#Conveniently Wed to the Laird

[bookstagramofmine]

Giveaway & Book Review: Conveniently Wed to the Laird by Jeanine Englert 

Giveaway & Book Review: Conveniently Wed to the Laird by Jeanine Englert @rararesources @JeanineWrites @MillsandBoon @HarlequinBooks #BookBlog #BookTwt #BookReview #RomanceNovel

Thank you Rachel’s Random Resources for the chance to be on the book tour for Conveniently Wed to the Laird by Jeanine Englert! Conveniently Wed to the Laird comes out on the 24th of January and is the third book in the Falling for a Stewart series by the author! The book is 252 pages long and is published by Harlequin Historical in the US and Mills & Boon in the UK. Blurb: When new laird,…

[jeanvanjer]

Hi, I hope you don't mind the question, but do you have a list of (historical) romance novels you recommend somewhere? I'm pretty new to the genre and would like some recs to start off with.

Thank you!

Of course I dont mind! I dont have a list here (but if you check the book recs tag or reading romance im sure youd find books ive read or books friends have recommeded) so I'll just post a few here.

Fair warning! I am horrible of keeping track of the books I've read so my recs will be a just a bunch of random books I like. @mermaidsirennikita and @triviareads are far more organized in their book recs than I am so you can always check their pages.

Please let me know if you'd like specific tropes!! Or more importantly if you have any TWs!

The Chief (the entire Highland Guard series actually) by Monica McCarthy. Tor MacLeod is a highland laird very much focused on helping Robert the Bruce with his secret plan to free Scotland from English Rule but his sudden marriage to sweet Tina is distracting him. They're forced to marry after she's found in his bed (her dad blackmailed her into getting herself ruined instead of her sister). The entire series is honestly a banger. It marries actual history with romance in a very clever way. The Chief is 1 of 12 so you have a lot of different tropes and stories to choose from if this one isnt for you!

Convergence of Desire by Felicity Niven - A TRULY WONDERFUL book with great disability rep. Harry (Harriet) is probably the biggest STEM heroine Ive read in HR (I know you love those based on your writing) and is on the spectrum. On paper Thomas is a rake that cannot fathom committing to only one woman but he needs to marry for money fast and she just wants to solve Fermat's Last Theorem. They enter a marriage of convenience and this book is just plain lovely. The very few books that have made me cry. Its emotional and the relationship that builds between these two is just🤌🏽🤌🏽🤌🏽🤌🏽

The Winter King and The Sea King by CL Wilson. CL Wilson is an amazing writing imo. I haven't read romantasy since high school and these books were the first ive read and enjoyed after such a long time. The first book is a marriage of convenience/ forced marriage situation. Her brother killed his brother and fiance?? I dont remember the specifics. But he wants a bride as payment and Thasin (our herione) father is an ass and decided TW there is dubcon. The first sex scene is the wedding night and there are aphrodiacs involved. Second one Dilys is a merman. Thats always fun. Super feminist too. Dont remember the exact details but did have a great time reading this one too.

The Duke Gets Even by Johanna Shupe. Shupe is a great writer and from the very few books I've read of her, The Duke Gets Even is probably my favorite.

Anything by Lorraine Heath but the most recent book I remember reading is The Duchess Hunt where the hero appoints his secretary (who secretly loves him) to find his a wife. Preferably one who is as organized, wonderful, and knows him as much as she does LOL. Lorraine one of the best writers in the genre and they always hit emotionally. You won’t go wrong with anything by her.

Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas. An all time favorite book of mine. Think Persuasion but with a revenge plot. Aline drives McKenna away when they were younger to save him and he comes back a rich ass bitch ready for revenge. The chemistry between Aline and McKenna is insane. One of the few times I truly believed the “soulmates” thing. These two are definitely soulmates. And there’s a wonderful secondary romance as well.

What I Did For a Duke by Julie Anne Long. An Age Gap romance where Alexander plans to seduce Genevieve as revenge against her brother (who slept with his mistress) but she susses him out quickly from there they become sort of friends? he helps her win over her crush, he tells her she has stars in her hair, and along the way they fall in love. Alex is one of my all time favorite heroes.

Lord Of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase. As much as I love the hero of this book, Dan I recommend this book a lot solely for the heroine. Jessica Trent has my heart. She is that bitch.

Heartless Duke by Scarlett Scott. An intense romance between Leo, an agent for England and Bridgit, a fenian rebel. Lots of angst and sexual tension. So good.

Lost in Your Arms and That Scandalous Evening by Christina Dodd. These books were one of the first books I read when I started my own reading journey so these hold a special place in my heart. LIYA is about Enid who’s living her life as a widowed caretaker but then someone comes to tell her husband is alive and on the brink of death so she’s forced to nurse him back to health. The love confession that happens is honestly one of my favorite confessions of all time. TSE is about Jane who is back from self imposed exile after a scandal that ruined her ten years back. Ransom, the cause of her scandal and her last crush, suspects of being a spy and tries to stop her. With his heart (and dick).

[triviareads]

Any good marriage for convenience romance books?

I actually had a hard time with this one because there are so many historicals where the marriage is convenient for one party, or like, convenient in that otherwise she'll be "ruined" or she's possibly pregnant. But here are some of the ones where both parties agree to marry without any (or much) external pressure:

Historical:

Convergence of Desire by Felicity Niven: Harry wants to devote her energies to proving Fermat's Theorem (which I now know way too much about) rather than being out in society, and Thomas needs a rich wife, so they decide to marry and Harry even says he can sleep with whoever after they marry..... unfortunately this man is only able to get it up for her soon enough.

Fiona and the Enigmatic Earl by Grace Callaway: Fiona wants to be free to continue her work as a member of an investigative agency, Lady Charlotte's Society of Angels, and Hawk wants to marry but without any emotional entanglements and to continue his spy work, so they agree to a marriage of convenience where neither party will hinder the other.

How the Wallflower was Won by Eva Leigh: After fucking up his sister and best friend's (DOM MFING KILBURN) marriage, Finn needs to marry or he'll be cut off, and Tabitha wants to join an influential intellectual society that only admits married women, and so marriage it is.

The Scot of Mine by Sophie Jordan: Kind of a marriage of convenience? Except the terms aren't laid out super clearly beforehand and Clara's brother does have a hand in the marriage, but this one is too funny to not include. Clara lies about being pregnant to escape marriage to an asshole, but when she's sent to Scotland, she meets Hunt, a laird who has a generational curse on him which means he will die before his heir is born. So Hunt decides to marry her because she's pregnant with someone else's baby so obviously, he won't die!

Except, well, it's a lie, and he finishes inside her multiple times after they're married so........

The Beast of Beswick by Amalie Howard: Astrid proposes marriage to Thane, a scarred misanthrope duke, so that her sister can escape marriage to the man who ruined Astrid's reputation. Thane eventually agrees because he's intensely attracted to her but has no intention of falling in love with her.

The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare: Another scarred duke, this time in want of a wife that won't faint when she sees him so he can begat heirs; Emma is the seamstress who made his former fiancée's wedding dress and shows up for payment, but Ashbury decides she'll do just fine as a wife.

