Showing posts with label Laura Trentham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laura Trentham. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Aloha to Laura Trentham and SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE



From award winning author Laura Trentham comes SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE, a novel about starting over, finding your way back home—and falling head over heels. . .

Ella Boudreaux has a lot to prove to her family, friends, and foes—and to herself. So when her marriage ends she decides to invest her energy and money into a place that brings back some of Ella’s happiest memories: the Abbott brothers’ garage. Maybe, if she puts her mind to it, she can teach skeptical, stubborn Mack Abbott how to make the business a true success. Which would be a lot easier if the hunky mechanic didn’t make her motor run quite so fast…and hot.

Mack was furious when his brother, Ford, sold his share of the business. He’s in no rush to team up with a wealthy divorcĂ©e who shows up to the garage in stilettos—and the longest, sexiest legs he’s seen in forever. But Ella’s grit and determination won’t quit…and soon Mack can see that she’s been down a few rough roads herself. Neither Mack nor Ella can deny the fierce attraction that’s revving up between them. Could it be that true love has been in the backseat all along…and they’ve finally found the key?


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An award-winning author, Laura Trentham was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee. Although, she loved English and reading in high school, she was convinced an English degree equated to starvation. She chose the next most logical major—Chemical Engineering—and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years.

When not lost in a cozy Southern town or Regency England, she's shuttling kids to soccer, helping with homework, and avoiding the Mt. Everest-sized pile of laundry that is almost as big as the to-be-read pile of books on her nightstand. 


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Laura is hosting a giveaway at this link .... and offers an excerpt from SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE:

“How the—” Mack caught the curse in his hand. “You’re not a mechanic, Ms. Boudreaux.”

“Call me Ella.” At his stony stare, she shrugged and continued. “You don’t need another mechanic. You have plenty of mechanics. What you need is someone to market you.”

“And you know enough about cars to do that?” His skepticism hit her like a kid pulling her pigtails behind the monkey bars. Annoying.

She shouldn’t rise to the bait. Unfortunately, her mouth was less mature than her mind, and she reeled off facts her brother had recited with pride.

“That Datsun 240Z you were under? It’s a seventy-three with a 2.4-liter straight-six and side-draft carburetors. It can hit sixty in 8.2 seconds with 151 horsepower. Top speed is a hundred twenty-five miles per hour. Not that anyone should be driving that fast on parish roads.”

He looked . . . stunned. She confined herself to a small self-satisfied smile. She had a feeling nothing much surprised Mack Abbott, or if it did, he made sure the world didn’t realize it.

“How did you . . . How do you know all that?”

“That’s not important. What is important is that I can help you.”

“We don’t need help.” He shook his head and re-chinked the breaks in his wall of grump.

“Yes, you do.”

“No, we don’t.” The playground-level annoyance continued with his childish denials.

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes, probably not helping to diffuse the situation.

“Name your price.”

“That’s not how this is going to work, Mack.”

“I say how things are run and done in this garage. Not you, Ms. Boudreaux.”

“I have a quarter stake and an equal voice.”

“Except, we handle things democratically around here and my brothers will have my back. Every. Single. Time.”

Dangit. He had her there. Pushing against Mack was like trying to move a mountain. She glanced at the twins. If she couldn’t move Mack, then she’d have to go around him. She wanted to stalk out and slam the door, but forced herself to mosey as if she wasn’t bothered at all by the situation or the man. He followed her to the door. She stopped with one foot out and one in. The breeze caught her hair, and she tossed her head to get it out of her eyes.

“You might vote me down, but at least give me a chance to be heard.”

“Name your price,” he repeated in a growly, grizzly voice that was meant to grind down her dissension.

Where she found the gumption she didn’t know, but she gave his cheek two pats and said, “You can’t afford me, tough guy.”

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Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Aloha to Laura Trentham and LEAVE THE NIGHT ON - with giveaway!

