somehow appear to disadvantage—and of course we do not care a fig about that!”

          We were now arrived upstairs, and all separated to our respective chambers to get ready for the evening—an event which I eagerly anticipated, as it meant I would have the opportunity to see more of Edward Taylor, who grew more fascinating with every moment.

Readers, based on this excerpt and other excerpts on the blog tour, what intrigues you the most about Edward Taylor? If you've read Jane Austen's First Love, why do you think Jane fell in love with him?

About the Author: 

Syrie James, hailed as “the queen of nineteenth century re-imaginings” by Los Angeles Magazine, is the bestselling author of nine critically acclaimed novels that have been translated into 18 languages. Her books have been awarded the Audio Book Association Audie, designated as Editor’s Picks by Library Journal, named a Discover Great New Writer’s Selection by Barnes and Noble, a Great Group Read by the Women’s National Book Association, and Best Book of the Year by The Romance Reviews and Suspense Magazine. Syrie is a member of the WGA and lives in Los Angeles. Please visit her at syriejames.com, Facebook or say hello on Twitter @SyrieJames. 

Grand Giveaway Contest

Win One of Five Fabulous Jane Austen-inspired Prize Packages

To celebrate the holidays and the release of Jane Austen's First Love, Syrie is giving away five prize packages filled with an amazing selection of Jane Austen-inspired gifts and books!  

To enter the giveaway contest, simply leave a comment on any of the blog stops on the Jane Austen's First Love Holiday Blog Tour.

Increase your chances of winning by visiting multiple stops along the tour! Syrie's unique guest posts will be featured on a variety of subjects, along with fun interviews, spotlights, excerpts, and reviews of the novel. Contest closes at 11:59pm PT, December 21, 2014. Five lucky winners will be drawn at random from all of the comments on the tour, and announced on Syrie’s website on December 22, 2014. The giveaway contest is open to everyone, including international residents. Good luck to all!

Book Review: The Muse by Jessica Evans

The Muse
by Jessica Evans

Genre: Romance / Contemporary / Pride & Prejudice Re-telling

Ages: 16 and up

I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review, courtesy of Jakki Leatherberry.

Description:

Elizabeth Bennet, the newest corps de ballet dancer at Ballet Theater of New York, dreams of rising through the prestigious company’s ranks to become a prima ballerina. When she’s cast in superstar choreographer William Darcy’s newest work, she believes she’s one step closer to realizing her dream–until she meets him.

William Darcy, the former dance legend and ballet bad boy, is a jaded perfectionist who dancers both fear and admire. Although touted as the next big thing in the ballet world, he secretly battles a bad case of artist’s block–until he meets Elizabeth Bennet.

Tempers ignite between Elizabeth and Darcy, but he’s irresistibly drawn to the stubborn and beautiful corps de ballet dancer. Could she be the muse he needs to reignite his passion for ballet?

My Thoughts:

I loved this book. It is one of the best P&P stories I have read this year. It is a flawless blend of brilliant new ideas and everything I loved from the original Jane Austen. It made me laugh out loud with shocked, horrified humor more than once, but also made me sigh at some lovely moments of pure sweetness.

This is a very modern, no-holds-barred take on Darcy and Elizabeth, to warn those who prefer the more traditional adaptations. Elizabeth gets drunk and does stupid things, Darcy appears to briefly go through a midlife crisis, and yet...They are still completely lovable despite, or perhaps because of, these imperfections.

I was very impressed by the way the author channeled Darcy's intensity into art. Every scene where he was working on his dance was positively fraught with passion (and frequently sexual frustration). When he and Elizabeth worked together, the chemistry was sizzling despite the effort both of them put into ignoring their attraction.

There were many times over the course of the novel that I wanted to strangle Elizabeth, which, to me, is always a sign of excellent character development. There was never a moment when I did not care about what happened to her, what she chose to do next. She could be a little bit petty, a little bit jealous, but always striving to be better. I alternated between cringing for her or cheering her on.

One cannot review this book without making a point to mention the dancing. Oh. My. Goodness. The. Dancing. I have never been particularly interested in ballet, but this book made me want to go take lessons. Of course, I would also want Darcy to be teaching said lessons so we could have passionate glaring contests. Sigh.