Worth Any Price Lisa Kleypas: The only male virgin in Kleypas-verse (well at least in the beginning), Nick Gentry is tasked with finding Charlotte on behalf of her family and fiancé, but it turns out the fiancé is, among other things, deffo a groomer so he agrees to marry her to protect her.

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas: You know the deal with this one; St. Vincent needs to marry a rich heiress since he's about to be cut off and his attempted kidnapping of Lillian failed miserably, and Evie needs to escape her abusive relatives, so off to Gretna Green it is.

Contemporary:

Lush Money by Angelina M Lopez: Prince Mateo agrees to marry billionaire Roxanne and have sex with her three nights a month so she can have a kid in exchange for money for his impoverished country. The resentment in this man is real, not that it stops him from calling her mi mujer and jumping her every 10 seconds. Basically, the only wife guy I condone.

Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey: Natalie and August agree to marry so Natalie can access start-up capital and August can improve his shoddy vineyards. I really loved August's (objectively dumb) no-PiV-sex-until-she-won't-regret-it rule because it actually made the wedding night kinda great, and it also drew out tension until they had no choice but to admit their feelings for one another.

The Harlequin fave Jackie Ashenden very helpfully made a page on her website devoted to all her marriage of convenience books, and yes, I recommend all of them.

Crowning His Lost Princess by Caitlin Crews: Warlord touches down in a Kansas (?) field and announces that this farmer gal was switched at birth, is actually a princess, and that they must marry for political reasons.

Trust Fund Fiancé by Naima Simone: Reagan needs access to her inheritance and proposes a marriage of convenience to her friend Zeke in order to gain access. This one is also technically friends-to-lovers but a really well done one.

*tbh your best bet in terms of modern marriages of conveniences might be harlequins because the stakes feel somewhat high and the tension is real, unlike a lot of contemporary romances which have people marrying to like, inherit a family ski resort or something.

[celticbarb]

Book:Lady Briar Weds a Scot

Author: Fenna Edgewood

Series: Blakeley Manor, #1

Publisher: Wolf

Length: 254 Pages

Overall Rating: 4 Stars

Blog Rating: 4 Saltire Flags

Briar Blakeley…

She is the youngest sister of a duke and very loved and admired by everyone. She has no plans to wed anyone in the near future. Unfortunately she’s kidnapped with her family's handsome Scottish gardener! Many secrets and mysteries that she does not understand.

Off to Scotland…

Wren Spencer returns from the French war and has a fallout with his clan to find a bitter feud has split him from his clan. Putting the rejection behind him, he takes up a tranquil and peaceful life at Blakeley Manor becoming their gardener. Now a group of Highlanders are determined to bring Wren home and he has no say in the matter! The other problem? They've also abducted Briar thinking by mistake she is his wife!

Ready or not it is time to Wed…

Briar has been ruined and carried off to Scotland, and must be married asap. Will she agree to this marriage?

A marriage of convenience or a true love that will last forever

Wren proposes a marriage of convenience, he tells himself honor and protection is what he will offer, but he has been attracted to Briars and wanted her for quite some time. They have a true love that is very rare.

But when his new bride’s life is threatened by cruel blackguards this Scottish laird finds himself caught up in a dangerous scheme! Furthermore Wren and Briars lives are in jeopardy. He will do anything to protect Briar, even die to rescue and save the woman who owns his heart!

A story filled with wit, mystery, suspense and a powerful long lasting love and pure brilliance. A book I could not put down and kept me up turning these captivated pages late into the night!

I received a complimentary copy from Wolf publishing for an honest review and blog through netgalley. All words, ideas and thoughts are my own.

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Lady Len and the Mysterious Mac by Rose Prendeville

Brides of Chattan #2

Marriage of convenience that becomes so much more ~ Loved this book!

What I liked: * Ellen Mackintosh: quiet, hasn’t spoken (much or loudly) since childhood, has nosebleeds, focused on trying to be perfect, cossetted considered “weak” by her family, learns a lot about who she really is and what she really wants by the end of the story

* Silas MacKenzie: bigger than most, quiet, studious, brilliant, a bit of a scientist, has guilt feelings carried since childhood, loves his father, caring, kind, stuttered as a child, prefers to write than talk, made a vow in childhood that is difficult to keep…especially after marrying Ellen

* The slow burn that takes place as Ellen and Silas get to know one another

* The plot, pacing, setting and writing

* That it drew me in and made me care

* It felt true to the era and in keeping with the times

* The supporting characters and the necessary parts they played to make this story rich

* The conclusion of the book and how all the threads were drawn together and tied in a tidy knot

* Hoping there will be another book in the series

What I didn’t like:

* Who and what I was meant not to like

* Thinking about how selfish some people are and the pain they cause

* The pain both main characters carried from childhood

Did I Like this book? Yes

Would I read more in this series? Definitely!

Thank you to NetGalley and Eridani Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

BLURB

It was a marriage of convenience for everyone except the bride and groom. He never wanted to be a laird. She never wanted to marry one. Wee Ellen Mackintosh, sickly and quieter than a church mouse, holds a secret that even time hasn't healed. Unable to use her voice since childhood, she's not up to being lady of the castle, but her father wants a MacKenzie son-in-law. So when the giant Silas Mackenzie returns to the Highlands, both their fathers' schemes take off like runaway stallions. Too tall and broad for anyone's good, but especially his own, Silas breaks everything he touches. To appease his dying father and an increasingly rebellious clan, Si reluctantly agrees to the marriage, vowing to keep it in his kilt no less so when he sees the tiny, perfect creature they expect him to wed. Unwanted but undeniable, the spark between them burns hotter by the day, even as they try to push each other away. But can Silas fight the monsters within his clan—or at war within himself—without her? Or will Ellen finally find her voice, only to disappear forever?

[quirky-book-reads]

Coveniently Wed to the Laird, #3

Coveniently Wed to the Laird, #3 by Jeanine Englert (@JeanineWrites) is a character driven story about overcoming the odds and finding family and friendship, as the characters open up to each other... #millsandboon #historicalromance #harlequinhistorical

Genre: Harlequin Historical, Mills & Boon, Historical Romance The Laird’s bridal bid… Is love too high a price to pay? When new laird Ewan Stewart witnesses Catriona Gordon being sold at a market, he buys her to save her from abuse. Then he realises that a convenient marriage could secure his clan’s future and her freedom. The only rule is that their arrangement must stay free of love, and yet…

[thelarriefics]

HISTORICAL FIC REC, Part III: Below you’ll find more fics that take place in historical times. (Part I, Part II)

📖 The Florentine Letters by @forreveries (118k)

Oxford University, June, 1935.

The edge of summer has just begun to dawn over the university campus, exams are almost over and the dust is just beginning to settle over the desks.

📖 Come My Love Again by @softfonds (110k)

Harry Styles is handsome, clever, and rich. At least that’s what his friends say of him. He also thinks of himself as a matchmaker in Highbury, pairing people together when he finds the time. But when the arrival of a certain gentleman flips Harry’s world on its head, he starts to question everything that was once all too familiar to him, including his relationship with his good friend, Mr. Tomlinson. An Emma AU.