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I enjoyed chatting with Laura Trentham at RWA ... love her Southern accent!  She is celebrating the release of LEAVE THE NIGHT ON, Book 4 in her Cottonbloom series ...

Sutton Mize is known for lavishing attention on the customers who flock to her boutique on the wealthy side of her Mississippi town. So when she finds a lace thong in her fiance's classic cherry-red Camaro, she knows just who she sold it to: her own best friend. In an instant, Sutton's whole world goes up in flames. . .

Wyatt Abbott has harbored a crush on Sutton since he was a young kid from the other side of the tracks. He witnessed Sutton's shocking discovery in the Camaro at his family-owned garage--and it made him angry. What kind of man could take lovely, gorgeous Sutton for granted? But then Sutton comes up with an idea: Why not give her betrothed a taste of his own medicine and pretend that she's got a lover of her own? Wyatt is more than happy to play the hot-and-heavy boyfriend. But what begins as a fictional affair soon develops into something more real, and more passionate, than either Sutton or Wyatt could have imagined. Could it be that true love has been waiting under the hood all along?




I was born and raised in a small town in Northwest Tennessee. Although, I loved English and reading in high school, I was convinced an English degree equated to starvation! So, I chose the next most logical major - Chemical Engineering- and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years. Now I live in South Carolina with my husband and two children. In between school and homework and soccer practices, I love to get lost in another world, whether its Regency England or small town Alabama.

Learn more about Laura and her books at lauratrentham.com.


Laura is hosting a special giveaway at this link.

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More books in the Cottonbloom series ...


Sunday, August 7, 2016

Weekly Winners


Public Domain (link)


Aloha from Colorado!  Hubby and I are here in the Centennial State for a friend's military retirement. It is absolutely gorgeous!

We have winners at SOS Aloha:

KC Dyer's FINDING FRASER - Book Review
- Girlygirlhooser wins a book choice from my convention stash.

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Margaret Mallory's CLAIMED BY A HIGHLANDER
- Diane D. wins a copy of the book from Margaret.

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Happy 226th Birthday, US Coast Guard!
- Di S. wins a book choice from my convention stash.


Sharon Hamilton's NASHVILLE SEAL: JAMESON
- Natasha wins a book choice from my convention stash.


Laura Trentham's TILL I KISSED YOU
- Denise wins a book choice from my convention stash.

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Winners, please contact me with your mailing address at sos.aloha@yahoo.com.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

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Pike's Peak from the Garden of the Gods
Image by AHodges7 (link)


Monday, August 1, 2016

Aloha to Laura Trentham and TILL I KISSED YOU (Cottonbloom Book 3) - Book Review

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Reminder - I have a special giveaway for August at this link.

It’s summertime in Cottonbloom, where two lovers find themselves at a crossroads just as things start to heat up. . . 
Regan Lovell grew up on the wealthy Mississippi side of Cottonbloom—and now, as mayor, she’s determined to save it from the fate of so many small towns. Part of her plan to help the local economy is the Labor Day tomato festival. If only she wasn’t being undermined by Sawyer Fournette, who’s planning a crayfish-themed celebration on the Louisiana side of the river on the very same weekend. The pranks and sabotage are getting out of hand, and she’s had it with him—no matter how much she enjoyed those stolen hours in his truck bed, so many years ago…

Sawyer knows that Regan's never forgiven him for breaking her heart—but despite his reputation as a low-class swamp rat, he’d never hurt the woman who still secretly drives him crazy with desire. Someone in Cottonbloom has it out for her, though, and Sawyer intends to watch her back…and the rest of her too, if she can ever let go of her distrust. But will a common enemy be enough to unite them—and finally fulfill the promises they made one passionate night under the stars?



