THE DUKE OF SEDUCTION BY DARCY BURKE - BLOG TOUR

Lady Lavinia Gillingham prefers rocks and dirt to marriage. Her passion is science, and she’s determined to marry if—and only if—she finds a man who supports her interests and intellect. So far, she’s managed to avoid attention on the Marriage Mart, but when the Duke of Seduction pens anonymous letters singing her praises, she suddenly become the toast of the ton and matrimony seems imminent.

William Beckett, Marquess of Northam possesses the reputation of a rake, but is secretly a romantic. Spurned at sixteen, he doesn’t expect to feel the sting of Cupid’s bow a second time, and yet he’s able to woo the coldest of hearts with the anonymous words he publishes. As the Duke of Seduction, he uses his skill to help Lavinia, never anticipating she has no desire for assistance. While Lavinia is pursued by several suitors, Beck is the one who is seduced when he learns that love can strike twice…

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The room wasn’t overly large, and it was—seemingly—empty. It also wasn’t terribly well lit, with a low fire burning in the grate and a pair of sconces flickering on the wall on either side of the fireplace. She was either beneath the desk or behind the curtain. He couldn’t see the underside of the desk from the door. It wasn’t a pedestal as Lord Evenrude’s had been. Circling around, he saw no one hiding there. That left the draperies on the window. He moved to the far wall and instantly noted the slight lump behind the blue damask. Moving forward, he reached for the fabric but hesitated before he pushed it aside. What if it wasn’t her? The fabric moved, and she bared her face. “You found me.” Her dark gaze registered surprise. “Oh, it’s you!” “It’s me.” “Are you still looking for a place to hide?” “I am.” She reached for his lapel and held the drapery wide, pulling him into the darkness beside her. “He’ll be done counting shortly. If he isn’t already.” “I should probably hide somewhere else,” he said, though he was loath to move. Ensconced in the dark with Lavinia, he was acutely aware of her heat and the intoxicating scent of lilies and honeysuckle. “Yes, I suppose you should.” She turned toward him, and they were so close, her breasts brushed against his chest. “Sorry,” she murmured. God, he wasn’t. He was only sorry he had to leave. “Before you go, I wanted to thank you again for the fossils.” She whispered, her breath tickling his neck as she spoke. “I can’t stop looking at them. They’re absolutely extraordinary. I hope I have reason to visit Devon one day so I can hunt for my own.” “I hope you do too. Consider yourself welcome at Waverly Court any time.” “That’s very kind of you.” He heard the smile in her voice and resisted the urge to run his fingers over her mouth so he could feel the curve of her lips. He really should go— But first, he wanted to ask her something. “Do you know the Duchess of Kendal?” “Yes, but not well. Fanny’s sister is a good friend of hers. Why?” Why indeed. Beck wanted to enlist Lavinia’s help to see if the Duchess might be able to help him learn who SW and DC might be. However, if the Duchess had been part of a scandal, she might prefer to leave those memories in the past. Furthermore, he wasn’t sure he should include Lavinia in any of this. And yet, he found he simply couldn’t resist. “Do you know what happened with the Duchess when she was out in Society—maybe sixteen years ago? The Duke mentioned something, and I was curious. Because my sister was out at the same time.” He added the last because he felt he had to share a reason for his inquiry. Still, he hated bringing Helen up since he didn’t want to answer too many questions about her, particularly regarding her fate. “She was compromised. A gentleman—I can’t remember who—wooed her. They were caught kissing, and he refused to marry her. She was ruined. It was horrible because it wasn’t even her fault. It’s so unfair. Men can kiss whomever they want, and women are blamed for any indiscretion.” “The key is to not get caught. It sounds as though this gentleman was rather inept.” “Are you saying it was his fault?” She sounded surprised. “Most would argue they were at least both to blame.” “Certainly she retains some culpability, but a decent gentleman would ensure they could kiss and not get caught.” “And how would they do that?” Something in her tone changed. Her voice lowered, and it felt as though she’d moved just a hair closer. If he leaned just a tiny bit forward, he was sure he’d feel her breasts again. God, how he wanted to. “They might hide themselves behind a drapery in the library.” “During hide-and-seek?” Beck’s cock lengthened and grew stiff as the air around them heated. “Probably not. In that case, someone is actually looking to find them.” “And yet here we are.” Her voice had changed again, going nearly breathless. “Yes, here we are.” “Are you going to, then?” she asked, her breasts grazing his chest as she edged herself against him. “Kiss me.” “By God, I think I am.” “Oh, good.”

About Darcy:

Darcy Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, emotional historical and contemporary romance. Darcy wrote her first book at age 11, a happily ever after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan who loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations. Join her reader club at http://www.darcyburke.com/readerclub. A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, their two hilarious kids who seem to have inherited the writing 
gene, two Bengal cats and a third cat named after a fruit.

