Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Today, we're joining Rachel's Random Resources for a stop along their current tour starring the latest release from author Virginia Heath. It's a work of Historical Fiction that will capture you from the first page and have you clamoring for more when all is said and done. Oh and readers, there WILL be more according to the author's site. *fist pump* So, if you're ready, I'm ready. Today's ebook of choice and blog tour guest is...
by
Virginia Heath
Mills & Boon
About the book...
Life as a duchess…
Or something much more dangerous…?
Part of The King’s Elite. Constantly told her beauty and charm is all she has to offer, Lady Clarissa is intent on marrying a duke. And intriguing spy Sebastian Leatham will help her! Only first she’ll assist him with his new assignment—playing the part of confident aristocrat Lord Millcroft. Sebastian awakens a burning desire within Clarissa which leaves her questioning whether becoming a duchess is what she truly longs for…
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I can honestly say that every Historical Fiction adventure I've taken penned by Virginia Heath, I have thoroughly enjoyed! I stepped into her series, The Wild Warriners, with book three, enjoyed the HECK out of it, promptly sought book one and two (still in the TBR...oops!), and when approached, enthusiastically signed up for a review of the final release (*tear*) in the quartet. Needless to say, LOVED EVERY MOMENT. When Rachel sent the word out that the author was once again touring, but this time with the first book in her new series, The King's Elite, I jumped at the chance, never hesitating for a moment. Was I rewarded for my hasty decision? OH YEAH.... ;)
For those fans of the Warriners series, FEAR NOT...this isn't a complete departure from their time, place, and/or characters; in fact, it's really centered around it all, merely adding another layer to the already appealing proverbial cake! Seb is a master of disguise (knew that already!) and his role in the King's Elite suits him well, but there are always two sides to every person....the one presented to the world and the one shared with a chosen few. On the outside, he can project pretty much any persona needed to blend in with the crowd, but corner him in fancy duds and a room full of socialites, his tongue can easily be tied. Good thing his current assignment puts him SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE of this very type of scenario, right? Um, yeah...more like thank goodness for Clarissa. She's been around the ton for four seasons now, and not because she's not been persued...more like she hasn't received the final knot tying attention of the Duke she holds dear. Truth be told, it's not so much the man as it is the title (something she finds out all too well now that a REAL man has arrived on the scene...*ahem*), and the security that goes with it that appeals to our leading lady. Truth also be told...she's hiding her own secrets (not so much on the national security level of secrets though), and merely wants to secure her place in society and lock away her shameful truths. She's even good with forgoing love for the sake of freedom...or at least a version of it....or at least she was. If all works out as planned, they'll both get exactly what they want...and even unexpectedly what they need!
I really love how the author breathes life into the time period and her characters. They are neither predictable nor stuffy, or at least no more so than they should be, and we're allowed a glimpse into both their worlds AND their hearts. We get to see how they interact with the ton, but also how free they are when persuing their own passions. We catch glimpses of those pairings we've read of before, but not so much as to render the other books obsolete, or shutdown interest in reading each of their tales to gather all the scandalously delicious details. When we first meet Seb, it's not on a level playing field, so we see him raw and unfiltered...and certainly still appealing! When he regains his footing, we see him at the top of his game and yet, despite the high stakes game he is playing at, still his charming self beneath it all (whether he knows it or not!). When Clarissa first encounters him, she's torn between pity and desire, the first of which was explainable due to circumstances, but the latter was something unforeseen. When she let her guard down, albiet against her wishes, we got to see the REAL Clarissa, and appreciate her for the person she is versus how the ton want her to be. Their interactions as the stakes grew higher were award worthy, and yet only served to feed their mounting feelings for one another. Whether they would eventually "meet in the middle" was always up in the air, but even so, we knew we could count on one to be their for the other in spite of it all.
To conclude by rambling love affair with this work, it's a definite recommendation for Historical Fiction and Romance fans. Whether a current reader of the author's work, or just getting started, there's LOADS to love here, and a promise of more to come on the horizon...woo hoo!
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About the author...
When Virginia Heath was a little girl it took her ages to fall asleep, so she made up stories in her head to help pass the time while she was staring at the ceiling. As she got older, the stories became more complicated, sometimes taking weeks to get to the happy ending. Then one day, she decided to embrace the insomnia and start writing them down. Fortunately, the lovely people at Harlequin Mills & Boon took pity on her and decided to publish her romances, but it still takes her forever to fall asleep.
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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you and to the Harlequin team for the ARC for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the series, the publisher, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now via Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin Books, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing. Be sure to check out the other sites participating today for more bookish insight and fun!
BEFORE YOU GO...
DON'T MISS THE TOUR WIDE GIVEAWAY!
YOUR CHANCE TO WIN (1) of 3 ecopies of The Mysterious Lord Millcroft!
(Open Internationally)
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
2 comments:
On the face of it not a book that particularly appealed to me but your review has me thinking again as I really like the sound of Clarissa who sounds like an interesting character and one I'd like to get to know.
Great post for a great book.
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