End of summer tomatoes
Creative Commons (link)

And even as I wander
I'm keeping you in sight
You're a candle in the window
On a cold, dark winter's night
And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might
- REO Speedwagon

TILL I KISSED YOU is a second chance romance in the Deep South. It hints of Romeo and Juliet when high school sweethearts find themselves on opposite sides of the river, promoting their own town's festival.  Once they discover someone is trying to sabotage their efforts, they unite as political allies - and lovers - to realize their dreams.

Trentham delivers a nostalgic look at how a high school sweethearts can mature into responsible adults, balancing their commitments to their families, communities, and ultimately each other.  Kudos to Trentham for giving Regan a backbone to stand up to an unexpected bully and pursue her own dreams.  I kept thinking of the REO Speedwagon's I CAN'T FIGHT THIS FEELING ANYMORE - a favorite tune from my college days - as Regan and Sawyer allowed themselves to love each other, no matter who interferes in their relationship. TILL I KISSED YOU kept my interest throughout the story - I did not want it to end. 

Note I read TILL I KISSED YOU without reading the first two books in the series.  Characters from previous books contribute to the plot but did not distract from the love story between Regan and Sawyer.  

Recommended read for fans of reunited lovers, Southern charm, and food festivals.

I received an ARC from the St. Martin's Press for an honest review.

Crawfish Festival

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comments about tomatoes and/or crawfish - how do you like them?  I love fresh tomatoes with a little salt.  I also enjoy crawfish although it can be a lot of work to eat 'em!

2. Comments are open through Saturday, August 6, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Sunday, August 7.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Laura and her books at lauratrentham.com.

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Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Aloha to Laura Trentham and THEN HE KISSED ME (Cottonbloom Novel Book 2)

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Reminder: I have a special giveaway to celebrate June at this link.

Can two hearts come together in one divided town?

As a boy, Nash Hawthorne spent countless afternoons on the Louisiana side of Cottonbloom with Tally Fournette, wading in the river, peeling oranges and catching frogs. When illness stole his mother, Nash yearned to take Tally and run away—for good. Instead, he crossed the state line to live with his aunt. It was a short distance as the crow flies, but it swept him into a whole new world…

After Nash left, Tally managed to struggle through her own losses without him. But now that she’s crossed paths with him again—at Cottonbloom College, where the grown-up, gorgeous Nash teaches history—she is reminded of their cherished youthful connection…and an attraction that has only gotten stronger with age. Between Tally’s possessive ex and Nash’s snobbish aunt, no one thinks they belong together. In a town torn apart by old resentments and rivalries, can they find their way back to the life they once shared—and turn their long-lost dreams into a real and lasting love?


Laura Trentham

I was born and raised in a small town in Northwest Tennessee. Although, I loved English and reading in high school, I was convinced an English degree equated to starvation! So, I chose the next most logical major - Chemical Engineering- and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years. Now I live in South Carolina with my husband and two children. In between school and homework and soccer practices, I love to get lost in another world, whether its Regency England or small town Alabama.

KISS ME THAT WAY, Book 1 of the first trilogy, released May 31st and has been getting incredible reviews. It's my first paperback that's been widely available at bookstores and Walmarts around the country. It is very cool to see my book between two writing idols, Lisa Kleypas and Debbie Macomber! Book 2, THEN HE KISSED ME releases June 28th, and Book 3, TILL I KISSED YOU, is out Aug 2nd! This is your perfect binge-beach read!

Learn more about Laura and her books, including excepts, at lauratrentham.com.

Natchez–Vidalia Bridge over the Mississippi River
Released to Public Domain (link)

I read an ARC for TILL I KISSED YOU - loved it!  And you will love the Cottonbloom series!  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 what you know about Mississippi, the Magnolia State, and/or Louisiana, the Pelican State.

2. Comments are open from Saturday, July 2, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Sunday, July 3.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha spirit in Charm City

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Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Aloha to Laura Trentham and KISS ME THAT WAY - Release Day Blitz


Kim's Note:  I enjoyed Laura Trentham's historical novels.  I jumped at the chance to review her new contemporary series set in Cottonbloom. Reviews of Book 1 and Book 2 to come. 