📖 The Murmur of Yearning by @mediawhorefics (93k)

Four years ago, Harry Styles was forced into a marriage of convenience to enrich and ally both his and his promised's families. The sudden, and slightly suspicious, death of the Marquess of Haxshire, however, brings great disturbance to Crescentfield Hall and, as his late's husband's closest male relative, Harry unexpectedly finds himself the head of a family he never felt he belonged to. Between a meddling distant cousin hellbent on inserting himself in Harry’s life, his wicked and mistrustful mother-in-law and his late husband’s advisors refusing to help or take him seriously, Harry struggles in the fight to keep what he’s earned and make the Estate finally feel like home.

Luckily, he doesn’t stand completely alone and finds himself an unlikely ally in Mr Tomlinson, the elusive Land Stewart who has been taking care of the property in the shadows for years. Louis Tomlinson is caring, patient, and unlike everyone else, he doesn’t seem to think Harry committed a murder.

📖 Jade by @halosboat (91k)

Harry was in a shipwreck, lost at sea with an injury to his head that causes him to lose part of his memory. Louis happens to notice the boy and dives in to rescue him, then aiding him to health again with his mother’s help.

Harry may have lost part of his memory, part of his life, but he gained something better than he could have ever imagined; he fell in love with Louis.

But, the life that Harry couldn't remember may just come between them.

The Amnesia AU where Harry and Louis still end up falling in love.

📖 adjudication by @bottomlinsons (75k)

Harry's been engaged to Princess Charlotte of Ryde for as long as he can remember. He's come to know her, to love her, through the letters she's sent him over the past three years.

But when the wedding finally arrives, Harry quickly learns that nothing is as it seems. With his crown and country at stake, Harry must decide who to trust in this strange new land. And the sly Crown Prince of Ryde doesn't seem inclined to make things easy.

📖 Tudor Rose by @casuallyhl  (73k)

a Tudor AU where Harry and Louis are young and betrothed lords in Henry VIII’s court, but when Harry catches the king’s eye, their future becomes as unsteady as England without a male heir.

📖 After Dark, After Light by @becomeawendybird (70k)

Harry Styles is the laird of Clan Edwards who is just trying to keep his clan afloat when they get word that the Mackenzies have been cutting a swath through the Midlands and beyond, and their sights are set on the northern Highlands next. In an attempt to garner extra protection for his clan, Harry sets out to mend his father's past wrongs and ally with their neighbors to the west, Clan Sutherland.

Louis Tomlinson is the mysterious commander of the Sutherland army sent back with Harry on orders from his laird to help shore up Clan Edwards' defenses. As the winter draws nearer by the day, the two are thrown together to prepare for the invasion that they expect as soon as the ground thaws.

📖 tempests of dust by @scrunchyharry (30k)

After a summer spent together, the thought of parting ways was too much to bear and they struck a deal: Louis would pretend to be a duke at the court of Versailles for a season: if after three months, he was miserable, Harry would let him return to his former life without making a fuss.

Did they really think it would be that simple?

📖 Ever Since I Tried Your Way by @lesbianiconharrystyles (25k)

In 1949 Harry left his bride at the altar, running away from the only life he'd known. When a kindhearted farmer offers him a ride in his truck and a place to sleep the two find themselves inexplicably drawn together. Isolated on Louis' farm with nobody but a field of dairy cows to intrude, the men are finally able to explore the parts of themselves they've spent their lives hiding away.

📖 All Shook Up by @zouissupremacy (23k)

Louis is a mechanic who's always worked for his uncle during the summer, this one's no different. One night after work he goes out to a bar, where he meets Harry. The curly haired boy with the most alluring voice that brings forwards all those desires he's always tried to hide.

📖 i took my love (take it down) by @leedsau (11k)

A 19th century AU where Louis learns to love after a stranger visits his manor.

📖 Sigh for Sigh by @et-y-etc (10k)

the one where they're both idiots, Harry's afraid to say what he's thinking, and Louis's just trying to be honorable.

📖 fallin' all in you by @twoweekslhome (9k)

Princes Louis and Harry pine and their sisters give them a needed nudge.

📖 Haunting Beauty by @evilovesyou (6k)

It’s 1988. Harry has just finished his first year of teaching English and looks forward to a relaxed break. Louis is a poltergeist and has different plans for Harry’s summer.

📖 The Way You Smile Golden by @moonhusbands (5k)

it's 1967 and two boys find themselves alone on a beach.

[mermaidsirennikita]

Oh could you please recommend some Kerrigan Byrne and Lorraine Heath books as well? I'm done with Kleypas' and Tessa dares entire catalogue and now I'm confused as to where to turn 😛

I'm so sorry for the delay, I thought I answered this! I must have written something out and then closed the window. :/

Kerrigan Byrne (I've read more of hers, as I decided to go slow with Heath after burning through way too many of Byrne's books at once and having nothing left lol):

The Highwayman--My favorite romance novel with my favorite hero (and a great heroine). He's got a scarred eye, a criminal empire, and he doesn't wanna touch her with his FILTHY DISGUSTING HANDS THAT HAVE DONE HORRID THINGS so he wears leather gloves when they're fucking. And ties her up so she can't touch him. It's glorious.

The Scot Takes A Wife--Scottish lord/laird whatever gets into an enemies to lovers land dispute with the heiress to the land he wants (she's actually an American widow who kills her husband within the first few pages). Marriage of convenience issues ensue.

The Duke with The Dragon Tattoo--Girl meets boy, girl nurses boy back to health, boy has to leave but promises he'll come back for her, boy comes back for her on her wedding day and murders her evil brother and fiance before taking her to his PIRATE SHIP. "We're married" "No we're not" "By maritime law".

Seducing A Stranger (also published as A Dark and Stormy Knight)--I recommend reading after the other books, or at least after The Highwayman, because the hero of this one is the straitlaced chief of police dude who is always getting on the other heroes about their wild ways. Turns out he's got a fun side. He fucks the heroine in a pleasure garden (she thinks he's a gigolo, it's complicated) and then they don't see each other until her wedding day, where she's found next to her dead fiance holding a knife. But don't worry, they won't execute her, because that night in the pleasure garden got her pregnant!!!

How To Love A Duke in Ten Days--The heroine is being blackmailed and must enter into a marriage of convenience in order to pay off her blackmailer. The hero has a dark past. TW: this one begins with the heroine being raped, and deals very strongly with her trauma surrounding men and sex throughout.

All Scot and Bothered--The heroine inherits a brothel which is actually not a brothel, whereas the hero is a lawman who believes it's not only a brothel but trafficking children. By day, he's falling in love with the heroine, and by night he's pursuing her alter ego, but in a legal way not a sexy way.

Lorraine Heath:

Waking Up With The Duke--The hero is (sorta) responsible for his best friend being in an accident that rendered him impotent years earlier. Best friend asks hero to impregnate his wife. Hero (reluctantly) agrees because he's always had a thing for her and is crushed by guilt. SUCH A GOOD. SO MUCH ANGST.

The Earl Takes All--Hero's twin brother dies when they're on a safari together. On the request of his twin, he pretends to be him when he gets back to England because the heroine is pregnant and has had issues with carrying pregnancies to term in the past. Heroine has no fucking idea that she's with her husband's twin, which is QUITE bonkers and great.

