Wacky Wednesday - LOVE STORY by Erich Segal: A Manual on HOW NOT TO ROMANCE A MAN

In 1970, Erich Segal published the hit novel, LOVE STORY and on December 16, 1970 the movie was released to acclaimed reviews and became a huge hit. That was the year I was in junior high (aka known as middle school these days). I read LOVE STORY when it was first released and later that same year when the movie released, I saw that too. Recently, Avon Romance sent me a copy of LOVE STORY by Erich Segal re-released on May 29, 2012. I thought about re-reading it but then I remembered how I felt about it the last time I did read it. By the way, I've read it more than once and seen the movie a couple of times, too. Yes, it's been around that long.

I was 12 years old the first time I read LOVE STORY and thought it the greatest romance story ever written. I thought it as tragic as ROMEO AND JULIET. I thought the characters were as destined for one another as Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler but never destined to live our their lives in bliss. I loved the book so much that I eagerly anticipated the film and wept at the end when Jennifer lay dying in her hospital bed looking like the supermodel that she really was. It's easy to get that past adolescent girls.

I was in my thirties when I came across my original copy of LOVE STORY by Erich Segal and opened it to delve into the undying love that I remembered between Jennifer Cavilleri and Oliver Barrett III. When I finished, I thought - what a bitch! Some time later, I came across the movie on HBO or such and sat down to watch. I cringed at the dialogue, I cringed at Ms. McGraw's look-down-her-nose attitude and I wanted to punch Ollie in the gut and tell him to man up!

LOVE STORY by Erich Segal is a classic and something I believe every woman and every man should read so that they may learn from it.

Women will learn that THIS is not the way to treat a man who is willing to walk over hot coals for you, treats you like you're the most precious thing on earth, and tolerates your constant berating. THIS is NOT the way to ROMANCE any man. I've seen it many times over the years - a really nice man, a truly kind, generous man who any other woman would kill over to claim as her own completely and utterly controlled by a vicious, denigrating bitch of a wife who has no idea what a great guy she has and doesn't particularly care as long as she is in complete control. This is Jennifer Cavilleri.

Men will learn that THIS is not the kind of woman you want in your life. Oh yes, the opposites attract theorem is fabulous in Romance Novels, the I hate you but can't resist you sexual draw that we love to read in our novels but disdain in real life. You have to truly like each other and respect each other to fall in love with each other. Only a masochist would even wish to be married to a woman who denigrates you constantly, expounding on how much smarter she is, how her less than wealthy roots makes for a better person, calls you 'preppie' every minute of the day when not referring to you by your last name and even orders you away from her death bed.

What were we thinking when we thought this a love story?

It's still a great read despite my seeing it now with wiser, more experienced eyes. It will make you think and perhaps make you sigh for it still has the best first three lines ever - 
What can you say about a twenty-five-year-old girl who died? That she was beautiful and brilliant? That she loved Mozart and Bach, the Beatles, and me?

I'd like to give my new copy away to someone who hasn't read LOVE STORY yet. Is that you?

Blurb for LOVE STORY:

Oliver Barrett IV, a wealthy jock from a stuffy WASP family on his way to a Harvard degree and a career in law . . . Jenny Cavilleri, a sharp-tongued, working-class beauty studying music at Radcliffe . . .

Opposites in nearly every way, Oliver and Jenny are kindred spirits from vastly different worlds. Falling deeply and powerfully, their attraction to one another defies everything they have ever believed—as they share a passion far greater than anything they dreamed possible . . . and explore the wonder of a love that must end too soon.

One of the most adored novels of our time, this is the book that defined a generation—a story of uncompromising devotion, of life as it really is . . . and love that changes everything.

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GIVEAWAY -
Comment (any comment will do - I love hearing what you have to say) and leave me an EMAIL ADDRESS to be entered for a chance to win my copy of LOVE STORY by Erich Segal.
This Giveaway is OPEN to US RESIDENTS ONLY!
You will be entered only if you leave an email address in the comment - Remember, to enter:

COMMENT + EMAIL ADDRESS = ENTRY!!