Anyway, I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dancing, romance and dazzling displays of temper.

Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme). Ratings may contain spoilers.

Profanity:
I give it an 8.10 for a few uses of the f-word and some mild to mid-level swearing.

Sexuality: 
I rate it a 7.10 for a couple of fairly descriptive scenes and innuendo, some a little crude.

Violence:
There was no violence in this book.

                              Lieder Madchen

Blog Tour Book Review: Boots and Backpacks by K. C. Kahler

Boots and Backpacks
by K.C. Kahler

Genre: Romance / Contemporary / Pride & Prejudice Re-telling

Ages: 16 and up

I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thanks to Leatherbound Reviews! :)

Description:

William Darcy counts down the last few months to his 30th birthday with dread. Orphaned as a child, his parents’ will includes a bizarre clause: Darcy must get married by his 30th birthday in order to inherit the family fortune. To make matters worse, the press knows about this deadline, as do the hordes of women chasing him in the hopes of becoming Mrs. Darcy. His family legacy hangs in the balance, but Darcy has little faith in the fairer sex. Will he find a woman he wants to marry, and quickly?

Elizabeth Bennet is determined to pursue her education and career without letting a man get in the way. When her traveling companion drops out, her planned hike on the Appalachian Trial is jeopardized. She meets the spoiled, snobby William Darcy just when he is desperate to escape the spotlight. No one will suspect that the Prince of Manhattan has gone backpacking! Darcy and Elizabeth form a tenuous partnership and begin a 300-mile journey that will transform them both.

In classic romantic comedy tradition, Boots & Backpacks follows our reluctant partners as they build trust, friendship, and even more. Six weeks together on America’s most famous hiking trail may turn out to be just what these two need!

My Thoughts:

Oh my goodness, Darcy is a total jerk in this book. At least, he is at first. For the first few chapter I kept trying to wrap my head around it; a version of Darcy who had slept with hundreds of women over the course of eight years of one-night stands. After a little while, though, I started looking at it less as a modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and more of a contemporary romance that was just written by someone who loves Jane Austen. At that point, the book stopped bugging me and I just started enjoying it.

The character arc was simply delightful. As I mentioned above, Darcy starts out as a jerk. Ever so slowly, though, over the course of the novel, he learns and improves. He stops hitting on Lizzy all the time and starts actually thinking about her. The development was very well written. Lizzy has her own issues, and the way the two of them worked through things was lovely to watch.

I am a huge fan of the way Ms. Kohler worked in so many Jane Austen characters, not just the ones from P&P. Marianne and Ellie Dashwood, along with Christopher Brandon and Eduardo Ferraro, made an appearance, thought Ellie's was off-screen. Several others were slipped in, sometimes in a way that was obvious, and some that were rather sneaky.

While it took me a little while to get into it, I liked this book a lot. It had a great deal of humor and wit, making it a very entertaining read.

Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme). Ratings may contain spoilers.

 

Profanity:

I rate it an 8.10 for a few uses of the f-word and some mid-level swearing.

 

Sexuality:

I give it 7.10 for a few middlingly descriptive scenes and quite a few references.

 

Violence:

There was no violence in this book, though it came close once or twice.

 

About the Author: 

KC Kahler has worked as a writer and editor in both non-profit and academic settings. Until discovering Jane Austen Fan Fiction several years ago, KC’s writing had been limited to the dry and technical, which is a shame, since she considers herself witty and sparkling. Her first novel, Boots & Backpacks, will be published in 2014 by Meryton Press. 

KC lives on a four-acre slice of Penn’s Woods with her husband and two dogs. They enjoy hiking, gardening, and being beer snobs. 

Blog

Book Blast Review + Excerpt + Giveaway! A Matter of Grave Concern by Brenda Novak

A Matter of Grave Concern
by Brenda Novak

Genre: Historical / Suspense / Romance / Mystery

Ages: 18 and up

I received an advance e-copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Description:

When Maximillian Wilder joins the notorious body snatchers known as the London Supply Company, the last thing on his mind is love. He’s worried about Madeline, his vanished half sister, who was last seen in the company of Jack Hurtsill, the gang’s conscienceless leader. Raiding graveyards, stealing corpses, and selling them to medical colleges as dissection material is dirty work, but he has to gain Jack’s trust. He’s determined to find out what happened to Madeline—and to bring Jack to justice if she was murdered for the coin her body could bring.