The Viscount and The Vixen--Old lord puts out an ad promising a woman tens of thousands of pounds if she marries him. Woman answers ad and in the process signs a legally binding contract promising her a husband or a payout. The lord's son insists that he's being taken advantage of, but the only way to get his father out of the contract is by marrying her himself, oops!

The Duchess Hunt--Duke with ridiculously high standards sets out to find a duchess. The heroine is his assistant, who sets out to help him find said duchess while secretly longing for him. It gives BIG Tony Stark/Pepper Potts vibes if you're into that.

[pollyssecretlibrary]

Tagged by @ramblingromance to list ten of my favorite heroes and ten of my favorite heroines from romance novels. I always blank with posts like this, but I’m gonna try my best. These are not listed in any particular order, just the ones that came to the top of my head were listed first.

HEROES 

Ash, The Duke of Ashbury - The Duchess Deal. What can I say? hurt and scarred and grumpy and so unintentionally funny. And a Batman of sorts who even has a Robin of sorts! I love all of Tessa Dare’s heroes, but I think Ash is my favourite

Sam, Lord Samuel Travis - The Rogue is Back in Town. He’s the main reason why after reading this book for Netgalley I bought the actual book, in paper, overseas. I had the ebook for free, legally, and I bought the book because I had fallen in love with a man who had stopped being a rake the moment he crossed the main door of the house of the woman he was supposed to have on the streets. Because he became family with her and her old uncle who was not quite right in the head. I wish I could go on about him, but you better read that book.

Alexander Westcott - Someone to Wed. Alex needs a wife because now that he’s an earl he must have an heir. And he’s found the woman to marry. It’s some kind of marriage of convenience; she has the money to fund his earldom and wants a husband, so she offers just that. But he will have none of it, the betrothal will come to its conclusion if and when they fall in love with eachother. In other words, he seeks romance.

Wulfric Bedwin, duke of Bewcastle - Slightly Dangerous. Another Mary Balogh hero. I remember that I read the whole Bedwin saga and until the last book, Wulfric was just the elder brother, the insufferable pain in the ass to his siblings who in each and every book proved that he actually had a heart of gold. And in his book we finally get to see why he’s the way he is, and we fall in love with him. 

Victor Bramwell, Earl of Rycliff - A Night to Surrender. I fell in love with a man who shoot cannons at sheep ok? ok

Sebastian St. Vincent - The Devil in Winter. He was the worst of the worst until Evie offered herself to him in marriage. He not only fell in love with the sweet lady but he defended her and their world. Together they made my favourite couple of all of Lisa Kleypas’ Not also that, they had many children together, one of which is...

Gabriel St. Vincent - The Devil in Spring. With parents like Evie and Sebastian, of course Gabriel had to be an outstanding hero. Sweeter and more responsible than his father was at his age, Gabriel is understanding and supportive of Pandora. And I loved him.

Edward Alcott, earl of Greyling - The Earl Takes All. The situation is, he comes back home from an expedition... with his twin brother’s coffin. His sister in law Julia is pregnant and having miscarried several times he’s scared. So he tells everyone he is his brother and tries to protect and look after the widow until she gives birth. He’s eventually discovered and all that but in the meantime and after that he’s caring, protective, loving and all the things he thinks he owes her. And even more, he provides for her and her baby because he’s so in love with her.

Gabriel Forrester, Duke of Latimer - Hero in the Highlands. He arrives in the Highlands, defends the lands he’s inherited, the people who depends on him and the love of his life from a neighbouring laird who seeks power at all costs. Not only that, Gabriel is so involved in his Scottish life, despite being an English lord, he respects the mentality and the customs so much that his people decide he should start a clan of his own and so his people will bow to no one else. They gain independence thanks to him, and that’s quite a feat.

HEROINES

Louvaen - Entreat Me. To save her sister she enters the lair of the beast. I mean, a man who actually turns to a beast due to an old curse. She’s the one to take the bull by its horns and defend herself, her sister, the beast and the beast’s son if needed be, from the curse and the people who mean to harm them all. 

Evie - The Devil in Winter. The shiest of the wallflowers, the one who would be called the weakest. Such a little mouse full of insecurities. Well, you’re wrong. She’s the fiercest. smartest and strongest.

Alexandra Mountbatten - The Wallflower Wager. This one is amazing. By day she’s a governess, well, if you call lessons on piracy and sailing proper for the schoolroom. She takes a wild rake and his two mischievous guards in. And by night she requests to be his pupil in lovemaking lessons.

Emma Gladstone - The Duchess Deal. Her husband is Ash ok? You need to be very special to fit that role for he’s not easy to handle. And she’s so good at it, she meets one by one all of his stupid rules and gets her way around them. Every single one of them and more. And she has a heart of gold.

Pandora Ravenel - The Devil in Spring. I connected with Pandora the moment I knew about her hearing loss. This shouldn’t be a reason, right? having more or less the same condition as her... having the same symptoms and feelings and sensations and thoughts. And the same wish to be loved.

Maddy Timms - Flowers from the storm. Taking in an injured man who happens to be a notorious rake should speak for her bravery enough. But falling in love with him and going against your whole world for it, that speaks for her courage. She’s willing to go agains her church, her family, her friends... for the love of a man. And she just wanted to have a quiet life.

Fiona Blackstock - Hero in the Highlands. She’s looked after her clan when her brother disappears. And after that, when Gabriel comes to fulfil his role as Duke of Latimer. Fiona and Gabriel are the perfect team. She’s loyal but opinionated, she’s fierce and wild. A true Scottish lass and an impressive woman.

--------------------------------------------

I know I should add some Bridgertons here and there and some of Lorraine Heath’s heroes and heroines... but my brain won’t work right now so I’ll just add one couple... as together. Because they are very special to me and one doesn’t go without the other. They are the main characters of the first Mary Balogh book I ever read.

From Simply Perfect - Claudia Martin and Joseph, Marquess of Attingsborough. Their story is amazing. It’s one about learning and overcoming hardship together. He’s the father of a natural daughter who he loves with a passion. And the girl is deaf, so he asks her to take her in her school for ladies, But Claudia wants him to learn that his child is just like any other... 

I don’t know who to tag, I mean, who hasn’t done this yet? perhaps @romancingthebookworm dearest Jess? I guess you’re too busy at the moment. @hope-for-olicity how about you? @thebooklrandtheduke Miri? Were you tagged already? ANYONE?

[luxuryvillas13]

THE TOP LUXURY CASTLES AND HOLIDAY COTTAGES FOR RENT IN THE UK

The United Kingdom has so many places to explore. In summer it is warm with the occasional gentle downpours, perfect for exploring the quaint towns and villages. In autumn it is magnificent, the forest and hills of Surrey, Hampshire, Somerset and Cornwall are set with rusty orange hues complimented by gorgeous sunsets. Of course Ireland, Scotland and Wales possess the most magnificent rugged landscapes, bejewelled with glistening valleys and imposing mountains.