A river divides Cottonbloom in two: the upscale enclave on the Mississippi side and the rundown, rough and tumble side in Louisiana. They’re worlds apart—but nothing can build a bridge like love…

Cade Fournette never had it easy Cottonbloom. He stuck around long enough to raise his orphaned siblings and then hightailed it out West—and never looked back. Even though he’s made a success of himself in Seattle, Cade never lost the toughness and the angry edge that helped him survive down South. His only weak spot: the girl he left behind…

Monroe Kirby came from the wealthy side of town, but that didn’t protect her from her mother’s drinking—or her mother’s boyfriend. It was Cade who did that, on a long-ago hot September night, before he disappeared…along with a piece of her heart. Now Monroe is a physical therapist who can fight for herself, and it’s Cade who could use some conditioning when he makes an unexpected return back home. Will he and Monroe pick up where they left off and finally explore their mutual passion—or will the scars and secrets of the past divide them once more?

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | Google | iTunes | Kobo



An award-winning author, Laura Trentham was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee. Although, she loved English and reading in high school, she was convinced an English degree equated to starvation. She chose the next most logical major—Chemical Engineering—and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years.

She writes sexy, small town contemporaries and smoking hot Regency historicals. The first two books of her Falcon Football series were named Top Picks by RT Book Reviews magazine. When not lost in a cozy Southern town or Regency England, she's shuttling kids to soccer, helping with homework, and avoiding the Mt. Everest-sized pile of laundry that is almost as large as the to-be-read pile of books on her nightstand.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Laura offers an excerpt from KISS ME THAT WAY ...

“You left Cottonbloom without telling me. Without saying good-bye. I want to know why.” Monroe hadn’t meant for the words to come out at all, much less with such vehemence.

“It was complicated.” Cade broke eye contact. “You were a good kid in a bad situation.”

“Weren’t you a good kid in a bad situation?”

He shifted toward her, bracing a hand on the dash and laying his other arm over the back of her seat, invading her space. She didn’t retreat. His intensity spurred her heart rate into an erratic gallop, yet she wasn’t intimidated. Perhaps it was only echoes of the past, but he made her feel safe, even when he was the one she should be scared of.

“I grew up fast and tough.” His voice contained more than a hint of warning.

“You were nice to me,” she said softly.

“Don’t fool yourself into thinking I’m nice. I wasn’t then, and I’m sure as hell not now.”

He ran a callused finger down her cheek, the rasp igniting her nerve endings like a flint. His hand continued south and wrapped itself in her braid, the slight tug on her scalp sending shivers through her body in spite of the sun bearing down on the truck. Her nipples felt tight, and she hoped her tight sports tank masked her sudden, inexplicable arousal.

He pulled her braid, forcing her toward him. She didn’t fight him. He dropped his face next to hers, his coarse beard hair caressing her cheek, his mouth close to her ear. “If I see something I want, I go after it and get it by any means necessary.”

“How very Machiavellian.” She tried a laugh, but it came out more like a stuttering sigh. His scent hooked her even closer, and her lips grazed the outer rim of his ear.

He pulled back, his green-eyed gaze roving her face. She returned the favor, noting the faint brackets around his mouth, the crinkles at his eyes, the thick beard. A full-grown man. Yet was he so different from the boy she remembered?

“Ovid.” The movement of his lips jammed the cogs of her brain. The word made no sense. Her confusion must have been obvious, because the mouth she stared at tipped up in the corners, deepening the grooves. “The Greek philosopher Ovid, not Machiavelli, actually wrote: The end justifies the means.”

“Ovid. Of course.” Apparently, Monroe had slept through that philosophy class at Ole Miss. The fact that high-school dropout Cade Fournette was quoting Ovid made her wonder what other mysteries she might uncover if she went digging.