Beautiful, spirited Abigail Hale, daughter of the surgeon at Aldersgate School of Medicine, detests the challenging, hard-bargaining Max. But she must procure the necessary specimens if she is to save the college and her father’s career. She believes she is going to be successful—until Jack double-crosses her. Then she’s swept into a plot of danger and intrigue, one where Max must intervene and protect her, no matter the risk to his plan . . . or his heart.

Excerpt:

“Make that fifteen.” A deep voice interrupted, and for the first time, Abigail looked directly at the man standing to the side and slightly behind Big Jack. His clothes bore as much dirt and his face as much beard growth as the rest of the group, but he was different. Not only was he significantly taller, he carried himself with a certain…authority.

How had she not noticed him before?

She’d been doing her best to block him and the others from her consciousness, she reminded herself.

Her gaze locked with an intense pair of sea-green eyes. “Why, that’s highway robbery! My father has never paid a resurrectionist more than nine guineas, six shillings. I’ve got it all in a book, right here.” She tapped the top of the desk to convince him.

When he smiled, his teeth looked clean and mostly straight, another detail that set him apart from his companions. “Evidently, you’re not a pupil of economics, or not a very good one, Miss Hale. Short supply, high demand, prices go up. Sometimes significantly. Fifteen guineas. No less.”

Those short, clipped sentences bore no Cockney accent and revealed a definite culture to his voice, causing Abigail to wonder if she had been dealing with the wrong man all along. She couldn’t imagine this stranger taking orders from anyone, much less the likes of Jack Hurtsill.  

“Blimey, Max,” one of the other men muttered.

Drawing herself up to her fullest height, which was at least ten inches shy of this Max’s six feet something, Abigail clung tenaciously to her composure. “At this point, I would rather you take your ‘large’ and go.” Surely, there had to be other resurrection men she could contact; she hadn’t gone through all the names she heard muttered about the halls of the college and St. Bart’s Hospital next door. “I have seen naught but the head, and that small sample revealed a nasty wound.”

“There’s not a mark on the rest of him,” Max responded coolly. “We offered to show you, but you refused.”

Abigail had no intention of letting this body-snatcher tempt her into dumping the body out onto the rug as she had almost let them do before. “Mr. Hurtsill—I mean, Big Jack, here, was about to say ten guineas. I will go that high.”

“I’m afraid it’s not high enough,” Max countered.

“You’re a fast study, mate.” Jack slapped him on the back but didn’t interfere. Instead, he turned a challenging smile on Abigail and waited for her response.

“Then go,” she said, shooing them away. “Take Mr. Whoever He Is and leave. I will not let you rob me. Not if I can help it.”

“And what if you can’t?” Insolence lit the eyes of the man identified as Max. “Perhaps we should wait here for your father. No doubt he will have better sense of what a corpse is worth at the present time, although I doubt he would want us loitering about the place. What’s it been…eighteen months or so since those two surgeons were prosecuted for receiving and dissecting stolen bodies? With a possible knighthood on the horizon, and such a close tie to Sir Astley Cooper—the sergeant surgeon of the late king himself, no less—it would be quite unfortunate if your father were to be found dealing with the likes of us, wouldn’t you say?”

Abigail’s jaw dropped at the not-so-subtle threat. Perhaps she had underestimated these sack ’em up men. This man, anyway. “If what you have brought is worth so much Mr.…Max, is it?”

He gave her a mocking bow and added his last name, as if to prove he feared nothing from her. “Wilder. Maximillian Wilder at your service, Miss.”

My Thoughts:

I loved this book. It was the perfect blend of intriguing romantic suspense and fascinating historical details. The heroine is bold, intellectual, do-what-needs-to-be-done Abigail. I liked her immediately and grew to like her even more as the story progressed. Max, on the other hand, took some getting to know, and even then I wanted to smack him upside the head sometimes. I always forgave him, though...eventually.