Giveaway will run until 11:30PM EDT, Friday, July 20, 2012. Winners will be randomly chosen and announced in a special Saturday post. Good Luck! 

Happy Reading Everyone!!     THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

LOVE STORY by Erich Segal, Avon, re-release date May 29, 2012, available in print and ebook formats.

                                                                

Unwrapping: A Review of THE COWBOY AND THE PRINCESS by Lori Wilde

Recently as an Avon Addict, I was asked by Avon Romance to read and review an eARC of THE COWBOY AND THE PRINCESS by Lori Wilde. I was a bit apprehensive about reading it because I had not been a fan of her last novel THE COWBOY TAKES A BRIDE but - and that's a big BUT - I was delightfully surprised by THE COWBOY AND THE PRINCESS. I started reading expecting to be disappointed but instead found myself smiling as I started to recognize the theme behind this one. As a huge fan of the movie ROMAN HOLIDAY, I immediately saw the heroine as the Audrey Hepburn character and even though the hero wasn't quite Gregory Peck, I certainly wouldn't throw this sexy cowboy out into a cold winter night without a place to sleep.

Blurb for THE COWBOY AND THE PRINCESS:

Brady Talmadge was a cowboy with five unbreakable rules:
1) Never pick up a pretty hitchhiker
2) Avoid damsels in distress
3) Never order chili at a truck stop
4) Always trust your gut
5) Never tell a lie . . .

This is what happened when he broke all his rules . . . and got into a whole lot of trouble!

On the run from an arranged marriage, Princess Annabella of Monesta dons the guise of a hitchhiking cowgirl. But when she finds herself drenched, alone, and hungry, she has no choice but to trust the tall Texas horse whisperer who offers her a ride. He's like no one she's ever known—a strong sexy man who says just what he thinks. And when one wild kiss leaves her breathless, she quickly realizes she'll give up everything to spend a lifetime of night times in his arms. But how can there be happily-ever-after with palace guards hot on her trail?

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Annie Coste (Princess Annabella of Monesta) is adorable, fresh and innocent. It's a joy to watch her experience things that we recognize as common place for the first time, including a relationship with a man - a real man.

Brady Talmadge is charming and incredibly sexy with his gentle ways and swooning manner. He makes a wonderful match for a princess because he's quite the Prince Charming.

I would love to tell you more about this adorable couple and their romance but so much happens in the first chapters of the book that if I did - well, I might give away too much and thus ruin the story for you.

THE COWBOY AND THE PRINCESS by Lori Wilde might not be the steamiest romance for it would probably carry a PG rating but it's delightfully full of fun and romantically addicting. I admit that I had the ending figured out long before I reached the middle of the story but I didn't mind - I actually couldn't wait to find out if I was correct.

I highly recommend THE COWBOY AND THE PRINCESS by Lori Wilde to anyone who loves true romance, sweet talk, good friends who'd you'd like to have as your own, and seeing the world through fresh eyes.

Happy Reading Everyone!!

THE COWBOY AND THE PRINCESS by Lori Wilde, Avon Romance, release date - July 31, 2012 in print and ebook formats.

                                                           

WINNERS of A BLOOD SEDUCTION by Pamela Palmer ANNOUNCED!

I want to thank Pamela Palmer once more for allowing me the privilege of combining my writing talents with hers to create the post for this awesome Giveaway! You are not only a fabulous author but a wonderful friend and true lady of grace. Thank you! xoxo

I also want to thank everyone who joined in the fun and bravely told their stories - we definitely DON'T think any of you are nuts! Thanks again for visiting the blog and entering for a chance to win 1 of 4 copies. All of you are such nice people that I wish I had a copy for each of you but unfortunately, Avon didn't give me enough to do that so only 4 of you can win. Of course, any that go unclaimed will be given to a second round of randomly selected winners from the original entries.  ; )

The Lucky Winners of A BLOOD SEDUCTION by Pamela Palmer are:

TANYA

PHYLLIS M

SHELLEY B

GLORIA

All of the Winners have been notified by email
so please check your mailboxes
including SPAM folders so you don't miss it.

