Just in time for the romance reader's national holiday: Valentine's Day. Tons of great books will be flooding the shelves this month! In case you need to nudge your lover in the right direction, send him the link to this list and tell him it's your Valentine's Day registry. Along with some delightful chocolates from the go to spot Chocolat Moderne (they've got stuff for him too!), [I've got my eye on: this and dark chocolate covered cherries (in vodka syrup)] nothing could make your day better, right?And if there isn't someone special in your life, SPLURGE on yourself! Books & Chocolate= a match made in singles heaven!
Here are the Anticipated Releases for the Month of February 2011
'The Seduction of His Wife' by Tiffany Clare 
"AN INCONVENIENT SCANDAL
Emma Hallaway has not seen her husband in twelve years—and that’s fine with her. As a young girl, she’d agreed to a simple marriage of convenience, allowing her to pursue her private passion for painting. And though unknown to the rest of polite society, Emma is now one of the most daring and sought-after artists in London. However, when her secret is threatened to be exposed, Emma is forced to open her heart—and her home—to a total stranger: her husband…
AN UNEXPECTED SURPRISE
Richard Mansfield, Earl of Asbury, is all too familiar with danger. As a matter of fact, it is hard on his heels when he returns to England. Still, even he is shocked to learn of his wife’s scandalous double life as an artist. But once he sees the vibrant grown woman she has become—so passionate, so strong, and so alluring—his undeniable attraction to Emma stuns him. Suddenly Richard is determined to turn their sham of a marriage into a true and lasting love. But how exactly does a gentleman seduce his own wife?"Source
[Read an excerpt: here]
'After Dark With A Scoundrel' by Alexandra Hawkins
"Young, tender, and highly impressionable, Lady Regan can't help but be intrigued by her brother's wayward friends - the wickedly charming Lords of Vice. One man in particular, the dashing Lord Hugh Mordare (known simply as 'Dare' among the ton), utterly captivates her - in spite of his reputation as a notorious womanizer. But when she steals an innocent kiss from Dare, Regan is swiftly packed off to boarding school, safely away from danger.and desire.
Five years later, Regan returns - a proper lady and ravishing beauty. Miss Swann's Academy for Young Ladies has taught her how to behave in polite society. But all the training in the world cannot extinguish her love for Dare. Now, she hopes to beat the master of seduction at his own game - by daring Dare to love her in return. This time, both of their hearts are on the line - and winner takes all."Source
[Read an excerpt: here]
'Captive' by Christina Phillips 
"She is a prisoner of her sworn enemy - and her own desire...
Having lost her faith when Roman invaders destroyed life as she knew it, Morwyn took a vow of celibacy to spite her goddess. But before she can join up with the rebels, she's captured by a Gaul mercenary whose animal charms and chiseled body will test her conviction... and make it harder to kill him.
Bren, pledged to the true Briton king, has spent three years undercover in the Roman Legion. So when his own unit attacks and brutalizes a fiery Celtic beauty, he saves her the only way he can - by claiming her as his prisoner. But unlike his men, Bren would never take the woman by force, no matter how obviously she burns for his touch.
As they near Roman headquarters, Morwyn resolves to honor her vow of celibacy - but if the Gaul were to ravage her, could she be blamed for enjoying his body? With just a hint of seduction, sooner or later the Gaul will succumb to his exquisite captive... "Source
[Read an excerpt: here]
February 15th- There are two more books to add to your list and pick up on the 15th. Delilah Marvelle is releasing the last book in her Scandal series, and Amanda McCabe has something in store for us as well!
'The Perfect Scandal' by Delilah Marvelle 
"If there is anything Tristan Adam Hargrove, fourth Marquis of Moreland, has learned to avoid, it's scandal. For the dark and dashing lord is not only an honorable gentleman who would never seduce a woman for his own gain, he is also the author of How to Avoid a Scandal, the infamous red book that has swept like wildfire through the better part of London society. 
When a raven-haired beauty arrives as his new neighbor, he knows better than to succumb to the desire he feels. He knows little about her—only that she is high born, a protégé of the Crown and completely unsuitable for the base passions he hides from the world. If only he had never glimpsed the vulnerable beauty one fateful night. If only her lips were not so ravishingly red. If only it were not already too late to save her and himself from the untamed passion he is about to unleash in the name of love."Source
[Read a review at My Book Addiction: here]
'The Shy Duchess' by Amanda McCabe 
"With her golden hair and dazzling emerald eyes, Lady Emily Carroll should have her pick of suitors. Instead, her crippling shyness has earned her the nickname "Ice Princess." 
Nicholas, Duke of Manning, isn't looking for a bride, but he won't pass up a stolen kiss at a masked ball.