I've read a lot of books set in the time period (early to mid-1800s), but none about the resurrectionists, so it was interesting to learn some new things. The author stayed away from the gorier details of body snatching, instead touching more on the controversy surrounding it.

Interesting historical setting and moral issues aside, this book had a good story. The action scenes and romantic scenes were well-balanced and the heroine - did I mention I loved the heroine? - was strong and occasionally surprising. The ending was just a trifle rushed and neatly tied up, but only a little bit.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good adventure with plenty of kissing and a little more substance than your typical romance novel.

Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme). Ratings may contain spoilers.

Profanity:

I rate it 5.10 for some mild to mid-level swearing.

Sexuality:

I give it an 8.10 for multiple scenes of varying explicitness.

Violence:

I rate it a 7.10 for murder, intended rape, references to sexual abuse and injuries, none of which are graphically described.

About the Author:

New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak is the author of more than fifty books. A four-time Rita nominee, she has won many awards, including the National Reader’s Choice, the Bookseller’s Best, the Book Buyer’s Best, the Daphne, and the Holt Medallion. She also runs an annual on-line auction for diabetes research every May at www.brendanovak.com (her youngest son has this disease). To date, she’s raised over $2 million. For more about Brenda, please visit www.brendanovak.com.

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And here's the giveaway! Ms. Novak is giving away a $100 Amazon gift-card to one random winner during the tour! Best of luck to you all; please feel free to leave a comment and check out the rest of the tour. Dates and blog links can be found here.

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Series Review: The Titan Series by Cristin Harber, Part 1

The Titan Series (Books 1-3)
by Cristin Harber

Genre: Action / Romance / Adventure / Suspense / Espionage

Ages: 18 and up

I received e-copies of this series through the author and NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Since the series has three books and two novellas (with another novel on the way), I've divided the review into parts.

Winter's Heat

After putting her life on the line to protect classified intelligence, military psychologist Mia Kensington is on a cross-country road trip from hell with an intrusive save-the-day hero. She'd rather take her chances without the ruggedly handsome, cold-blooded operative who boasts an alpha complex and too many guns.

Colby Winters, an elite member of The Titan Group, has a single objective on his black ops mission: recover a document important to national security. It was supposed to be an easy in-and-out operation. But now, by any means necessary becomes a survival mantra when he faces off with a stunning woman he can't leave behind.

When Titan's safe houses are compromised, Colby stashes Mia at his home, exposing his secret--he's the adoptive father of an orphaned baby girl. Too soon, danger arrives and Mia lands in the hands of a sadistic cartel king with a taste for torture. As hours bleed into fear-drenched days, Colby races across the globe and through a firestorm of bullets to save the woman he can't live without.

My Thoughts:

This book jumps right into the action with a kidnapping and rescue in the first chapter, making me feel like I was watching an action movie. Despite that, it took me a little while to get into it. The pacing at first was a bit awkward, making me wonder once or twice what the heck was going on, but that cleared up in the first quarter of the book and it was smooth sailing from there on out with a fun, romantic adventure.

Mia and Colby are a good, straightforward pair of protagonists with excellent chemistry. They do have jump-into-bed-too-fast syndrome, but it was done well enough that they didn't lose the tension and spark that makes a romance entertaining. Plus they still had to learn each others' secrets. Arriving at Colby's home and meeting both his mother and adopted daughter was an interesting twist that added dimension to their relationship.

All in all, this was a fun novel with solid characters and storyline and a few spectacular action scenes mixed in.

Garrison's Creed

Nicola is an injured CIA agent on the run from a failed undercover operation. Her escape plan shatters when she slams into the man who buried her a decade ago. Cash Garrison. Her first and only love. Now, sexier than her best memory and cradling a sniper's rifle, he has questions she can't answer. Why was she alive? And armed?

Cash is an elite member of a black ops organization, The Titan Group. He thought Nicola died his senior year of college and swore off love to focus on a decade of military missions. But when she shows up behind enemy lines, bleeding out and wielding a weapon, his heart and mind are unsure how to proceed.

