Showing posts with label DUKE OF SIN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DUKE OF SIN. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Aloha to Elizabeth Hoyt and DUKE OF SIN - Release Day Blitz


A MAN OF SIN

Devastatingly handsome. Vain. Unscrupulous. Valentine Napier, the Duke of Montgomery, is the man London whispers about in boudoirs and back alleys. A notorious rake and blackmailer, Montgomery has returned from exile, intent on seeking revenge on those who have wronged him. But what he finds in his own bedroom may lay waste to all his plans.

A WOMAN OF HONOR

Born a bastard, housekeeper Bridget Crumb is clever, bold, and fiercely loyal. When her aristocratic mother becomes the target of extortion, Bridget joins the Duke of Montgomery's household to search for the incriminating evidence-and uncovers something far more dangerous.

A SECRET THAT THREATENS TO DESTROY THEM BOTH

Astonished by the deceptively prim-and surprisingly witty-domestic spy in his chambers, Montgomery is intrigued. And try as she might, Bridget can't resist the slyly charming duke. Now as the two begin their treacherous game of cat and mouse, they soon realize that they both have secrets-and neither may be as nefarious-or as innocent-as they appear . . .

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Covent Gardens
Public Domain (link)

Elizabeth Hoyt is the New York Times bestselling author of over seventeen lush historical romances including the Maiden Lane series. Publishers Weekly has called her writing "mesmerizing." She also pens deliciously fun contemporary romances under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with three untrained dogs, a garden in constant need of weeding, and the long-suffering Mr. Hoyt.

ElizabethHoyt.com
Twitter.com/ElizabethHoyt
Facebook.com/ElizabethHoytBooks

Add DUKE OF SIN to your shelf on Goodreads at this link.

Check out my review of DUKE OF SIN at this link.

Can Bridget spin a happy ending?

Elizabeth offers an excerpt from DUKE OF SIN ...

“I was told you had need of me, Your Grace,” she reminded him, folding her hands at her waist to hide the trembling that had begun again. She’d been in demand before this position. Duchesses and lionesses of society had wanted her.

“So practical,” he mused, tilting his golden head back to gaze, presumably, at the gaudy sky-blue velvet canopy of his bed. She’d always thought it rather vulgar, actually. “I suppose that would be considered a good thing in a housekeeper.”

“It’s generally considered so, Your Grace.”

“And yet, I find it somewhat…”—he raised his naked arm straight up above his head and twirled his hand as he thought—“irksome.”

“I am sorry, Your Grace,” Bridget said as pleasantly as she could, which, sadly, was not very.

“Oh, don’t be,” the duke murmured silkily. “One can’t help one’s nature, no matter how irritating it is to others.”

His azure eyes suddenly dropped to pin her, hard and merciless, and she lost her breath as she fell into his predator’s stare. It was like looking into the eyes of something inhuman, almost otherworldly. Her chest ached as she stared at him, the air still locked within her, but at the same time the place between her legs ached as well.

Then she inhaled, filling her lungs with sweet air, as he watched her still, his eyes half-lidded, and she felt an odd exhilaration, as if a gauntlet had been thrown down. As if they were adversaries, equal on the field.

Which was completely ridiculous.

Possibly she shouldn’t have indulged in that third cup of tea this morning.

“I wonder whom you work for, Mrs. Crumb?” he whispered.

“Why, for you, Your Grace,” she replied, holding his gaze.

He snorted.

She felt a bead of perspiration trail down her spine.

He strode, nude, to his desk, and, bending over it, afforded her a quite scandalous view of his muscular bottom. He seemed to have a dark mark of some kind on the left cheek. Good God, it looked like a tattoo. What—? “Why, Mrs. Crumb,” he drawled, and she snapped her gaze belatedly up to find that he’d turned back to her—damn it! “Were you ogling my arse?”

She opened her mouth and then wasn’t sure, exactly, what to say. Was he about to dismiss her or not? “I…I—”

“Ye-es?” He took one long stride toward her.

She was suddenly, overwhelmingly aware of what she’d until now successfully ignored: He. Was. Nude.

His shoulders were wide, his chest highlighted by pale-pink nipples drawn tight, with but a few curling golden hairs between. His torso narrowed in a perfect V to a slim waist and a shallow belly button. A thin line of slightly darker hair led to his genitals.

During his supposed absence Bridget had had plenty of time to study the life-size nude portrait of the duke hanging next to his bed. She’d long thought the dimensions of his manhood exaggerated.

They were not.