You've got until the end of the day
on Friday, July 20th to contact me
or I give your print copy away to
one of the other entries.


HAPPY READING EVERYONE!!

 

Unwrapping: Review of ONCE BURNED by Jeaniene Frost

As a big fan of paranormal romance, I would be remiss if I had not read at least some of Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress novels and although I enjoy them immensely, I thought - no, I knew - I was going to enjoy her Night Prince Novels even more. Having read an excerpt of ONCE BURNED some time ago, I was very excited about the Dark Prince, Vlad Tepesh - the most feared vampire of all time - having his own time in the spotlight.  So when Avon Romance sent me a copy of book one in the Night Prince series - ONCE BURNED - I was ecstatic -- and not disappointed!!

Blurb for ONCE BURNED:

She's a mortal with dark powers...

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person's darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude...until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world's most infamous vampire...

He's the Prince of Night...

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all—but whatever you do, don't call him Dracula. Vlad's ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him—a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.

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If you've read any of the Night Huntress series, you may have already met Vlad Tepesh. He's the most dangerous and most feared vampire ever to walk the earth. He's the vampire who inspired the tale of Dracula - a name he most definitely despises and which he would easily burn you alive for calling him. He's nothing like the vampire portrayed by Bram Stoker but don't think him all peaches and cream either. He's a fearsome man and he has enemies.

When we first meet Leila Dalton, she is known as Frankie and is working with a dwarf vampire named Marty in a carnival act. Marty knows her secret and helps her control it. He also knows another secret about her that even she doesn't know but it comes out later so I'm not going to tell.

Leila suddenly finds herself fearing for her life when kidnapped by vampires set upon using her unique talents to track down and kill a vampire seriously more dangerous than themselves - Vlad Tepesh. Forced to use her mental abilities to locate him, what these foolish vampires don't know is that Vlad is able to connect with Leila mentally and promises not to harm her if she aids him in his retaliation against the kidnappers. She agrees. Vlad vanquishes all of the vampires except for one whom he plans to torture - uh, interrogate - to find out who or what is behind this attack.

Leila finds herself pulled into a battle between Vlad and his enemies. She discovers who Vlad really is and rather than fearing him, she finds herself falling victim to his charms and his promises. His greatest promise and the one she grows to resent the most - to never love her.

ONCE BURNED by Jeaniene Frost is everything I expected it to be - exciting, edgy, dark and action-packed. It's non-stop storytelling brings the danger and excitement of Vlad Tepesh full front as we hoped would happen after meeting him in the Night Huntress series. Cat and Bones even make an appearance for the fans. If you've not read anything by Jeaniene Frost before, that's okay because ONCE BURNED reads excellently as a stand alone novel with a cliffhanger ending that will have you begging for the next book to be released.

Jeaniene Frost is a talented writer with a vivid imagination that she conjures through her multi-layered characters - the characters you meet in ONCE BURNED are no exception. Vlad is everything you want in an Alpha Hero who is surprisingly protective and loyal. Leila is everything you want in a heroine who can hold her own against Vlad, his vampires and the bad guys. You have to admire a heroine who slaps Vlad Tepesh and lives to talk about it.

ONCE BURNED by Jeaniene Frost is an action-packed, fast-paced, dark and dangerous paranormal romance with sufficient blood, gore and vampire destruction to keep you on the edge of your seat but at the core of this story is Vlad and Leila. It's Vlad's growing attachment to this woman who he has claimed as his own yet cannot love and Leila, who has never known real love or a man. Leila, who has been fiercely independent and constantly on the run who is now determined to claim this fearsome vampire's heart. This is a romance that is going to keep us coming back for more until either Leila's heart is shattered or ours.

I highly recommend ONCE BURNED by Jeaniene Frost to anyone who enjoys a romance born from the fires of danger, passion, loyalty and desire. If you love paranormal romance, if you love watching a man hard as nails and fierce as fire slowly begin to show the love that exists deep within then read ONCE BURNED and get hooked by the Night Prince series by Jeaniene Frost.

Happy Reading Everyone and don't forget that the A BLOOD SEDUCTION Giveaway is still running but will end tonight at 11:30PM EDT - so hurry if you want a chance to win 1 of 4 copies!

