The Duke of Andelot by Delilah Marvelle

Hey all! Today I'm participating in a multi-blog event celebrating Delilah Marvelle's newest release The Duke of Andelot. Delilah Marvelle is one of my favorite Romance authors. I've loved her writing since her first in The School of Gallantry series Mistress of Pleasure. I'm so excited for this latest story from her. 

I had the pleasure of meeting Delilah Marvelle in person several years ago when I was working as a bookseller for Borders. Sadly neither of us had a camera that day, something we realized as we were standing around chatting. Such is life. With any luck, we shall meet again. :)

And now for fun part about today's blog post. Continue reading for information about Ms. Marvelle, an excerpt from The Duke of Andelot, and information on the various giveaways being hosted. 



MEET DELILAH:

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Delilah Marvelle is the winner of the Reviewer's Choice for Best Sensual Historical Romance of the Year and had Booklist name her historical romance 'Forever and a Day' one of the TOP 10 Romances of the year. When she isn't writing, she's digging through inappropriate research books that include anything in history having to do with courtesans, brothels, sexual contraptions that were never properly used and other fascinating forms of dirty history that never made it into college textbooks. You can visit her at her website at www.DelilahMarvelle.com






ABOUT THE DUKE OF ANDELOT: 

For fans of Tom Jones and The Scarlet Pimpernel comes a twisted, sexy tale that takes the 
French Revolution to smoldering new heights.

Long before becoming the flamboyant courtesan known to men as Madame de Maitenon, 
Thérèse Angelique Bouchard, dreamed of becoming an actress capable of commanding not 
only the stage but all of Paris. Until she meets an extraordinary aristocratic gentleman who
sweeps her into his arms and the danger of his life, while offering her the sort of wealth she
never imagined. What starts off as a seductive alliance, ends in her giving him the one thing she cannot afford: her love. 

After the murder of his older brothers, Gérard Antoine Tolbert, becomes the last heir to the 
powerful dukedom of Andelot, leaving him to fight for not only his life, but the allegiance he
holds for the crown. During the final rise of the French Revolution that whispers of the violent change about to shake the entire country, Gérard meets an aspiring actress who introduces him into wanting more out of himself and life. In trying to protect her from their overly passionate alliance and those that want him dead, he must decide what matters most: his life or his heart.     

AUTHOR NOTE: This sweeping saga will follow Madame de Maitenon and the Duc of Andelot 

from their youth in 1792, France, to what they ultimately become when the School of Gallantry 


series first starts in England, 1830.



Excerpt from The Duke of Andelot: 

He eyed her and veered his gaze upward, searching the sky through the branches of the trees. 

“Fortunately, the weather does not appear to be getting worse. In fact, I am quite certain of it.” 

He pointed at the sky with a gloved finger and stared up at it with contempt. “I command you not to rain. I need to get to Paris without my gunpowder getting wet. Do you hear me?”

This aristocrat was talking to the rain. To the rain. As if he had power over it. No wonder these people were getting stoned. She peered up at the sky through the leaves and branches above and paused. Large patches of blue sky pushed out from between the dark clouds. Her lips parted. “Did you just command the weather into cooperation?”
He smugly adjusted his linen shirt. “I do it all the time. Whatever I want, I get. No matter what it is. The universe is quite used to it. You should get used to it, too.” His wry tone indicated he was attempting humor.

She tossed his coat back at him, grabbing up the basket. “It must be nice being able to control the universe.”

Gérard effortlessly snatched hold of his coat in midair and stared. “I am not in control of it yet. But I damn well hope to be.”

She rolled her eyes. “Let me know when you are.”

He still stared. “Are you really a virgin? Or are you pretending to be?”

The prickling of heat overtook her cheeks. She never blushed around men. After all, she was 
the one in control of how they behaved around her. It was an art she had perfected since she 
had grown into her breasts. “You are being downright crude. I refuse to answer that.”

He pointed. “So you are a virgin.” 

She glared. “What are you? The virgin magistrate?”

“Pardon me for saying it, but I am a touch confused as to how worldly you appear to be for a
virgin.” He eyed her basket, as if attempting to assess its contents. “You certainly travel lightly.” He lingered on the apples crowding it. “But well.” 