Titan and the CIA join forces to uncover a mole hidden in a network of international terrorists and homegrown mobsters, teaming Cash and Nicola again. When disaster strikes, Nicola's hidden past makes her the hunted target and Cash's best kill shot may not be enough to save them.

My Thoughts:

Oh, this book could have been written just for me. A hero and heroine with a messy, painful past relationship, long lost relatives, a faked death...I've always had this thing for characters who fake their own deaths. From the first page I was gleefully glued to the page as I watched the whole glorious disaster unfold.

Garrison's Creed didn't have the minor pacing weirdness that Winter's Chase had, so there was nothing to mar my enjoyment. This book would make an awesome movie. Danger, betrayal, romance...what's not to like? Cash and Nicola have a great dynamic; he's shocked and angry that she never told him she was alive, and she's never really stopped loving him. The sparks are enough to singe anyone.

The more of the series I read, the more I like the Titan team as a whole; their banter and teasing and loyalty. They fit well together, but they each have distinctive, interesting personalities. The more I read, the more clearly I can hear their different voices.

While I liked the first book, I loved this one.

Westin's Chase

Jared Westin knows his reputation and likes it. He gets the job done. No emotion. No baggage. That's why his elite ops company, The Titan Group, is better than the best. They complete projects classified as mission impossible.

And then, in walks a woman as tough as she is sexy. His counterpart in every way, should he choose to admit it.

Ousted undercover ATF agent Lilly Chase only answers to "Sugar." Jared is the only man who can see past her leather-and-lipstick demeanor, and that revelation is terrifying. She was fired for helping Titan on a questionable arrest she should've ignored, then partnered with Jared's rival on an assignment in Afghanistan.

Saving Sugar isn't a normal rescue operation. It pits Titan against its rival, Jared against his nemesis. Chasing Sugar's heart isn't a simple task, either. She fights him, fights them, always ready to run. Jared must risk his life to save her--the woman whose bravado and surprising sweetness has given him the one thing he never had. Love.

My Thoughts:

Jared's story. I was looking forward to it with great anticipation, and it did not disappoint in the slightest.Jared and Sugar had such a sizzling chemistry, there were sparks flying on every page. Since they first met, their relationship has been one of bantering, occasional colleagues. Both of them try very hard to keep it that way, even though their friends know that they are perfect for each other. When they get caught up in one dangerous situation after another, though...You can see where this is going. It was endlessly entertaining watching master-of-all-he-surveys Jared fall in love with madcap, independent Sugar.

The storyline was good, with an evil twist. It wasn't all that much of a surprise twist, because there was quite a bit of foreshadowing, but rather more of a oh, no, I can't believe this is actually happening kind of twist. It was evil, but I loved it. At least, once I got past my initial anger at its sheer evilness.

Like the other Titan novels so far, this book is just fun. Explosions, gunfights, betrayals, steamy romance and addictive as heck.

*****

Stay tuned for my reviews of the rest of the Titan Series thus far, coming soon. :)

Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme). Ratings may contain spoilers.

Profanity:
I rate it 8.10 for strong language in all three books.

Sexuality:
I give it 8.10 for multiple descriptive scenes of sexuality.

Violence:
I rate it 8.10 for several scenes of violence, injuries, etc. and attempted rape.

                             Lieder Madchen

Blog Tour Book Review: Longbourn to London by Linda Beutler

 

Longbourn to London
by Linda Beatler

Genre: Romance / Historical / Pride and Prejudice Sequel

Ages: 18 and up

I received a copy of this book as part of a blog tour in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you to Jakki of Leatherbound Reviews for hosting the tour!

Description:

A courtship is a journey of discovery… 

…but what do we know of the official betrothal of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet? We may assume there were awkward social events to navigate, tedious wedding arrangements to negotiate, and Bingley’s toplofty sisters to accommodate. How did Darcy and Elizabeth manage these travails, and each other? 

Longbourn to London is not a Pride and Prejudice “what if,” nor is it a sequel. Rather, it is an expansion of the betrothal of Jane Austen’s favorite couple. We follow Lizzy’s journey from spirited maiden scampering about the fields of Hertfordshire to nervous, blushing bride in Mayfair, where she learns the unexpected joys of marriage to a man as willing to be teased as she is to tease him.

