Winner (and new Winners!)

First, the winner of Shelley Workinger's signed ARC of Solid:

Bethie!!!

Also, the two ARCs of Jennifer Haymore's books went unclaimed. The new winner is:
Historical Romance Junkie Rita!!!

(Ladies, please e-mail me at bookaddictpatti at cox dot net with your mailing address)

One more unclaimed prize:
E-book copies of Alice Clayton's Redhead Series:
Stella (Ex Libris)!!!
(Stella, send me your e-mail addy bookaddictpatti at cox dot net)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Review: A Season of Seduction by Jennifer Haymore (and giveaway!)

From the author's website:
Although the widowed Lady Rebecca has sworn off marriage, men are another matter. London’s cold winter nights have her dreaming of warmer pursuits-like finding a lover to satisfy her hungry heart. Someone handsome, discreet, and most importantly as uninterested in marriage as she is. Someone like Jack Fulton.

A known adventurer and playboy, Jack seems like the perfect choice. There’s just one problem: Jack isn’t interested in an affair. He needs the beautiful, mysterious Lady Rebecca to be his wife. And he doesn’t have much time to persuade her. A secret from Jack’s past is about to surface, and by Christmas Day he’ll be either married to Rebecca or dead.

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A Season of Seduction is the third book in Ms. Haymore's Tristan Family series. I read the 2nd book, A Touch of Scandal (my review here), and really liked the heroine of this book, Rebecca.

As the story opens, Lady Rebecca (Becky) is about to embark on an assignation with Jack Fulton, a sailor recently embarked in London, whom she's become almost intimately acquainted with. Whom she wants to be intimately acquainted with. After the death of her husband four years ago, Rebecca hasn't wanted anyone like she wants Jack. She knows it's improper, but with the help of her dear friend, Cecelia, she's arranged to be with him tonight - alone. Things are moving right along, and then...her brother bursts into the hotel room and catches them, undressed and in bed together! Of course there's an audience to her disgrace, and she knows propriety dictates that she accept Jack's proposal of marriage. The problem is, she just can't do it.

Lady Rebecca's last marriage was so horrible, she doesn't ever want to be married again. He wooed her and convinced her he loved her, then planned to kill her for her money! She never wants to be dependent on a man again. What she doesn't know is that Jack needs to marry her because he is being blackmailed; he needs her dowry. He's got a history he's briefly told her about, but didn't give her all the facts, and is trying to manipulate her into marriage.

I enjoyed A Season of Seduction, Ms. Haymore's writing is descriptive - I could picture the events as they were unfolding. I liked Becky, and I wanted to like Jack, but I just couldn't. He was earnest and he loved her, but when you got down to it, he was using her. I was frustrated that when he finally decided to tell her the truth, his first thought is that his family would help him with his "issues" - that seemed kind of smarmy to me.

My feelings about the hero aside, it was a good story. Becky was a sweet heroine, and it was nice to see the characters from the previous book. (It can definitely be read as a stand-alone though) We met some new characters, Becky's friend Cecelia, and Jack's friend, Lord Stratford, whom I hope to see in the next book :)

Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: October 1, 2010
ISBN-10: 0446540285
ISBN-13: 978-0446540285

My Rating:

I have an ARC of Book 2 (A Touch of Scandal) and A Season of Seduction to give away (obviously I've read them but they're still in good condition) to one lucky commenter. Just leave a comment telling me you want to win them. Must be a GFC follower. Ends November 29.

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This book was received by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: A Touch of Scandal by Jennifer Haymore

A Touch of Scandal started off with a bang: Kate Fisk is leaving her employer's house to go watch a naked man bathe!!! Whoa!

Kate is the daughter of a servant, and her current employer is actually her brother William and his new wife, Rebecca. William has married "up" and doesn't want Rebecca to know his true station. He can't afford a bunch of servants so Kate works for them. It is while walking from her brother's home to her own that she comes across a beautiful man bathing in a small lake. Since that first view, she's taken to looking for him on her way home, hoping to get another peek. He sees her watching, and surprises her. He tells her only that his name is Garrett, and they almost instantly feel a connection. They agree to meet again the next day, where their passion for each other is expressed in a physical way.

Garrett, Duke of Calton, has been searching for William. William and Garrett are sworn enemies, but Garrett doesn't know Kate is William's sister. William holds Garrett responsible for the death of his twin and has made it his mission to make Garrett's life miserable in every way imaginable; this includes eloping with Garrett's sister and taking him prisoner in order to torture him.

Things come to a head and Kate ends up living in Garrett's home, surprised he's a duke, loving him although she knows she cannot. When Garrett's former mistress shows up, days away from having his baby, Kate knows what she must do.

This book had so many twists and turns, I was turning the pages to find out what was next! The storyline was not what I thought it would be - I love when that happens! From Kate's "mystery man" to William's and Garrett's enmnity, from Kate's awful mother to Garrett's snobby aunt, and between Garrett's ex-wife and his ex-mistress, the storyline had me wondering what else Kate was going to have to deal with before she got her well-deserved HEA. I even liked her sickly younger brother, Reggie (which, anyone who knows me knows how I feel about kids in romance books ---> bleh).

What I didn't care for was the "instant attraction" between Kate and Garrett. In a paranormal romance - oh, yeah, I love the instant attraction! Not in a historical romance. It was almost immediate that they couldn't live without each other. I think that with everything going on in the book Ms. Haymore would not have had a problem making the attraction a bit more gradual.

I give A Touch of Scandal 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Ms. Haymore's next story in this series, A Season of Seduction, is about Garrett's sister Rebecca - can she find love after William crushed her heart so badly? Although she seemed a bit timid, I liked Rebecca and would love to see her get a HEA

This book was provided to me by Hatchette Book Group in exchange for an honest review.