Averting his gaze, he shrugged on his coat. That was certainly him asking for an apple. She paused. There were two leather satchels attached to his saddle. One appeared to be stuffed with stacks of parchment that peered out beneath a tightly fastened flap. The other was well-packed with clothing and several frayed wool blankets that had traces of hay as if he had been sleeping in the fields. He wasn’t hiding his wealth. He had no wealth. Which would explain why he still hadn’t paid her.

She sighed. Plucking up an apple out of her basket, she held it out. “Here. Go on.”

His gaze veered to the apple. “Pardon?”

She closed the distance between them and held it out. “You practically invited yourself into 
eating it. Take it. They are a bit tart, but still surprisingly good.”

He widened his stance. “I thank you, dearest, but no. Those are yours.”

“Oh, cease with your high and mighty business already. I can see the hay clinging to your
blanket. You were sleeping in a field just like me. Which means you are not as well-heeled as you tout yourself to be and are probably hungry. Here. The apples were free and came out of the orchard I was passing through earlier. You would hardly be imposing. Go on.” 

He hesitated but still did not take it.

She sighed. Wedging herself closer, she was about to shove it into his hand, but noted his 
gloves were crusted with dry mud. So she did the one thing she could. The one thing she always did for her brothers. She brought out her paring knife and balancing the basket on the crook of her elbow, sliced off a piece of the fruit. Tucking the small knife away, she leaned in and daintily reaching up, set it against his lips, wiggling it. “Eat, Gérard. Consider it payment for my ride into Paris.”

He met her gaze for a long moment, his broad chest visibly rising and falling. “Thank you.” 

Bending his dark head, he opened his full lips and ever so slowly dragged the sliced apple into his mouth. He leaned in more to take the whole thing into his mouth. His teeth and hot tongue grazed the tips of her fingers. Her pulse roared as her skin tingled from the unexpected contact. She jerked her hand away. Taking several steps back, she swiped her wet fingers against her skirt, trying to rid herself of the tingling she still felt. “You almost ate my finger.”

The muscles in his jaw showcased each methodical chew as he continued to heatedly hold her gaze. “It was in the way.” His blue eyes now held a spark of some indefinable emotion. One full of so many secrets he wasn’t telling.

Swallowing, he said in a low, husky tone, “Bring the apple back over. I would like more.”

He wasn’t looking to eat apples anymore. She tried to remain calm and held out the apple, keeping her distance. “Here. Take the whole thing.”

“I would but my gloves are a bit dirty.” He held them up.

It appeared the bite of an apple had turned this one into a full-fledged rake. “Then I suggest you remove your gloves.”

He lowered his hands and flexed them, flaking mud off the leather. “Do you think it wise to ask me to remove more clothing?”


The Duke of Andelot ©2015 Delilah Marvelle

Delilah is giving away the following:

—5 $10 Amazon GC

—2 $25 Amazon GC

—GRAND PRIZE $100 Amazon GC


a Rafflecopter giveaway

And be sure to check out her Facebook party for more fun!

Date: Tuesday, April 14th

Time: 8-11PM EDT

Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1567059163562364/

Thank you for joining me today to celebrate Delilah Marvelle and the release of The Duke of Andelot!

Cozy Mystery Review: Snow White Red-Handed by Maia Chance

Snow White Red-Handed

Fairy Tale Fatal Mystery Book 1

by Maia Chance

from the back cover copy: 

Miss Ophelia Flax is a Victorian actress who knows all about making quick changes and even quicker exits. But to solve a fairy-tale crime in the haunted Black Forest, she'll need more than a bit of charm...

1867: After quitting her latest variety hall engagement. Ophelia acts her way into a lady's maid position for a crass American millionaire. When her new job whisks her off to a foreboding castle straight out of a Grimm tale, she begins to wonder if her fast-talking ways might have been too hasty. The vast grounds contain the suspected remains of Snow White's cottage, along with a disturbing dwarf skeleton. And when her millionaire boss turns up dead - poisoned by an apple - the fantastic setting turns into a once upon a crime scene. 