My Thoughts:

This is a sweet and sensual sequel Pride and Prejudice, interspersed with moments of delightful mischief. If you are looking for a relaxing romance to give you the warm-and-fuzzies, this is it.

Speaking of relaxed, it was lovely to see a carefree and playful Darcy. His lady has agreed to marry him, Wickham is safely out of the way and he hasn't a care in the world. Well, at least not until Mrs. Philips and Mrs. Bennet start stirring up trouble. Then he becomes more of a nervous and worried Darcy, which was also oddly adorable.

This book has an interesting take on Elizabeth, some of which I cannot say here due to spoilers. Most of the story centered around her feelings and fears as her wedding day approached. There was an interesting transition as she moved from being her parents' daughter to Darcy's wife.

Mr. Bennet played the largest role of any of the side characters as he was called upon to thwart his wife's trouble-making. It was nice to see him put his foot down when Mrs. Bennet was at her worst. Caroline made a melodramatic appearance and Colonel Fitzwilliam was strangely...creepy. I was a little disappointed when that didn't lead to anything. Mrs. Gardiner was, of course, absolutely magnificent.

I liked this book a lot, but I do wish there was a little more conflict, mostly 'cause I'm an evil reader who likes to see my favorite characters suffer. Everything was a little too peaceful for this to be one of my favorites, but other than that I have no complaints. The writing was lovely, the characters true to themselves yet not wholly traditional, and the story was a great deal of fun. 

Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme). Ratings may contain spoilers.

Profanity:
I rate it a 2.10 for a couple of mild words.

Sexuality:
I give it a 7.10 for a few descriptive scenes near the end and references and innuendos throughout.

Violence:
There was no violence in this book.

About the Author:

Linda Beutler is an Oregon native who began writing professionally in 1996 (meaning that is when they started paying her...), in the field of garden writing. First published in magazines, Linda graduated to book authorship in 2004 with the publication of Gardening With Clematis (2004, Timber Press). In 2007 Timber Press presented her second title, Garden to Vase, a partnership with garden photographer Allan Mandell. Now in 2013 Linda is working with Meryton Press.

Linda shares a small garden in Southeast Portland with her husband, and pets that function as surrogate children. Her personal collection of clematis numbers something around 230 taxa. These are also surrogate children, and just as badly behaved.


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Happy Reading!
              Lieder Madchen

Novella Review: Wind-Up Hearts by Stan Swanson

Wind-Up Hearts
by Stan Swanson

Genre: Romance / Steampunk

Ages: 14 and up

I received an e-copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Description:

If one’s heart is constructed of metal and considered indestructible, can love and romance still find a place within? That is the question facing Henry Thackery who spends over a hundred years pursuing the woman of his dreams—Emily Harding. After Henry and Emily become recipients of the Merganthol Circulatory Assistance Device, we follow their journey from 1875 to the present day and Henry’s unflinching quest to convince Emily (the love of his life) to become his bride. Will Henry be successful in his pursuit of love or will Emily ultimately “break” his indestructible heart? A tale of romance more than science fiction, Wind-Up Hearts will tug at the strings of your heart whether it be mechanical or flesh and blood.

My Thoughts:

Aww... This novella is so sweet and so sad. It is the beautifully written tale of two friends, the very best of friends, who meet once a week to have lunch, talk about their lives, and wind up their clockwork hearts. The same as they have done every week for more than a hundred years. This is the sort of idea that I wish I had thought of first, just because I like it so much.

I am a die-hard romantic with steampunk tendencies, so it was almost inevitable that I fall in love with this story. Add word-perfect writing and I was hooked. There isn't a whole lot I can say about the story without spoiling anything because it was so short. It's a quiet story, made up of conversations between not-quite-lovers as they watch the world go by. It was a joy to watch their relationship unfold. But don't take my word for it. Read it yourself. Maybe cry a little at the end, just like I did.

Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme). Ratings may contain spoilers.

Profanity:
I give it a 2.10 for 3 swearwords; two mild, one middling.

Sexuality:
I give it a 1.10 for mild sexual references.

Violence:
There was no violence in this story.


                              Lieder Madchen