ONCE BURNED by Jeaniene Frost, Avon Romance, available now in print and ebook formats - original release date, June 26, 2012.

                                                                 

Wacky Wednesday: A BLOOD SEDUCTION Creative Excerpt + Multi-Giveaway!

It's Wacky Wednesday and have I got a GIVEAWAY for you!! It's a Multi-Giveaway of 4 copies of A BLOOD SEDUCTION, a Vamp City novel by Pamela Palmer!! Avon sent me plenty to share with you and so to add to the fun, I thought I'd do a little creativity of my own with Miss Pamela's permission, of course.

You might remember, I've featured this unique and extraordinary novel twice before, once in review and again in a fabulous interview with Pamela Palmer. She's such an awesome writer that I can't resist showcasing her and her works. If you're not familiar with A BLOOD SEDUCTION and Pamela Palmer, feel free to check out my REVIEW and my INTERVIEW but then hurry back because I've got some fun in store for you and that awesome giveaway!

Blurb for A BLOOD SEDUCTION:

Vampires live only for lust and pleasure in the eternal twilight of Vamp City. But the city's magic is dying. The only person who can restore it? A beautiful woman from the mortal world...one who knows nothing of the power she wields.

Quinn Lennox is searching for a missing friend when she stumbles into a dark otherworld that only she can see--and finds herself at the mercy of Arturo Mazza, a dangerously handsome vampire whose wicked kiss will save her, enslave her, bewitch her, and betray her. What Arturo can't do is forget about her--any more than Quinn can control her own feelings for him. Neither one can let desire get in the way of their mission--his to save his people, hers to save herself. But there is no escape from desire in a city built for seduction, where passion flows hot and blood-red. Welcome to Vamp City...

                          *                     *                   *                    *                    *    

**The following creative excerpt is a combination of my creativity and Pamela Palmer's, I will in no way change the excerpt from the novel, A BLOOD SEDUCTION, I will only create the introductory lead-in. I hope you enjoy both parts and thank you, Pamela, for allowing me to do this.

                          *                     *                    *                     *                   *

Quinn's thoughts had not swerved from the task at hand even as she worked to appear normal as her fellow humans moved in blissful ignorance around her. She'd gathered information and supplies but now waited for the right time to return to Vamp City to find Zack. The guilt of leaving him behind to whatever circumstances he might be suffering made her insides roil to the point of nausea. She had to get back to him. She had to find him and lead him back to the real world. The real world which once upon a time seemed filled with dangers, worries, and evil but now only seemed tame in comparison to the horrors that she had faced in Vamp City.

"This is Amanda Raven with breaking news regarding the number of unusual disappearances that are now coming to light in Washington, DC." The pretty brunette news anchor remarked from the flat screen television. Quinn had been staring past the pedestrians on the street below who were strolling along totally unaware of the dangers that lurked nearby. She'd forgotten she had left the television on as she watched for shimmers.

"Kate Landers, the Chief of Police for the city of Washington, DC is about to address the situation, one it seems that no one has been aware of  -  until now." Quinn glanced at the screen just as the picture shifted from the pretty Amanda to a blond-haired woman in a white uniform standing at a podium. She had black epaulets and a gold badge pinned above her left breast pocket. Quinn recognized her as the Chief of Police.

Quinn folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the windowsill as she listened to what the woman had to say.  "It's come to our attention that over the past few months there has been an increased number of reports concerning tourists that have gone missing while in the city. In the past, we give these reports a normal investigation time but when nothing is found to indicate foul play or any other criminal behavior, it's usually assumed to be a case of the person having gone missing voluntarily. We've long had a history of visitors to our fine city coming here specifically to blend into the citizens and disappear for whatever may be their own reasons. However, the number of tourists and private citizens who have been reported missing has increased three-fold and is now becoming a matter of concern to all of us."

A grumble rose from the group of reporters in attendance as they attempted to ask questions but Chief Landers raised her hand. The group quickly quieted and waited for her to continue. "We have no actual evidence of any criminal activity or foul play in regards to those who have gone missing." She took a deep breath before she continued. "The missing are every day persons who simply don't return from work, shopping, a luncheon date with friends and in one case, a young woman who disappeared from the street in front of her house when she took a bag of trash to the dumpster."