 If you are looking to rent a luxury castle in England, Scotland, Ireland or Wales for your holidays, with a private pool and the best facilities then look no further. We have compiled a list of the very best holiday cottages in the UK, all with something exceptional about them. Most of these have a serious wow factor offering a luxury lifestyle fit for a king. The UK has so many historic towns that offer great food and excellent hospitality. We’ve handpicked some of the best holiday castles for their unusual architecture, amazing interiors and superb locations. Indulge yourself and live like a Scottish laird, English duke or Irish tiarna surrounded by immaculate ornamental gardens and gently rolling hills. Or if you prefer more discreet luxury peruse the holiday cottages for rent. The UK boasts many national parks of unsurpassed beauty and surprisingly beautiful beaches from Cornwall to Scotland. Most of these lovely castles come with a gorgeous swimming pool so you and the family can swim surrounded by classic splendour.

 GOTHIC CASTLE GALWAY IRELAND

Welcome to a Gothic Castle located on the shores of a private lake. The castle is just a short distance from Galway City and conveniently located to Shannon International Airport. The owners can host any event you want, including private parties, gala dinners, weddings and film location. The rental of the castle is always on an exclusive basis so the owner and family move out for your event.

 The Castle features pike fishing (fly or spinner) on a private 1000 acre lake - you will be the only boat on the lake allowing complete concentration on the sport at hand. During the season there is also driven pheasant and duck shooting. Around the Estate are a variety of trails offering exploration opportunities for walking, running, cycling, bird watching and nature enthusiasts in unspoiled woodlands and pasture. Within the area there are a large amount of things to do ranging from sightseeing to shopping and golf. The lake is a completely private fishery and as such has not suffered the fate of many of the country's other lakes with invasive species such as the Zebra Mussel and algal bloom taking hold. There are many large and smaller pike, as well as some perch and rumours of one or two large trout. Exclusivity means that only one boat can be on the lake at any one time, and no more than two anglers in a boat. The castle provides the boat and engine, lifejackets (if necessary), maps, etc. Limited tackle can be rented too, as well as a fish-finder. Bird, Pheasant and Duck shooting as well as Deer Stalking are available during the season by arrangement. Many of the woodlands were planted in the late 1700s and 1800s specifically with the sport of shooting in mind and thus offer great shooting in a convenient location. At the end of the nineteenth century the estate was famous throughout Ireland for the quality and number of woodcock presented. There is a full time game keeper on the Estate who ensures that all guests are extremely well catered for.

 SCOTS PALACE SCOTLAND

 Scots Palace, with its colourful and fascinating history, is considered to be one of Scotland’s most significant stately homes. Situated above the River Tay in the very heart of Scotland, the Palace is just a short distance from the village of Scots and the city of Perth, making a wonderful base for those wanting to explore this beautiful region. Steeped in history, the Palace has been the seat of parliaments, while the Kings of Scots, including Macbeth and Robert the Bruce have been crowned here. Guests privileged enough to be able to stay at Scots Palace will be able to enjoy the marvellous collection of antiques, paintings and unique artefacts which adorn the wonderful property.

 The Palace is fantastic for those hosting events or celebrations, while the Palace State Rooms are part of the tour for the general public from April through to October, they are able to be reserved exclusively in the evenings, please see the events tab for more details!

 Scots Palace can comfortably accommodate up to twenty-seven guests across thirteen double occupancy and one single beautifully-appointed bedrooms and 12 bathrooms. The bedrooms are set across three parts of the palace, in the West Passage are two twin rooms, two king-size double rooms and a small double room which is suitable for a single person, each of these rooms look out over the Park and possess wonderful views of the Tay.

   HOWARD TOWER YORKSHIRE ENGLAND

 Howard Tower enjoys an absolutely fascinating history. It was cited as being under the ownership of Robert de Brus in the 1086 Domesday book. Ownership today can be traced to 1301. For the following seven hundred years, a rich history unfolded including Kings of Jerusalem crusaders and knights who fell on the fields of Bannockburn. Since 1614, Howard Tower has won the hearts of visitors with historic meetings taking place in the state rooms and notable dignatories residing in the property. Howard Tower is now a family home with the owners and their family living in one wing of this magnificent property and the rest given over for luxury, out-of-this world stays, weddings and events. The family’s values of sense of community, responsibility, progress, preservation and an attachment to North Yorkshire’s landscape are clearly evident. Throughout this lavish home, you will find paintings and adornments that depict the legacy and testament that the family inherited. The owners moved from London in 1990 to Howard Tower which had been unoccupied for some twenty years. During years of extensive renovation, refurbishment and incredible attention to detail, this phenomenal home has become a treasured, much loved, special venue as well as a home. When you arrive, you will not believe that this could possibly be yours for the week but it can and you will create memories that will last a lifetime. You can rent all sixteen of the guest bedrooms which can be found in the Nursery Wing, the Batchelor Wing and the Clock Tower. They sleep thirty one guests, and with extra mattresses in some of the bedrooms, you could potentially have another ten guests. In truly opulent state rooms, you can live like royalty, dine like kings and enjoy celebrations by candlelight. A professional, dedicated team will be on-hand to ensure that you enjoy the holiday of a lifetime within this palatial home.

  TAMAR CASTLE CORNWALL ENGLAND

Tamar Castle holds a tranquil position on the Cornish bank of the River Tamar, just fifteen minutes away from the town of Saltash, often regarded as the “Gateway to Cornwall”. The Castle makes a completely unique setting for a holiday, special celebration or wedding and the wonderful memories will certainly last a lifetime.

 Dating back to 1698, Tamar Castle boasts infinite charm and character while still possessing all the modern amenities you could possibly need for a contented and relaxed stay. The living accommodation is ideal for socialising and comprises of the elegant drawing room complete with roaring open fire, a formal dining room with seating for twenty-two, a sunny morning room and a fully-equipped family kitchen. The Castle can comfortably sleep up to twenty-two guests across its eleven beautifully-appointed bedrooms, nine of which boast en-suite facilities. On the ground floor is the first of the bedrooms, specially designed with those who struggle with mobility in mind. Upstairs, on the first floor, are a further eight sumptuous, en-suite bedrooms, a number of which can be set up with twin beds on request. The final two bedrooms are situated in the castellated turrets and share a family bathroom.

 The gardens are as equally impressive, with fifty-five acres of woodland grounds to explore, there are plenty of beautiful walks to enjoy. During the Summer months, the solar-heated swimming pool is the place to be and provides hours of fun for the whole family! There are multiple terraces complete with dining facilities, ideal for al fresco dining or simply enjoying a peaceful drink in the magnificent surroundings.

  C17TH CASTLE SOMERSET ENGLAND

 This impressive 17th century Castle is a Grade II listed detached hill-top property enjoying glorious 360 degree views over wooded North Somerset countryside on one side and across the Bristol Channel to Wales on the other. The castle is situated at the end of a private road high above Clevedon golf club. It makes the perfect holiday retreat for guests wanting to stay in-style while exploring Somerset, local attractions and the beautiful surroundings, it also is a fairy-tale like venue for those planning a special celebration or corporate event!