Just when she was ready to grab a shovel, he released her braid and slipped away. His limp was less pronounced as he took the stairs holding the cane parallel to the ground. Although he’d physically released her, she felt bound to him in some other fundamental way, incapable of tearing her eyes off him until he disappeared behind Sawyer’s front door. Even then, she sat, unable to drive away for a long minute.

How could the simple brush of Cade’s finger ignite a fire when other men left her cold? As her arousal ebbed, she realized something else. She’d just been manipulated by a master. He hadn’t explained why he left.

She spent the evening going through the motions of her life, eating when her stomach growled and heading to bed when her eyes felt heavy. A few short hours ago, her life had been tidy and predictable and boring. Cade Fournette’s return had spun her into chaos.

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Books 2 and 3 in the series ... 

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Weekly Winners


We have winners at SOS Aloha!

RWA in San Diego - The Army Comes Flying Along to North Island- Girlygirlhoosier wins a book choice from my convention stash.



Viva Las Vegas for the Arm Chair Traveler
- Ladbookfan wins a book choice from my convention stash.


Spotlight on Alison Aimes - Washington Loves Readers Luncheon
- Denise wins a book choice from my convention stash.


State of Romance with Sylvia Day, Victoria Aveyard, and Laura Trentham
- Booklady wins a book choice from my convention stash.

Flags of all nations on display in the State Department lobby

The Best Cheer - Shout Out in Books
- Di wins a book choice from my convention stash.

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Aloha to Jenn McKinlay and VANILLA BEANED
- Natasha wins a book choice from my convention stash.

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Winners, please claim your prize by sending your mailing address to sos.aloha@yahoo.com.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Wednesday in Washington - State of Romance with Sylvia Day, Victoria Aveyard, and Laura Trentham

Flags of all nations on display in the State Department lobby

On Monday, my office participated in a new hire benefits fair at the Department of State. We met our escort under the international flags ... but my eye was drawn to the book she was carrying:

Falling in love with him was the easiest thing I’ve ever done. It happened instantly. Completely. Irrevocably. Marrying him was a dream come true. Staying married to him is the fight of my life. Love transforms. Ours is both a refuge from the storm and the most violent of tempests. Two damaged souls entwined as one.


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I mentioned that Sylvia Day would have made an excellent diplomat as a Russian linguist during her Army service.  

As we set up our table along side the other vendors, I noticed the popular YA book in vendor's tote bag:

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they've always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.


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Victoria Aveyard would also make a good candidate for Foreign Service. From her bio,

My proudest achievements are riding a horse in the mountains of Montana and navigating from London to Edinburgh without GPS.

I arrived home to a special package from St. Martin's Press:

A river divides Cottonbloom in two: the upscale enclave on the Mississippi side and the rundown, rough and tumble side in Louisiana. They’re worlds apart—but nothing can build a bridge like love…



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Laura Trentham could lend her skills to promote diplomacy through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID):

Although, I loved English and reading in high school, I was convinced an English degree equated to starvation! So, I chose the next most logical major - Chemical Engineering - and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years. 

What skill could you offer the Department of State? One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash. Comments are open through Saturday, April 23, 10 pm in Baltimore. I'll post the winner on Sunday, April 24.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City


Thursday, February 11, 2016

Aloha to Laura Trentham and A BRAZEN BARGAIN (Spies and Lovers Book 2) - Book Review

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Love soothes the deepest of scars. 

Minerva Bellingham is at her wits' end. Her younger brother, Simon, will have them penniless and on the streets if his extravagant gambling habit isn't curtailed. An enormous debt to Lord Rafe Drummond is the final indignity. Signing over her dowry is their only choice. Until Lord Drummond suggests something much more scandalous. She can keep her dowry-in exchange for the Bellinghams working three months as a housemaid and stable boy. 