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Website: http://www.darcyburke.com

UNDER CONTROL BY SHANNON STACEY - ARC REVIEW

When faced with the opportunity to change shifts while staying in the same house, veteran firefighter Derek Gilman jumps at the chance. His new schedule means not working Saturdays, which means more time to spend with his two kids. His divorce may have been amicable, but being a firefighter and a single dad is a lot to juggle. And when fate brings a gorgeous, wealthy woman into his life, he’s pretty sure he can’t handle more than he already is.


Olivia McGovern loves plans. She planned to start her own business and planned its growth. It’s earning her seven figures now, but her personal life simply doesn’t exist. Getting trapped in a broken elevator figures in exactly nowhere, and freaking out in front of a sexy firefighter definitely isn’t on the agenda. Especially not one with two kids and an ex.

What would have been a random incident with an attractive stranger becomes something more when a charity event brings them back together. They’re from different sides of the tracks, literally—with friends, family and careers to consider. But as Derek and Olivia are discovering, chemistry doesn’t allow for plans, and love doesn’t bother with logistics.

Derek and Olivia meet when they are trapped in an elevator together. They make it work for them...I can't say anyone who is trapped in an elevator with me will still want anything to do with me by the time we are freed....but that is not the point.

Olivia has a plan. For everything. Ever. And, it's written down, as it's not an official plan until it's written down.

Derek, well, he has kids. So, less of a plan and more of a list of things he hopes work out on his days off and while the kids are in school or with their mother.

These are not people who should work. Their attraction shouldn't be one they are unable to forget, it shouldn't keep them awake at night thinking of the other, knowing that they won't ever see one another again. Until they do, at a meeting for a charity Derek is involved with and Olivia has just started volunteering for.

Sparks fly (I had to make at least one fire reference, I just had to) and the relationship moves more quickly than either of them planned. Well, Olivia planned it, as she schedules EVERYTHING.

But, their lives don't work well together. He has kids, she lives in the city. He can't afford to live where she does, and won't allow her to pay for their home. So, where do they go from this point?

In life, and in a romance novel, things happen that reset your expectations. And, when those expectations change, you find yourself a little more open to the things you thought would never work but are so worth it when you manage to figure out a way to balance everything.

I thought the balance of the story, the 2 people coming together, and wanting to be together, and being willing to figure out what needed to be done felt authentic. And, for me to be willing to believe in the happily ever after for the characters, I need to believe in the connection being stronger than anything struggling to pull them apart. I believed it here.

I recommend this story.

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THE GOVERNESS GAME BY TESSA DARE - ARC REVIEW

He’s been a bad, bad rake—and it takes a governess to teach him a lesson

The accidental governess.

After her livelihood slips through her fingers, Alexandra Mountbatten takes on an impossible post: transforming a pair of wild orphans into proper young ladies. However, the girls don’t need discipline. They need a loving home. Try telling that to their guardian, Chase Reynaud: duke’s heir in the streets and devil in the sheets. The ladies of London have tried—and failed—to make him settle down. Somehow, Alexandra must reach his heart... without risking her own.

The infamous rake.

Like any self-respecting libertine, Chase lives by one rule: no attachments. When a stubborn little governess tries to reform him, he decides to give her an education—in pleasure. That should prove he can’t be tamed. But Alexandra is more than he bargained for: clever, perceptive, passionate. She refuses to see him as a lost cause. Soon the walls around Chase’s heart are crumbling... and he’s in danger of falling, hard.

This is my first title by Tessa Dare, and I can definitely say it won't be my last.

There are a whole bunch of ways to deal with the forced propriety that keeps the hero and heroine in a historical romance from spending a lot of alone time together.  Some of them work well, and others of them feel like complete filler.  I have mentioned before, and I am mentioning here again, that this is a difficult balance, as often there are societal constraints that keep the couple from spending a lot of time alone, and this is one of the hurdles you have to work around in order for the romance to be fulfilling, yet still feel that it is set in a historical time period.

In this case, Alexandra and Chase have a bit of a mistaken identity issue.  She is not the governess he so desperately needs to help him care for the 2 young girls who have come to him as ward of his estate.  Alexandra is not, however, a governess and refuses his offer, no matter how much money he states he is willing to pay.  Following a series of mishaps, she finds herself back at his door and accepting, albeit reluctantly, the position of governess.

Hilarity, mishaps, funerals for dolls (which were really quite clever) and sexual attraction ensue.  And, in the middle of all of this, I found myself charmed by all of the characters.  

While I do see the need for them in the story, I did think that the children were featured a little too strongly and often pulled away from the central story.  That said, in a historical romance, you have to be careful to make sure there is enough plot...as there is not always the possibility of a lot of romance.

I did enjoy this title, I recommend it, and I will be reading others by this author.