With her blushes hidden, Emily lets her inhibitions go. Only to find herself betrothed! Now it's her wedding night, and her new husband seems determined to thaw his Ice Princess and reveal her every secret…."Source
[Read an excerpt: here]
Fat Tuesday (for books) is on February 22nd, 2011. Time to jam pack that Amazon cart with plenty of romances. If you choose to buy a couple romances on this day, you can get a good deal at Borders; where they're having a buy 4 romance get the 5th free deal. Enjoy some delightful reads from Julie Anne Long, Margo Maguire, Nicole Jordan, Robyn DeHart, and Anne Mallory.
'What I Did For The Duke' by Julie Anne Long
"For years, he’s been an object of fear, fascination…and fantasy. But of all the wicked rumors that forever dog the formidable Alexander Moncrieffe, Duke of Falconbridge, the ton knows one thing for certain: only fools dare cross him. And when Ian Eversea does just that, Moncrieffe knows the perfect revenge: he’ll seduce Ian’s innocent sister, Genevieve—the only member of the powerful and wealthy Eversea family as yet untouched by scandal. First he’ll capture her heart…and then he’ll break it.
But everything about Genevieve is unexpected: the passion simmering beneath her cool control, the sharp wit tempered by a gentleness that coaxes out his deepest secrets… And though Genevieve has heard the whispers about the duke’s dark past, and knows she trifles with him at her peril, one incendiary kiss tempts her deeper into a world of extraordinary sensuality. Until Genevieve is faced with a fateful choice…is there anything she won't do for a duke?"Source
[Read an excerpt: here]
'Seducing The Governess' by Margo Maguire 
"A Proper Governess Should Never. . . 
Assist a handsome stranger, alone on an unfamiliar road . . . unless the rake happens to be her new employer.
Take a position in a crumbling manor . . . especially if the household staff has been replaced by unruly former soldiers.
Allow her young charge entrÉe to her heart . . . for once done, it will be impossible to maintain proper distance.
Permit her charge's uncle a breathtaking kiss under a star-lit sky . . . henceforth she will most certainly lose composure whenever he is near.
And above all, she should never, ever fall completely, irreversibly in love with her employer . . . for nothing good can possibly come of it."Source
[Read a review at The Romance Dish: here]
'To Desire A Wicked Duke' by Nicole Jordan 
"Two years after losing her beloved fiancé to war, Tess Blanchard feels ready to chance love again. Thus, she’s aghast when a threatening scandal forces her to wed her longtime nemesis, Ian Sutherland, Duke of Rotham. The impossibly arrogant, irresistibly seductive nobleman is the last man she could ever imagine loving! Making matters worse, Tess discovers secrets in Rotham’s wicked past that send her fleeing London for his remote castle in Cornwall. 
Having long desired Tess, Ian is exasperated that the ton thinks he’s driven his reluctant new bride from their marriage bed and so follows hard on her heels. Naturally, their spirited rivalry leads to glorious, pleasure-filled nights — complicated by a mysterious ghost who haunts Ian's castle and Tess's vexing insistence that he play matchmaker to her friends. But can blazing desire between two warring hearts turn into wedded bliss and timeless love?"Source
[View the PDF excerpt: here]
'Treasure Me' by Robyn DeHart 
"Graeme Langford, Duke of Rothmore, has always been torn between his beloved Scottish homeland and his duty to the English crown. But his is an adventurer's soul and nothing keeps him from his dream: finding a long-lost stone hidden near Loch Ness.
Bookish Vanessa Pembrooke heads to the Highlands looking for traces of the legendary beast--not a husband. Yet when fate binds her to Graeme, it's not all bad: he's the first man ever to share her hunger for adventure. As their passion grows, so too does certain danger, and they'll soon risk everything to keep the jewel out of a murder's hands. But can they do so without losing the greatest treasure of all... their love?"Source
'One Night Is Never Enough' by Anne Mallory 
"From the first glimpse he knew he must have her — even if only for a single night . . . 
Powerful, ruthless, seductive—the lord of London’s underworld—Roman Merrick gets anything he wants . . . and he burns for Charlotte Chatsworth, a polished jewel in the glittering ton. So he engages her debt-ridden gambler father in a game of chance, wagering ten thousand pounds against one night with the man’s exquisite daughter. And Roman Merrick never loses.
But one night is never enough . . .
Charlotte is devastated to learn that her reprobate father has lost her in a card game to the most dangerous man she’s ever met. With the threat of ruin behind every corner, Charlotte embarks upon a perilous path with the man she cannot forget. But in truth, it’s Roman who has everything to lose—for a game undertaken for pleasure alone soon has him gambling his heart. And love and passion unleashed could bring his great, dark empire tumbling down . . . "Source
[Read a review at Night Owl Romance: here]
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So enjoy this special month and your special day with whomever you choose (even if it's just yourself). Romances give us hope; in humanity, in the extraordinary, in everything that the cynics of the world like to rag on. Flip them off from a Borders parking lot and be on your way ;)
i want to read a lot of these!! esp the anne mallory book and delilah marvelle!
ReplyDeleteThere are raving reviews already for Julie Anne Long's book. You must add that to your esp list too!
ReplyDeleteAnd I am trying not to add all of these books to my cart at once. It's pretty hard though!