She hastily glanced up to find him standing far too close to her, a wicked smile playing about his mouth.

“Oh, Mrs. Crumb, such a look,” he murmured, his voice a deep purr, his bare chest brushing against her snowy white apron. “Why, I don’t know whether to guard my bollocks…”—his gaze dropped to her mouth—“or to kiss you.”

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Book 9 is closely related
to DUKE OF SIN

Friday, May 13, 2016

Aloha to Elizabaeth Hoyt and DUKE OF SIN (Maiden Lane Book 10) - Book Review

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Reminder: I have a special giveaway for Military Appreciation Month at this link.

A MAN OF SIN

Devastatingly handsome. Vain. Unscrupulous. Valentine Napier, the Duke of Montgomery, is the man London whispers about in boudoirs and back alleys. A notorious rake and blackmailer, Montgomery has returned from exile, intent on seeking revenge on those who have wronged him. But what he finds in his own bedroom may lay waste to all his plans.

A WOMAN OF HONOR

Born a bastard, housekeeper Bridget Crumb is clever, bold, and fiercely loyal. When her aristocratic mother becomes the target of extortion, Bridget joins the Duke of Montgomery's household to search for the incriminating evidence-and uncovers something far more dangerous.

A SECRET THAT THREATENS TO DESTROY THEM BOTH

Astonished by the deceptively prim-and surprisingly witty-domestic spy in his chambers, Montgomery is intrigued. And try as she might, Bridget can't resist the slyly charming duke. Now as the two begin their treacherous game of cat and mouse, they soon realize that they both have secrets-and neither may be as nefarious-or as innocent-as they appear . . .

Covent Gardens
Public Domain (link)

Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall. - William Shakespeare

Val enjoys being the villain - he has blackmailed several characters throughout the series.  In one case, the blackmail was for a good reason. He coerced Lady Caire to include his bastard sister, Eve, in ladies' charitable projects while he held onto sensitive letters in her handwriting. Although Lady Caire compiled with the Duke's instructions, she asks her own bastard daughter, Bridget Crumb, to apply as a housekeeper to his home. As Bridget searches for the letters (and other items he holds over the ton), she discovers that Val was not born wicked. Instead, he is the product of a monstrous father and a neglectful mother. His destructive attitude - the antithesis of her nurturing life - intrigues her as she considers how to save her mother, the other blackmail victims, and the Duke of Montgomery himself.

Hoyt is a master storyteller.  Her writing is rich, decadent, and delicious, much like dark chocolate. Alas, Val is dark chocolate personified.  Despite his villainous actions in previous books, Hoyt writes Val in a way that I applaud his bravado. He imbibes in retorts while gorging his ego. Val challenges Georgian society for their blatant hypocrisy. He is fascinated by Mrs. Crumb.  Val wonders why she hides her hair under a mobcap. He questions who gives her the authority to lecture him - a Duke! - about morality. Val even asks what is her Christian name. When she refuses to answer him, he calls her Seraphine,

"This is who I am, Seraphine. Naked, with blade and blood. I am vengeance. I am hate. I am sin personified. Never mistake me for the hero of this tale, for I am not and shall never be. I am the villain."

DUKE OF SIN is grittier than I prefer but Hoyt tackles the wicked indulgences within Georgian society. That is the beauty of Hoyt's writing - she takes readers on a roller coaster ride of emotions to celebrate love and grieve loss, all part of the circle of life. The plot itself is predictable. Yet Hoyt includes her trademark fairy tale to introduce each chapter, adding an extra dimension to the "fiction that points to truth". Kudos to Hoyt for the scene with Val, a child, and a kitten - more dark chocolate, this time with a creamy center!

The question remains - did Bridget's love inspire Val to redeem himself?  You'll have to read DUKE OF SIN to make your own judgement.

DUKE OF SIN can be read as a stand alone novel.  It is closely connected to SWEETEST SCOUNDREL, Book 9, with his sister Eve as the heroine. I have only read Book 9 and 10, yet I was able to understand the themes running throughout the Maiden Lane series.


I received an ARC from Forever Romance for an honest review.

DUKE OF SIN is available on May 31, 2016.


Can Bridget spin a happy ending?

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about lockets (one item Val stole to blackmail an heiress) - would I find one in your jewelry box? I have a heart shaped locket I bought at an antique market in
Tongeren, Belgium (link).

2. This giveaway is open to US readers.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, May 14, 10 pm in Baltimore. I'll post the winner on Sunday, May 15.

Mahalo,


Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Elizabeth and her books at elizabethhoyt.com.


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