To keep from rising to the top of the suspect list, Ophelia fights through a bramble of elegant lies, sinister folklore, and priceless treasure, with only a dashing but mysterious scholar as her ally. As the clock ticks towards midnight, she'll have to break a cunning killer's spell before her own time runs out...

my thoughts: 

Ophelia is intelligent and resourceful, and she's convinced that all of this fairy tale business is nonsense. Her fellow actress Prue, on the other hand, is much more open-minded about everything. 

I finished this book in one day, and then I immediately pre-ordered the second book. I love the fairy tale aspect of the series, and I'm really curious about how it will play out with the following books. Overall, I'm really excited for this series and I definitely recommend checking it out.

how I acquired this book:
I purchased a personal copy. 

Paranormal Romance Review: How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks

How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire

Love at Stake Book 1

by Kerrelyn Sparks

from the back cover copy:

Nobody said love was perfect..

Roman Draganesti is charming, handsome, rich... he's also a vampire. But this vampire just lost one of his fangs sinking his teeth into something he shouldn't have. Now he has one night to find a dentist before his natural healing abilities close the wound, leaving him a lop-sided eater for all eternity. 

Things aren't going well for Shanna Whelan, either. After witnessing a gruesome murder, she's next on the mob's hit list. And her career as a dentist appears to be on a downward spiral because she's afraid of blood. When Roman rescues her from an assassination attempt, she wonders if she's found the one man who can keep her alive. Though the attraction between them in immediate and hot, can Shanna conquer her fear of blood to fix Roman's fang? And if she does, what will prevent Roman from using his fangs on her...?

my thoughts: 

 Ok, so I know this book is ten years old, but I only just read it. When it first released, I remember thinking the plot just seemed too far out there for me, so initially, I ignored it. Over the years, more books in the Love at Stake series came out and I started hearing more and more good things about Kerrelyn Sparks. Finally, after all this time, I decided to give these books a shot. I am so glad that I did! Kerrelyn Sparks is hilarious. Is the idea of a vampire needing a dentist to fix his broken fang still a bit ridiculous? Well, yeah, but it's the best kind of ridiculous. I love the characters and the world that Sparks has created, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series. Shanna shakes things up in the vampire world and I'm excited to see that play out in the following books. If you like vampires or humorous Romance novels, you need to check out Kerrelyn Sparks and her Love at Stake books. 

how I acquired this book: 
I bought a copy. 

Cozy Mystery Review: Caught Dead Handed by Carol J. Perry

Caught Dead Handed

Witch City Mystery Book 1

 by Carol J. Perry

from the author's site: 

Most folks associate the city of Salem, Massachusetts with witches, but for Lee Barrett, it’s home.  This October she’s returned to her hometown-where her beloved Aunt Ibby still lives-to interview for a job as a reporter at WICH-TV.  But the only opening is for a call-in psychic to host the late night horror movies.  It seems the previous host, Ariel Constellation, never saw her own murder coming. 

Lee reluctantly takes the job, but when she starts seeing real events in the obsidian ball she’s using as a prop, she wonders if she might really have psychic abilities.  To make things even spookier, it’s starting to look like Ariel may have been an actual practicing witch-especially when O’Ryan, the cat Lee and Aunt Ibby inherited from her, exhibits some strange powers of his own.  With Halloween fast approaching, Lee must focus on unmasking a killer-or her career as a psychic may be very short lived. . .

my thoughts:

Wow, just wow. It's been a while since a book held my attention the way this one did. Don't get me wrong, I read many enjoyable books, but most of them don't keep me up until after 1am because I refuse to put them down and go to sleep. Caught Dead Handed can appear a little intimidating at first because it's a hefty read, but trust me, you'll be flying through the pages. Even after I figured out "whodunnit" I had to keep reading to see if I was right. Perry kept me intrigued and second-guessing myself, so I just had to know. The tone is darker than most cozy mysteries that I read, but it fit the story. 

I love the characters, even though I found myself suspecting many of them of murder. Lee is a great character and I look forward to seeing more of her. Aunt Ibby is fun, and I always love a librarian character. The secondary characters are interesting and engaging and I look forward to seeing them in future books. 