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ACE OF HEARTS BY CHANTAL FERNANDO - REVIEW

The New York Times bestselling author of the “swoonworthy and addicting” (Kim Karr, New York Times bestselling author) Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club series is back with more bad boy bikers in this first novel in the Cursed Ravens Motorcycle Club series.

Erin Dawson had the perfect life growing up in a perfect home with a perfect family. Her parents gave her and her sister everything a child could want. But after learning that the man she’s called “dad” her whole life isn’t actually her biological father, Erin is determined to find the man who is.

Armed with her original birth certificate, she finds her father, but begins questioning if her mom had been right all along to keep this information buried. It turns out he is the president of a motorcycle club, which could not be further from the life Erin leads. But, she’s determined to get to know the man who she gets her striking blue eyes from. Despite getting what she wants and finding her biological father, it’s the slightly older, much rougher but incredibly sexy biker Ace that catches Erin’s eye.

As the new “princess” of the Cursed Ravens, Erin is learning a whole new world, but her father has made it clear she is off limits. Will Ace follow his President’s orders or will he put his heart ahead of his duty? A sizzling tale of family and passion, Ace of Hearts features Fernando’s signature “snark and sass” (Booklist) and is perfect for fans of Kristin Ashley.

Growing up, Erin thought she had a pretty ideal life.  Until, that is, she discovers she's actually adopter, and that the man she thinks of as her father is actually her step father.

Her real father, however, is a bit of a mystery and after a little digging around, she discovers he is the president of a motorcycle club.  One of the tough, hard living, clubs parents warn you to stay away from kind of MC...although I am not sure there are any other kind?  No way this can go well, and I admit I was immediately interested in how this was going to go.  Erin, as most of us would, found herself faced with a completely foreign world and a father who lives a life she has nothing in common with.  The idea of a complete innocent walking into an MC isn't new...but the idea of that complete innocent being welcome because of her connection to one of the members felt like a different take on the MC trope.

Ace, after the surprise of Erin showing up wears off, is tasked with watching out for her, and keeping her safe.  Of course, there is an attraction between them, and it is complicated by the fact that she is the daughter of the president of the club and Ace is a member.

There's an element of the forbidden beyond the MC aspect of this that made it fun, however there was a lot of time spent developing the other characters who will be featured in other stories, so this one left me wanting a little bit more of Ace and Erin.  However, overall I did enjoy this title and I do recommend it.

GOING DOWN EASY BY ERIN NICHOLAS - ARC REVIEW

Start the Boys of the Big Easy Series on August 28, 2018!!!

Hot fling or real thing? There are no Big Easy answers in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Erin Nicholas’s sultry series.

As far as flings go, single dad Gabe Trahan is pretty sure that Addison Sloan is his best bet. Once a month, Addison comes to New Orleans and then…It. Is. On. Until Addison returns to New York, it’s just hot, happily-no-strings-attached sex. And beignets. And jazz. But lately for Gabe, it isn’t nearly enough.

Sure, maybe Addison’s gotten a bit hooked on Gabe. After all, who can resist a guy who’s so sexy, so charming, and so…available? But maybe he’s too available for her right now. Addison’s just moved to New Orleans, and relationships are definitely off the table. Besides, guys always bail when they learn her secret: she’s a single mom.

Only Gabe’s not running. Worse, he’s thrilled. But Addison never signed up for ever-after romance, and Gabe won’t settle for anything less. Now it’s a battle of wills—and when it comes to the woman he’s falling for, Gabe isn’t above playing a little dirty.

Gabe and Addison have a good thing going in the Big Easy.  She's in town for one weekend a month, and he puts his real life on hold to spend that one weekend with her.

Only, it's getting harder and harder to let her go on Monday morning, knowing there are no plans to see one another again, no plans to allow one another into their real lives.  And, as this also allows both of them to avoid those real life complications, it works for both of them...or so they tell themselves.

Until Addison moves to New Orleans, and doesn't plan to tell Gabe, because her life is complicated and there's a deal breaker, or so she thinks, and she is afraid to face the idea that what works so well for them on the one weekend per month they see each other may not work on a permanent basis...and she is afraid of getting her heart broken.

We've all been where she is, hiding from something that could be real, and probably already is, because we are afraid of taking the risk and getting our hearts broken in the process. Addison is ready to walk away.  The problem, is that Gabe is tenacious and he is going to follow her.  He is going to be where she is, and he is going to show her that he fits into her life in NOLA and that instead of complicating it, he makes it whole.

It takes her a bit to get there, and the break up part of the book is in the middle, which I enjoyed.  The reader isn't really a part of their weekends in New Orleans, so in order for the emotional investment of the story to work, this is treated almost like a second chance, with a couple of characters with a scorching chemistry and a history...but one that they are having to build from the beginning with a new set of circumstances.

It was a fun read, I enjoyed this title, and I am looking forward to the others in the series!

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