Another annoying grumble rose from the group but again Chief Landers quieted them with a raise of her hand. "Until we know more about these disappearances, we ask all citizens, visitors and day workers to please be on alert to anyone or anything strange and if you witness anything at all suspicious, please alert the authorities as soon as possible. We'd like to get to the bottom of these disappearances and wish to keep our citizens, visitors and residents safe. Thank you. I've no further information at this time. I'll turn it over to ..."

Quinn clicked the off button on the remote. The screen went dark and the Chief's voice disappeared. She dropped the remote into a nearby chair, turned to face the window once more and sighed. She ran her fingers through her loose hair and cringed.   --  Amy Valentini

Staring at the traffic on the street below, she wondered for the umpteenth time if she shouldn't call the FBI. After all, she knew where those missing people had gone. She could tell them exactly what had happened to them. She could send them in to rescue them all, including Zack.

Except she wasn't an idiot. They'd never believe her, at least not until she pulled one of them through a sunbeam. The bigger problem was that she knew vampires well enough by now to know that no human could possibly be a match for them. No one. Taking others with her into that world was as good as signing their death warrants. Or consigning them to slavery for the rest of their lives. At least she knew how to get in and out. She'd gotten Zack into this mess. It was up to her to get him out. And Lily, too, if she could find her.

If only the damn worlds would open again! 

 ---- Pamela Palmer, A BLOOD SEDUCTION, page 81.

About the Author:

Pamela Palmer grew up in an Air Force household as her father was an Air Force pilot. She dreamed of being an astronaut as a child. She graduated Auburn University with a degree in Industrial Engineering and began working for a major computer manufacturer. She eventually turned to writing after having married and given birth to two children. She has also written under the name Pamela Montgomerie. As Montgomerie she writes historical time travel romance novels, while as using her real name, Palmer, she writes dark paranormal romance. For more information about her and her books, please visit her website.


NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!

Having read my contribution and then Pamela's excerpt from A BLOOD SEDUCTION, I am wondering if YOU have ever experienced or known something that you wanted to tell the authorities or anyone about but feared being thought of as having a screw loose, crazy or frivolous??

I'll start it off by admitting that some months ago, I was out with the dog one night, it was raining slightly and the sky was very cloudy. I noticed that there were the first of the fireflies flitting around in the trees and sparkling in the darkness. I glanced up toward the tops of the trees. There I saw a bright light that I thought was a firefly only the small light suddenly expanded into a very large, very bright capsule (pill type) shape that was solid brightness with no blinking lights. Just as I wondered what it was, it suddenly sped off into the clouds. I looked to the other side of the house but it was gone. It was then that I realized there had been absolutely no sound either. I told my hubby, he told me it was probably a helicopter. I know it wasn't a helicopter because shortly thereafter, the choppers started flying around as if they were looking for it. I thought about calling the sheriff's dept, or Quantico Marine Base since it's just north of us but then decided not to as they would probably never believe me.

So now it's your turn - I've told mine, you tell yours or just comment on the excerpt - either way, you will be entered to win one of four print copies of A BLOOD SEDUCTION, A Vamp City Novel by Pamela Palmer.
That's 1 of 4 copies, folks.  PLEASE leave a valid email address - if I can't contact you, you cannot win.  COMMENT + EMAIL ADDRESS = ENTRY

This Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end Friday, July 13th (yep, you got that right!) at 11:30PM EDT.  Four winners will be selected at random and notified by email (that's why the email address is important) and the winners will be announced in a special Saturday post. Good Luck!

Happy Reading Everyone!   THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. Thanks to everyone who visited and entered. Good Luck.  : )

A BlOOD SEDUCTION, a Vamp City Novel by Pamela Palmer, Avon Romance, available now in print and ebook format, original release date, May 29, 2012.