 The main part of the accommodation is housed across 4 levels in an octagonal keep, which sits in the centre of a beautifully maintained lawn and cobbled courtyard. On arriving through the main entrance, steps take you up to the impressively large kitchen with beautiful circular granite dining table. There is a spiral staircase down to the lower level, in this part of the castle, there are two double bedrooms which share a “Jack and Jill” style en-suite bathroom. Going back upstairs, on the first floor there is a grand sitting room with large stone fireplace and a 50” plasma TV, on this level there is also a library and reading room. On the final and second floor, there is a magnificent master bedroom with en-suite bathroom boasting a roll-top bath as well as a private terrace which is the perfect place from which to enjoy a drink while admiring the gorgeous views.

 Access to the indoor pool is via the sunken patio, accessed either form the Keep lower bedroom or via the flagstone steps at the rear of the Keep. The patio also boasts a newly acquired stunning wooden hot tub with its own wood burner! The indoor pool also has double doors that lead into a private patio area, perfect for a BBQ.

Surrounding the Keep, are 8 turrets, 2 of which are large and perfect for larger parties, dining and dancing. 5 Turrets are bedrooms, all self-contained with soft furnishings, toilet and shower. One of these turrets is also the ‘entertainment turret’ with pool table, table football, darts, lawn games, 48”TV, as well as a living room, kitchen, bathroom and double bedroom.

Excellence Luxury Villas has over 7000 luxury villas for rent all over the world, including many luxury holiday castles for rent in the UK. If you looking to rent a castle with private pool or a castle for rent near the beach, then check out their web, mobile and tablet platform at Excellence Luxury Villas. Browse the gorgeous images for your perfect luxury holiday villa for rent or simply call or email the helpful team at Excellence Luxury Villas. They will search according to your criteria and send you a selection of the finest curated luxury villas in any location you desire. And indeed suggest architectural marvels that will blow your mind. They also offer the most comprehensive list of luxury private islands for rent. You can self cater or leave the cooking to the professionals and ask for full catering with a private chef. Nannies, butlers and full concierge service can also be provided so that everything is arranged and taken care of for you. Guaranteed peace of mind for your perfect holiday. And for a last curiosity check out all the UK castles and cottages with Hot Tubs. See here for the finest selection of luxury holiday villas.

https://excellenceluxuryvillas.com

[anoutlandishfanfic]

Tangled Tartans: A Beginning.

Sooo... today’s the deadline for @thelallybrochlibrary‘s prompt challenge and I’m *just* squeaking in with the first installment of mine. Life is insane and I know I’m not posting very often, but please know that I AM still writing and will have a cache of fanfic when all settles down.

I chose Prompt #21, which was submitted by @ladytp and is as follows:

Instead of Dougal choosing Jamie to marry Claire, he chooses Murtagh. How does this marriage of convenience pan out for them? How do their complicated, conflicted feelings of kinship, loyalty, respect, growing friendship, love, and passion come to be? And how will Claire’s undeniable bond with and attraction to Jamie impact things?

Author’s Note: As canon Murtagh is 52 to Claire’s 26 (making him literally twice her age and old enough to be her father), you’ll find I’ve tweaked his age and story line with Ellen a little. He’s still very much in love with Jamie’s mother, but how this came to be is slightly different. Be patient and bear with me, it’ll make sense.

June 9th, 1743 Murtagh.

“Ye‘re daft… or drunk, I dinna ken which.”

Dougal rose one shoulder in a half shrug, not bothering to turn from the vista to face me, “Tis the only way to keep her out o’ Randall’s hands.”

“Marry her off to Rupert,” I spat.

“None of my clan will marry a Sassenach, healer or no’,” he vowed.

“Then, Jamie, if ye must!”

Dougal snorted with a decisive shake of his head, “Nae, no’ the lad. Ye’ll marry in the morn.”

“I’ll remind ye tha’ yer no’ my laird, then,” I growled.

He turned to me, amusement evident in his eyes, “Oh, aye, I ken where yer loyalty lies, make no mistake… as well as yer heart.”

The image of his elder sister Ellen— my first and only love, now dead and buried — swam before my eyes, making my stomach clench.

“Leave her out of this.”

“Mhmm,” he intoned and went back to watching the sun set, “then ye can be the one to tell the Sassenach she’ll be reunited wi’ her captain on the morrow.”

“Ye wouldna,” I swallowed hard, envisioning Jamie’s back and the state I’d found him in at Fort William four years before.

To hand this young woman over to Captain Randall would be ensuring her demise, for he’d surely ruin her soul as well as lay waste to her body. The things I knew the man to be capable of, the rumors I’d heard of him only gave testimony to the fact that she would not be safe in his keeping.

Dougal responded simply, “‘Tis your choice, marry her or return her to Fort William.

…

Claire.

I stared at the document in my hand in complete disbelief. It was a marriage contract. A legal document that would, in essence, make me the wife and legal property of one Murtagh Alexander Fitzgibbons Fraser.

“May I ask ye somethin’, lass?” my betrothed murmured from beside me.

My hand trembled as I shoved the parchment back into his hands with a heavy nod.

“How old are ye?”

Of all the questions I expected to come from his lips, this was not one of them.

“What?” I stared at him dumbly.

“Yer age, lass,” one hand pulled frustratedly at the back of his neck. “I ken yer auld enough to be marrit once already, but…”

“Oh,” I stammered. “I’m twenty six.”

A look of relief passed over his face that was so marked that it made me ask him the same.

“How old are you?”

“Eight and thirty,” he answered readily.

Twelve years.

The knowledge that I was to wed a man a dozen years older than me knocked the air from my lungs. To be truthful, I’d thought him a good deal older than that and felt a very small measure of relief that he wasn’t, in fact, old enough to be my father.

“Aye, well… Tis no’ as great of a difference as some. Ye dinna look yer age.” He realized how this sounded at the same time I did and he hastened to add, “To yer benefit, to be sure! I’d thought ye only to be twenty a’ the most.”

I offered him a wobbly smile, but made no effort to thank him for the roundabout compliment. My peers in this century were mothers multiple times over by now, nearly on their way to old age, and I knew my complexion and guileless face often excluded me from being among their ranks, despite my height.

After a good deal of silence, Murtagh sighed heavily, “I dinna see as either of us have a choice in the matter. If I dinna claim ye, Randall will… an’ Dougal willna let any of his clan wed ye, the ass.”

Claim me.

Was I an object to be possessed? A piece of land to be stripped of its wealth, its bounty to be taken against its will?

To him, I was.

But I refused to be a meek and obedient wife.

[shochmonster]

TEASER [for my next writing project]

Yeah, yeah, I know I’ve been a little quiet lately, but I assure you it is with good reason! While OLLIE is making its final edits before heading out on submission, and now that I’ve revamped PINTO anew, I started something totally original to follow after. Here’s a snippet of what I’ve written so far. You Downton heads will be happy to find we’re back in the 20′s again :) 

When the lads at the pub asked why I did it, I told ‘em it were on account of those tarty London whores. Couldn’t stop thinking about them, I said – what, with their plunging necklines and thick tits and all – who had time for a proper wifey? It would have only been cruel to little Marlene if I’d gone through with it, sharing a bed with her while I dreamed up all the dirty things I’d like to do with a fat-arsed slut on hands and knees. Of course, the boys agreed: they said as much with the two rounds of ale they stood up for me while I made my confession. Besides, it weren’t really that much of a fib. Not really.