I was only a few chapters in when I pre-ordered my copy of book 2. I don't know how I'll wait until April. If you're interested in ordering either book, just click the cover pictures. 

how I acquired this book: I borrowed a copy from my local library.

Read-a-thon Update: The Ties That Bind by Kate Pearce

Grad school can make consistent blogging difficult, but here I am again today, back at it. On Wednesday, I finished another ebook novella. This one was The Ties That Bind by Kate Pearce.

The Ties That Bind 

by Kate Pearce

from the author's website: 

When Lady Arabella’s errant husband returns after a two-year absence that began just after the consummation of their marriage, she’s still furious with him. Will past hurts finally be explained, and will Lord James be shocked to discover that Arabella has made the best of the situation with the help of his best friend, Tom? Or will Lord James turn the tables, reveal all, and win their sexual game for an unconventional happy ever after?

Please note. This book contains m/f/m sexual interaction and mild infidelity.

my thoughts:

Ok, so I admit, I don't think I realized that this was a menage story when I downloaded it. If I had, I probably would have overlooked it, because generally speaking I just don't care for menage plot lines. However, I DO like Kate Pearce which is why I went for this one. For such a short read (about 44 pages), I really enjoyed it. It was seriously HOT, which is another reason I got this one, because even though multiple partner stories aren't my thing, I do love my romances to be hot, erotic, and explicit. (Yeah, ok, I'll read the sweet stuff too, but sometimes those just aren't as fun.) The Ties That Bind was a nice, quick read that I was able to finish just before bed. Pearce was able to pack a fair amount of backstory into a short space which is helpful since the shorter format doesn't allow for much character development. I was introduced to Kate Pearce through her Tudor Vampire books, and I will definitely keep coming back for more of her books. 

I recommend this novella to anyone who likes their romances hot and erotic. 

Read-a-thon updates: 

The Janus Affair by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris: page 219 of 416

Angel Slayer by Michele Hauf: page 144 of 279

Zombie Moon by Lori Devoti: page 66 of 283

I really need to get at least one of these books finished soon considering how many books I just picked up from the library. lol At this rate my TBR isn't going to go down during this challenge, it's just going to keep increasing. 

Read-a-Thon Update: The World of Tomorrow is Sadly Outdated by Leanna Renee Hieber

Today I finished reading Leanna Renee Hieber's novella The World of Tomorrow is Sadly Outdated. I'm a huge fan of Leanna's work. This novella was a little different than what I've read from her before, but still equally compelling.

The World of Tomorrow is Sadly Outdated

 by Leanna Renee Hieber

From the author's website: 

New York City: The Year is 1889.

New York City: The year is 2089.

In 1889 a group of bold pseudo-scientists discover the "temporal current" and begin to view the distant futures that await the Empire City. In the future, all life as we know it has crumbled, leaving New York City a ghost town with a populous scrabbling to survive underground. In the past it's up to an unlikely group of Victorian heroines and heroes to preserve something of their world to save their future generations. In the future it's up to an unlikely group of future survivors to take a leap of faith; discovering what their ancestors left for them with no more guarantees than love and hope.

my thoughts:

I love the way the stories are told, the way they are separate, but connected. Since this is a novella it's a quick and enjoyable read. I highly recommend anything by Leanna Renee Hieber. 

Read-a-thon updates: 

The Janus Affair by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris: page 97

Angel Slayer by Michele Hauf: page 57

Hello Again

Well, Tumblr didn't really work out for me. I still have it, but I haven't really used it. I'm going to return to posting updates here sporadically. As before I will simply post reviews for whatever catches my fancy, from any and all genres (with the exception of YA because I have a separate blog dedicated to that genre). All reviews posted here are honest reviews, but they are also all positive reviews. If I don't like a book, I don't review it.

Now on to part of the reason that I'm posting this. I have stumbled upon a TBR Read-a-thon over at the Wishful Endings blog that I intend to participate in. It sounds like a good way to keep me motivated and read through my books. The Read-a-thon goes from September 8th to the 21st. During that time I'm going to try to read through at least 10 books, if not 15.

If you're interested in doing the challenge with Wishful Endings, you can check it out here