                                                                       

Unwrapping: Review of A SCANDALOUS SCOT by Karen Ranney

Being a big fan of Karen Ranney to begin with, both of her work and her person, she never fails to brighten my day with her delightful posts on her blog - I have been especially looking forward to her newest release, A SCANDALOUS SCOT or ASS as we have come to affectionately refer to it, for some time. Lucky me, as an Avon Addict, I received a copy in this month's goodies. A SCANDALOUS SCOT by Karen Ranney released, June 26, 2012.

Blurb for A SCANDALOUS SCOT:

One scandal was never enough . . .

After four long years, Morgan MacCraig has finally returned to the Highlands of his birth . . . with his honor in shreds. After a scandal, all he wants now is solace-yet peace is impossible to find with the castle's outspoken new maid trying his patience, challenging his manhood . . . and winning his love, body and soul.

Jean MacDonald wants to leave her past behind and start anew, but Ballindair Castle, a Scottish estate rumored to be haunted, hasn't been the safe haven she envisioned. Ballindair's ancestral ghosts aren't as fascinating as Morgan, the most magnificent man she's ever seen. Though their passion triggers a fresh scandal that could force them to wed, Jean must first share the secrets of her own past-secrets that could force them apart, or be the beginning of a love and redemption unlike anything they've ever known.

                       *                     *                    *                    *                    *                   *

Jean MacDonald came to Ballandair with her sister, Catriona, to escape a life ruined by tragedy and scandal. Now the pair work as maids under the care of their aunt, Mary MacDonald who is the housekeeper of the great house of the 9th Earl of Denbleigh, Morgan MacCraig. Keeping to herself and doing her duties as maid to the best of her abilities, Jean spends her free time reading about the ghosts who inhabit the great house and hunting them at night. Never did she expect to find herself tumbling over the Earl or becoming entangled in a lie that may lead to further ruination for herself, her sister and cost her aunt her prestigious position at Ballandair.

Morgan MacCraig has come home to his ancestral home to escape the ruination caused by his wife's numerous infidelities and his resulting divorce of her. Feeling rejected, somewhat emasculated, betrayed and angry, his returning to Ballindair in such a state leaves him with the worst feeling of all - a great sense of failure as a MacCraig and not worthy of filling his father's shoes as the 9th Earl of Denbleigh. Never did he expect to find himself forced to undo a wrong by marrying one of the maids who intrigues and mesmerizes him despite her plainness.

A SCANDALOUS SCOT by Karen Ranney starts out rather slow causing this reader, I have to admit, to hesitate wanting to continue but since I'm not one to give up easily on any book, I soon found myself sucked into a splendid story. Despite the slow beginning, once the characters revealed their depth of personality, the story soared with mischief, steamy romance and familial troubles that are easily related to on many levels.

Karen Ranney has always written with flair, detail and strong character portrayals and A SCANDALOUS SCOT is no exception to her writing talents. Aside from the slow start, A SCANDALOUS SCOT is a 'Cinderella' story with a slightly evil sister, rather than an evil stepmother, who redeems herself in the end with an undeniable sibling love and a 'Prince Charming' who lives up to his calling once his Countess brings out his best and most honorable self.

A SCANDALOUS SCOT by Karen Ranney is a delightful historical highland romance that once delved into will ensnare you and delight you straight through to the end with its happily-ever-after ending. In fact, I believe this ending, especially the last part, is one of the best I've ever read with its ...  If a ghost could be said to smile, he did. - A SCANDALOUS SCOT

Happy Reading Everyone!

A SCANDALOUS SCOT by Karen Ranney, Avon Romance, available now in print and ebook formats.

                                                              

Unwrapping: Guest Review of A KISS AT MIDNIGHT by Eloisa James

I'm delighted to have a Guest Reviewer today. My Guest is Stephanie Tracy of THE TUDOR ENTHUSIAST, a wonderful website and blog dedicated to all things TUDOR and one you should all check out especially if you follow The Tudor Series. I'm going to turn over today's post to young Stephanie because she told me that she was reading A KISS AT MIDNIGHT by Eloisa James and loving it - so I asked her if she'd like to review it for me and she graciously agreed. I hope you enjoy her review and visit her wonderful and amazing website, THE TUDOR ENTHUSIAST, she's running a contest there to celebrate her 1st anniversary. Congratulations Stephanie and thank you for a lovely review of A KISS AT MIDNIGHT by Eloisa James.