In actuality, the truth was dull, and affected me in a nuanced fashion that required the sort of context you don’t talk about – even at the pub. Most of me Liverpuddle mates were shipyard blokes – real salt of the earth, Cammell Laird types – and already liked to have a laugh over how soft a career in service had made me hands, of how nice me nails were. It was unlikely that they’d understand why a plain letter in the post would be reason enough to bin a pretty lass and all the carnal accoutrements that came with her.

“But I seen her, your Marlene,” said Fat Rupert, a riveter from Birkenhead. He was a hefty bloke with an even heftier moustache, which twitched whenever he spoke. “Such a pretty, coy thing. And that small mouth – like a tight, little bud.”

“Bet she were a tight, little virgin, too,” interjected Will, lifting his fourth pint glass high and punctuating his declaration with a hearty belch. “She certainly giggled like one.”

“That’s the trouble,” says I, trying me barmy best to burst over the irrelevant detail.

“How?” Fat Rupert guffawed, slurping at his ale. It were rather disgusting how the head of his beer caked his thick whiskers, like a walrus cutting through seafoam. “Ain’t noffin’ better’n the maiden voyage.”

“I think I prefer the experienced ones,” I offered vaguely, drowning the details in another hearty glug-glug-glug of ale.

“Ohh,” hummed Will; “Hence the whores.”

“Right, the whores,” I agreed distantly, my head otherwise stuffed fat with nostalgia for Quince Orchard Park and the life I used to lead there. Blame it on that infernal letter, anticipated and unexpected all at once. If I were half as clever as I liked to boast, I’d’ve never writ the card that prompted the reply, and I’d’ve married Marlene without ever thinking of old Holly again. The wedding was marked for summer’s end, but all I could think of was how Holly and I once ruled the servants’ hall of Quince Orchard. Smug, oily and bursting with havoc, those had been the days! How spoilt I’d been to take that for granted, and yet, here I was, drowning in hubris and beer. The card were only meant it as a courtesy – the sort of last ditch call that disguises a farewell to times you only just realized were happy ones. What I got mailed in return was the uncorking of the turmoil I thought I’d repressed ages ago, and an onset of verklempt mania.

“I don’t see why you’ve got to choose,” inserted Fat Rupert, moustache sweeping the rim of his pint glass. “Marry the virgin, fuck the whores – that’s what I’d do.”

“What it is, right, is complicated,” I snapped, clutching my own glass so tightly, I thought I might crush it in my fist.

Will snorted, somehow managing wry, idiotic amusement in the halo of my irritation. “All this comin’ from the corker who fucked His Lordship’s daughter. Ain’t you bein’ a bit, well, prude, like?”

“Ain’t prude to be prudent,” I retorted, slamming my glass onto the bar with enough force to startle Fat Rupert. “And if you’ll recall, all that mess got me the sack, and here I am, workin’ the docks with you lousy sods.”

“Sounds like a fat cat whining after his fat lifestyle,” Will simpered. He was a true product of Liverpool – a real Scoucer spawned in the mucky Mersey River and left to crumble in the shipyards like a dried-out barnacle. To Will, anything from the countryside constituted as posh, even if it was only a stiff job in service that had more to do with how pretty your face was than owt else. Lucky breeding made me tall enough, fit enough – and just German enough to pass as goyish. It were the only reason I managed to find work after I came home from France, so I wasn’t about to complain. That was Will’s bit.

Fat Rupert’s empathy was only slightly more reassuring. He clapped me on the back with enough force to bruise. “Sounds more like the cat’s just got cold paws.” he chortled, massaging the welt he’d smacked through my shirt. “Don’t worry, me laddo. Happens to the best of us. You got your whole life to try again!”

But Will wouldn’t let it go – most likely because he couldn’t catch a woman if his life depended on it. “So our Eddie’s man enough to face the Kaiser’s guns, but he can’t hook a gel?” he hiccupped, just short of spilling his ale onto Fat Rupert’s duffle coat, which was disgusting and sooty, but still marked with the chevrons he’d earned after Verdun. The near-accident got Will the full strength of Fat Rupert’s mishegas, which usually spiked after the third drink or so.

“Our Eddie drove a tank through Cambrai whilst you were in convalescence,” Fat Rupert snapped, a hammy finger right in Will’s chest. His mustache bristled, reddish whiskers clashing against his ruddy drunkard’s cheeks.

“Yeah, and me leg’s still dodgy, you jerk’n’bed,” sniffed Will, unperturbed. As if to prove his point, he rapped a creaky knee with the back of his hand, though it was hard to know how much of it was just mithering. Will and Fat Rupert had this particular argument on a weekly basis, as steady as clockwork and about as melodramatic as a radio play. I let them drag on, too lost in me own head to worry about which one of them were goin’ to get laid out first. Besides, it distracted them from their nosy questions about Marlene, and why the mere reminder of Holly warranted such an abrupt change in plan. Not that I’d even got that far in my explanation: the less they knew of Holly, the better. I only wished I could say the same.

I hadn’t heard from old Holly since I got sacked and drudged off to Liverpool – though in fairness, I hadn’t made it easy, either. Any prim intentions to try writin’ got buried in the six months I spent wallowing in me cups over how foolish I’d been. Guilt overwhelmed me whenever I got even half a mind to take a nib to paper, overpacked with all the petty things that had inspired my betrayal. How was I to start up any communication after all that? To write as if I hadn’t jammed the knife in – as if I hadn’t twisted it cruelly at the fore?

Marlene turned up somewhere in that grim season of self-pity, intruding upon my vulnerable existence right when it was particularly sore. Every working day, we both took the Mersey Railway into Lime Street – even got on at the same ingress and all. Our casual salutations, the gentlemanly tip of a flatcap, her polite dip of the chin, went on in silence for about a month. I only knew she were a nurse on account of the starch pinafore she wore over her dresses, her hair always neat and pinned beneath the same little bonnet. She wore the uniform proudly – a bleeding heart that had tended to shell-shocked veterans all through the war, and then onwards, after the hun stuff finally kicked her papa underground. That was the second detail she ever shared with me, the first being her blushing shock that I knew where she lived. I told her it was because I was desperate to meet her; in truth, I’d only discovered it by drunken happenstance, stumbling home with Will and Fat Rupert as she blazed through the night like an airy pixie, her hospital whites aflame with moonglow. If I had to surmise it, convenience mainly dictated my evolution with her: she wanted another man to dote on, and I needed the cooing.  

I let it go on for nearly a year, which is roughly how long it takes to stitch up a cracked heart. The afternoon I put a ring on Marlene’s finger followed the morning I’d dropped that damning and wistful missive into the post, Quince Orchard Park emblazoned beneath Holly’s full and proper name. Procuring a positive response to one of those tasks was significantly simpler than the other. Interestingly, destroying that same progress is just as easy – and a method which I am excellently schooled in. Marlene will mend: she’s a fixer, after all.

“So did you tell her all that when you broke it off?” Fat Rupert interrupted my musing with a rude elbow to the ribs. “About the whores and such?” The pinkening of his cheeks had intensified with his desire to hear more saucy chat, his ginger moustache delineated only by the creamy foam dotting the whiskers. Oy, but Fat Rupert gossiped like a girl.