Scarred from his service to the Crown, Rafe recognizes the young Simon Bellingham has the makings of a good duke. Minerva is a different story. Her pure, delicate beauty only underscores Rafe's tarnished, bleak soul. Yet he delights in cracking Minerva's icy reserve to reveal a fiery, stubborn woman. And Minerva discovers the gruff master of Wintermarsh has the heart of a poet. But before they can find a future safe in each other's arms, a menace from Simon's licentious past slithers back into their lives, forcing Rafe to plan the most important rescue mission of his life.

Warning: Contains a paragon of the beau monde who gets the hang of polishing silver, and a master of the house who'd like her to make his bed-preferably with him in it. Also passion unleashed with the mere touch of a finger. Readers are encouraged to swoon.

Saltram House
National Trust (link)

The bargain that yields mutual satisfaction is the only one that is apt to be repeated. - B. C. Forbes

I dove into A BRAZEN BARGAIN after reading a contemporary novel of an Army veteran's struggle with PTSD. It put me in the mindset to recognize that veterans of the past, including those from the Napoleonic Wars, also suffered from PTSD.  But it was something not discussed by polite society. Enter Lord Rafe Drummond, the hero in A BRAZEN BARGAIN.  He stands on the edge of society, knowing the ton would turn away from his gruesome scar.  Rafe retreats to his family's estate, Wintermarsh, where he seeks solace.  By day, he works the land alongside the tenants.  At night, he slips into alcoholic haze to chase away the nightmares from combat. Rafe was a secondary character in AN INDECENT INVITATION, Book 1 in the Spies and Lovers series. He watched his sister fall in love with his fellow soldier, Gray Masterson, as the couple solved the mystery of his missing father.


Now it's time for Rafe find what is missing in his life - love. From the shadows of London, he spies the drunken Simon Bellingham, a young man coming into his title as a Duke, on the verge of loosing his inheritance at a gaming hell.  Rafe joins the game, outmaneuvers those seeking to manipulate Simon, and wins a voucher from the young Duke. The following morning, Rafe prepares to release Simon from the debut until his older sister, Minerva, appears on his behalf.  It is clear she has managed Simon's life (and their family's estate) since the untimely passing of their parents.  Known as the Ice Princess among the ton, Minerva strikes a nerve with Rafe.  In turn, he proposes a brazen bargain - both Minerva and Simon will work off the debt for the next three months on his estate.

Trentham delivers a compelling novel with hints of Gothic romance and Austen wit.  No doubt Minerva is the beauty and Rafe is the beast.  But not all is rosy in the beauty's life.  Aside from her gambling brother, she is a woman before her time in Regency England.  Minerva has become the Ice Princess to protect herself from disappointment.  Her icy demeanor thaws as she interacts with Jenny, a cheery chamber maid from the village.  In fact, she realizes her own privilege as a lady and rethinks how she treats her servants back in London.  Minerva still frets about the harsh work which Simon must face under Rafe's tutelage.  As Simon begins to mature, Minerva recognizes that Rafe's actions are not coldhearted revenge, but the thoughtful effort of an older brother to instill discipline. Rest assured, Rafe does not see Minerva as a sister, but rather a passionate woman who would not be a appreciated by London's dandies.

I appreciate that Trentham allows the characters to be imperfect. She doesn't wave her magic author wand and cure Rafe of his PTSD. Instead, he learns to manage it with the loving support of his family. For me, A BRAZEN BARGAIN was more than a Regency romance novel. It was a reading journey which offered hope and demonstrated acceptance.

I received a print copy from the author for an honest review.

Check out my review of AN INDECENT INVITATION, Book 1 in the series, at this link.

Learn more about Laura and her books at lauratrentham.com.


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I am giving away Regency swag to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about a job from your youth.  Like many teens, I babysat in high school.  In college, I was a waitress at a pizza restaurant - it was hard work during the dinner hour. But it was rewarding with tips!

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, February

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, February

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Knole House
National Trust (link)