Blurb for A KISS AT MIDNIGHT:

Miss Kate Daltry doesn't believe in fairy tales... or happily ever after.

Forced by her stepmother to attend a ball, Kate meets a prince... and decides he's anything but charming. A clash of wits and wills ensues, but they both know their irresistible attraction will lead nowhere. For Gabriel is promised to another woman—a princess whose hand in marriage will fulfill his ruthless ambitions.

Gabriel likes his fiancé, which is a welcome turn of events, but he doesn't love her. Obviously, he should be wooing his bride-to-be, not the witty, impoverished beauty who refuses to fawn over him.

Godmothers and glass slippers notwithstanding, this is one fairy tale in which destiny conspires to destroy any chance that Kate and Gabriel might have a happily ever after.

Unless a prince throws away everything that makes him noble...

Unless a dowry of an unruly heart trumps a fortune...

Unless one kiss at the stroke of midnight changes everything.

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After reading Eloisa James’ “How Beauty Tamed the Beast” (which is actually #2 in her Fairy Tales series – whoops!), I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the first novel in the series, “A Kiss at Midnight” – James’ Cinderella-inspired Victorian romance. I had been [so] completely captured by her witty and romantic writing style when reading the first book, that I just knew this one was going to be a treat also. I think it took me about three days to read – I couldn’t keep my nose out of it, even while at work!

By the end of the book I was really having trouble putting it down, but if I’m being completely honest, the beginning did not hold me the same way. The character development took a while and was a bit slow, but once I got over that hump (about halfway through) it was a fast-paced, sweet, emotional journey of two characters who are both struggling in their own ways.

Katherine Daltry is the ‘Cinderella’ character in the story, and without giving anything away, I have to say I’m impressed with the way James tied in the whole evil stepmother/stepsisters storyline – very clever and appropriate for the time-period. Kate is not quite as ‘tortured’ as the classic Cinderella we all know and love, but she still fits the mold quite well. Her main struggle throughout the story is a lack of self-confidence. She is not conventionally beautiful, she is too thin, and feels like she will always be overshadowed by the beautiful, desirable women of high society.

The Prince, on the other hand, named Gabriel, has no lack of self-confidence. In fact, he is the pompous, arrogant, painfully handsome Prince that Kate has always imagined – and she is not impressed by him. Gabriel doesn’t seem to be struggling at all when we first meet him, but he eventually discovers that he is bound by the expectations and obligations for a Prince, when he really wants to be free to love whomever he wishes. With an impending betrothal to a Russian Princess (the perfect wife for him), he feels for the first time the pang of forbidden love when he meets Kate – a woman who couldn’t be farther from the ideal match for himself.

As I said, the beginning is a bit slow-going, so if I had to pick something that I didn’t like about the book, that would be it. Although Eloisa James’ writing style is consistently clever and witty, this first part of the book just lingers a bit too long. Once the introductions are over and the reader gets a good feel for the characters, the book really takes off – and THEN it gets fun! The passion between Gabriel and Kate is wonderful! You can feel their attraction to each other and the bits of romantic conversation, sweet kisses, and secret meetings are enough to make the reader subconsciously smile while reading. I have to admit that there were a few instances while reading when I actually said “Aww” out loud! Gabriel, while at first being the self-righteous Prince who is anything but Charming, soon turns into a sweet and sexy romantic lead that even the reader will fall in love with –  if I can fall in love with the male lead in a romance novel, I know it was a good book.