“I’m not a complete schmuck,” I snapped, folding my arms over my chest so that I could feel the thin shape of the letter that had triggered it all inside my coat pocket. “There’s just some stuff you can’t say that plainly. Especially to women,” I explained further, certain the paper envelope would burn through the lining in my jacket, tattooing its neatly typed communiqué into my flesh. Cold, regimented and not written by Holly at all, the note came from the new butler at the Orchard and very cordially informed that Holly had moved on. It might have been binned straightaway if the message ended there, but no.

Dear Mr. Finch:

Please be informed that Hollingsworth has accompanied His Lordship’s second daughter, the Lady Catherine, to London for the purposes of establishing her own household, and is now in her direct employ. Any further business or inquiries can be directed to the enclosed address. Congratulations on your nuptials.

When arranged in the formation of Lady Catherine’s new residence, the common alphabet read like hieroglyphs, strange and vaguely mystic. The idea of His Lordship’s mousey shrew of a daughter doing anything on her own was laughable, furthered only by how uncharacteristic it seemed for Holly to have followed her there. The big manor house at Quince Orchard had been as much Holly’s castle as His Lordship’s, and seemed a rather large sacrifice to make for the boring sister, who never went out and was about as interesting as a histrionic sigh. The address didn’t even mark a particularly fancy neighborhood, neither, so there was either something to hide, or the war had gouged the aristocracy more than the papers would let you believe. I chose to believe there was a little concoction of both.

TBC

[surejaya]

The Wedding (Lairds' Fiancées, #2)

The Wedding (Lairds' Fiancées, #2) by Julie Garwood

It's a classic plot: a marriage of convenience that lays the groundwork for true love. 1119. Journeying from England to Scotland to wed a highlander, Lady Brenna had resigned herself to the arranged match. But when a band of fierce, painted warriors captured her en route, she fearlessly met their demand to marry their leader -- the quick-tempered laird Connor MacAlister. She couldn't know that her capture was merely the first act of vengeance against her betrothed, Connor's sworn enemy. Brenna harbored no illusions that her husband was in love with her; after a hasty forest wedding, MacAlister assured her she could return home once she had borne him a son. But she could not deny that she had once proposed to MacAlister -- ten years ago, when she was just a child, and the visitor to her father's castle charmed her with his dazzling, unexpected smile. Now, as she sets out to win the brave chieftain whom she has come to adore, a legacy of revenge ensnares Brenna in a furious clan war -- and only her faith in her gallant hero can save her....

Download : The Wedding (Lairds' Fiancées, #2) More Book at: Zaqist Book

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Lady Briar Weds the Scot by Fenna Edgewood

The Blakely Manor Series #1

 Having read the prequel to this series in the Naughty or Nice Christmas anthology, I had to find out happened next in the series so quickly snapped up this book. It is marvelous to read a new-to-me author that is so well worth reading again!

 What I liked:

* Briar Blakely: youngest of four siblings, not ready to settle down, hasn’t had a first season in London, carefree, kind, intrigued by the gardener, ends up kidnapped and making the best of it

* Robert “Wren” Renfield Spencer: Blakely gardener, ex-captain in the military, potential Scottish laired, oldest of four siblings, kidnapped and summarily wed to Briar

* The plot, setting, pacing, and writing

* Percy Quintrell: wastrel, Blakely neighbor, scoundrel, dislikable but grew a great deal in the story

* Angus Macleod: childhood friend of Wren’s – would like to find out what happens to him in the future

* The way the truth about Wren and his backstory came out

* That some characters surprised me…not all was black or white

* The conclusion of the story

* Knowing that there will be more books to read in this series and wondering which sibling will have their story told next

 What I didn’t like:

* Who and what I was meant not to like

* Having to wait to read the next book

 Did I enjoy this book?

Would I read more in this series? Yes

 Thank you to Booksprout, NetGalley and Wolf Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

 4-5 Stars

        BLURB

 From the bestselling Regency romance author Fenna Edgewood comes an enchanting and passionate story about a mismatched young lady and a stubborn laird who surrender their hearts to one another despite their best endeavors… Beautiful and eligible, Briar Blakeley is the beloved youngest sister of a duke. Eschewing the London marriage mart, she has no plans to wed anytime soon... until she’s abducted alongside her family's handsome Scottish gardener and cast into a web of intrigue and secrets. Swept Away to Scotland… Wren Spencer returned from the wars with the French to find a bitter feud has split him from his clan—and his birthright. Putting the rejection behind him, he takes up a quiet life at Blakeley Manor tending shrubbery as the gardner. Three years later, a group of loyal Highlanders are determined to bring Wren home—whether he wishes to go or not. The other problem? They've mistaken Briar for his wife and kidnapped her along with him. Forced to Wed… Now that Briar has been compromised and carried off to Scotland, she must wed one of two men. The only question is who will she choose? When Wren proposes a marriage of convenience, he tells himself honor drives him—not the ripe lips and bright spirit of the young woman who has resurrected his heart with something he thought he would never feel again. A rare and passionate love. But when dark deeds threaten his new bride, the Scottish laird finds himself caught up in a dangerous game and must risk his legacy and even his life to save the woman who has become most precious to him. An unforgettable journey to the Highlands, in a tale replete with romance, mystery, and laughter.

[the-book-queen]

Hide your wallets, it’s that time again! #TBQsBookDeals

Your Saturday thread of #romancedeals is ready, FREE to $1.99. Happy shopping! 📚❤

  FREE ✦ January Girl by Mari Carr

He's a "cutthroat businessman" who wants her family's pub.

#ContemporaryRomance | https://amzn.to/2CEsFoX

 FREE ✦ Love Like This by Sophie Love

Aspiring travel writer gets a dream assignment -- travel to Ireland for a month and write about a legendary "festival of love". While there, she falls for her tour guide.

#ContemporaryRomance | https://amzn.to/2LE3m9h

  $0.99 ✦ In the Mood for Love by Harper Bliss

1st POV. 7 short novellas. Includes a news anchor bumping into her old best friend, age gap with two professors, and even a threesome.

#ContemporaryRomance – F/F | https://amzn.to/2VffpOR

  $1.99 ✦ The Real Thing by Melissa Foster

Bakery owner + actor + fake engagement. Oh, and they have a past (highschool years).

Pat Rec

KU Title + books 2 and 3 are also on sale

#ContemporaryRomance | https://amzn.to/2BJFSLw

  $1.99 ✦ Borderland Brides by Allison Butler

~ Scottish laird with a "cursed" clan + English woman who claims to be a healer

~ He must wed, catches a thief with his horse and decides she'll do for this marriage of convenience

#HistoricalRomance | https://amzn.to/2LEDtX9

  $2.99 ✦ Snowed in for Christmas (Anthology)

3 novellas.

~ She's stuck in a cabin with a man who has a grudge against her family

~ Snowed in with her boss (a vet)

~ Second chance, she's pregnant with his baby

#ContemporaryRomance | https://amzn.to/2Sqghyf

    Putting these lists together takes time. If you appreciate this content, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi. http://ko-fi.com/danielletbq