Overall, I think I would still have to say I like the overall storyline and characters in “How Beauty Tamed the Beast” better, but I will still highly recommend this book to any lover of romance fiction and fairy tale love stories. Being a huge Disney fan myself, I pounced on these books, and plan to inhale the rest of James’ Fairy Tale series as I can. If you’re a fan of classic happily-ever-afters and books that put that warm, happy feeling in your heart, you’ll enjoy this one.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER:

         My name is Stephanie Tracy - I am a twenty year-old college student at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. I've grown up right outside of Washington D.C., and I've always been a huge fan of the history surrounding where I live. Currently, I am finishing up my sophomore year at GMU - I am working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, and I also have a History minor (just for fun). I can't quite remember what triggered my undying love for the Tudor period, but when I think back on it, I believe it started when I was about 15 - at the same time the movie "The Other Boleyn Girl" came out in theaters. Although I had heard of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII before, I knew very little about their time period, but I remember walking away from that movie completely in love (and in tears). It was around then that I started picking up Tudor-era novels - starting with Philippa Gregory's, of course. (Thank you, Philippa!) As soon as I finished her Tudor series, I moved onto other well-known historical fiction novelists, such as Jean Plaidy, Kate Emerson, Diane Haeger, and Robin Maxwell...and the love grew! Soon, I was learning so much about the people and events through these novels, that I moved onto nonfiction - the potentially boring and difficult-to-read stuff - and my interest only grew more! I would like to thank Alison Weir and Elizabeth Norton for providing me with such great details and facts about the Tudors, and I think it would be impossible to grow bored while reading their books. However, books and movies could only last so long, and once I was finished with them I found myself still thirsting for more. So, I did what any self-proclaiming history nerd would do - I started spending my free time researching the Tudors. Every chance I got, I would sit down at the computer and google a name - then read virtually everything I could find until I felt I had a good grasp on the person, place, or event. Pretty soon, it became something I could talk about all the time (to anyone who would listen), and my friends and family would sometimes humor me with questions and discussions about the Tudors. This love for the Tudor Dynasty has only grown more and more for the past 5 (or so) years, and I don't see it ending any time soon! In fact, I've begun entertaining the idea of pursuing a career involving history - maybe as a professor, author, or historian. The possibilities are endless when you love this stuff as much as I do! I took that first step in July of last year when I thought I might like to manage a blog...and that blog became a website! I'm having a fantastic time with it.
         Right now, I'm preparing to study abroad at the University of Oxford for my junior year of college - starting in late August. I will be there for eight months studying the Tudors - taking part in independent research tutorials such as "The Tudor and Early Stuart Dynasty," "The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn," "The Six Wives of Henry VIII," and "The Tower of London During Tudor Times." Since I wrote and created all of these tutorials, I cannot wait to get started, as well as to travel around the country and see as many Tudor sites as possible! I will certainly be blogging about my experiences while I am there!

        I am also in the planning stages of my (hopeful) first Tudor novel - I'll share more details of that as it progresses!
        So, while my knowledge and love for the Tudors grows, I will continue to share it. I will keep posting interesting links or news that I find on the homepage of my website, and of course, I will always blog about whatever comes to my mind!

A note from Amy:  I'd like to thank Stephanie, again, for a lovely review of A KISS AT MIDNIGHT by Eloisa James and wish her the best of luck and enjoyment of her time at Oxford. I hope you all enjoyed Stephanie's review and appreciate her enthusiasm. I know I do.

Happy Reading Everyone!!

A KISS AT MIDNIGHT by Eloisa James, Harper Collins, available now in various print formats, ebook and audio formats - release date was July 27, 2010.

                                                                 

WINNER of A MOST NAKED SOLUTION by Anna Randol

I'm so sorry I'm so late posting the winner of the ecopy of A MOST NAKED SOLUTION by Anna Randol. We were hit with a very violent and very sudden storm Friday night that took down our neighbors' tree which took out the power lines and is still laying across our driveway. The power lines are still down and so we are left with no power, no water, and no Internet since the cable line is down, too. I'll have to deal with getting that back up and running after we get the power back. [sigh]

I'm borrowing from a friend to get this posted and set a post for Tuesday, a guest reviewer which I hope you will enjoy.

Now for the winner of an ecopy of A MOST NAKED SOLUTION by Anna Randol:

The Winner IS:

Julie Beasley

I've notified Julie by email so I hope she will check her mailbox

and her SPAM folder in case it goes in there.  : )

Hopefully, I'll be back up and running as usual very soon, in the meantime,

Happy Reading Everyone!!