'Illicit Love (Marlow Intrigues #1)' by Jane Lark ~ Blog Tour and Review!

'Illicit Love (Marlow Intrigues #1)' by Jane Lark Blog Tour!

Welcome to Stop One on the Illicit Love blog tour! Jane Lark is celebrating her first instalment in the Marlow Intrigues series with a HUGE giveaway - including a one night stay in London's Regency Hotel, a novella, Amazon gift voucher, signed copies of Illicit Love and plenty of swag!

Illicit Love - What they say:

'Ellen Harding longs to be free of the life she is trapped in - her husband died at the battle of Waterloo and her family disowned her and now she lives under the reign of a cruel protector. When her eyes are drawn to a beautiful man for no other reason than his looks, she imagines escaping her chains for a night by giving her body to him – to a man of her choosing – even if only to infuriate her captor.

But Edward Marlow is kind and gentle when he touches her and her subconscious whispers that this man could save her. Yet how can he help her when she has secrets which prevent her ever being free. She has too many battles to fight.

Edward is restless, lonely and a little angry with his lot in life – it is his only excuse for being drawn to another man’s mistress. The woman’s dark hair and pale eyes are striking and he cannot take his gaze off of her while she watches him over the top of a fan with an illicit intent in her eyes. But once he’s known her he cannot forget her - and once he’s seen how brutal her protector is, how can leave her with the man? But she will not run anymore than she will speak of her past, so how can he help her…'

Click Here To Buy This Book - UK

Click Here To Buy This Book - US

Check Out Jane's New Novella Available At Amazon:

Captured Love - What they say:

'Rupert Stanforth, Earl of Morton, is missing his cousin’s company. He has too many burdens weighing down his shoulders, including the task of finding his sister, Rowena, a husband.

Meredith Divine has one friend in all the world, Lady Rowena Stanforth. She clings to their friendship as though it is a rope, when she is drowning in a lake of social isolation. Even Rowena’s elder brother cannot stand Meredith. Everyone judges her poorly, simply because her father is in trade. But despite Lord Morton’s constant rejection, Meredith’s heart still favors Rowena’s proud, judgmental brother.

Lord Morton would break the friendship his sister has with Miss Divine if he could, but the more he disparages Miss Divine, the more Rowena favors the girl. He’s ceased his complaints, in the hope the friendship would wither and die, believing the girl would make a wrong step soon. He just did not anticipate what that step might be...'

Want To Win A Night In London's Regency Hotel?

The Regency Hotel has been kind enough to support the Illicit Love blog tour by donating a one night stay for two lucky winners this August! Located in the Royal Borough of Chelsea and Kensington, you could find yourself relaxing in one of hotel's plush new bedrooms or sampling the delights of their incredible traditional afternoon teas.

Readers have plenty of chances to win:

Either entry via the Rafflecopter below AND/OR add your review of Illicit Love to Amazon and Goodreads and email the review link to Charlotte@BestChickLit.com.

The winner will be emailed a voucher, which can be redeemed for stays during August 2013 only. Giveaway closes 19th July 2013.

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Jane is a writer of authentic, passionate and emotional love stories. She began her first historical novel at sixteen, but a life full of adversity derailed her as she lives with the restrictions of Ankylosing Spondylitis. When she finally completed a novel it was because she was determined not to reach forty still saying, I want to write. You might think that Jane was inspired to write by Jane Austen, especially as she lives near Bath in the United Kingdom, but you would be wrong. Jane's favourite author is Anya Seton, and the book that drew her into the bliss of falling into historical imagination was 'Katherine' a story crafted from reality. Jane has drawn on this inspiration to discover other real-life love stories, reading memoirs and letters to capture elements of the past, and she uses them to create more realistic plots. 'Basically I love history and I am sucker for a love story. I love the feeling of falling in love; it's wonderful being able to do it time and time again in fiction.' Jane is also a Chartered Member of the Institute of Personnel and Development in the United Kingdom, and uses this specialist understanding of people to bring her characters to life. Check out Jane's musical inspirations HERE and HERE.

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Win £30 (or $40) Amazon Gift Voucher! Entry via the Rafflecopter below AND/OR add your review of Illicit Love to Amazon and Goodreads and email the review link to Charlotte@BestChickLit.com. a Rafflecopter giveaway Giveaway closes 19th July 2013 and is open to UK and USA residents only. Win One Of Three Swag Packs With Signed Paperback Copy of Illicit Love Entry via the Rafflecopter below AND/OR add your review of Illicit Love to Amazon and Goodreads and email the review link to Charlotte@BestChickLit.com. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway closes 19th July.

Book Review - 'Illicit Love (Marlow Intrigues #1)' by Jane Lark ~ 5 Stars!

A wonderful break from the real world, ‘Illicit Love’ is a beautiful story of the strength of love in the face of adversity and the importance of the bond of family. There is so much that I love about this story but can’t talk about in case it spoils the story development for potential readers, but I will say that this is a superbly written book. I absolutely adored Jane Lark’s writing style, and I am in awe at how beautifully the descriptive prose flowed throughout the novel.

‘Illicit Love’ is very different to a lot of books in the ‘Historical Romance’ genre, and with its very real characters, I feel it gave a more realistic view of life in an era which most of us tend to think of as extremely romantic. Whilst we all tend to swoon at characters such as Mr. Darcy for their respectful and appropriate treatment of women, I really loved the way that hero Edward Marlow was depicted and particularly how he acts with Ellen during their first meeting. Whilst he abhors the treatment young mistresses receive from their ‘owners’, the author is clear to show that above all else, he is still a man, and despite his virtues he still engages in a sexual relationship with heroine Ellen during their first encounter, even if he later regrets his actions. I think a lot of us tend to forget when reading historical romances that men are still men, no matter what era they were born into, and I loved seeing this different side to a romantic hero.

From this I loved everything about Edward and Ellen’s relationship, especially how Ellen blossomed when she was in Edward’s company, but also how she feared that he was too good for her. I liked how despite Edward being a few years younger than Ellen, he seemed wiser than his years, and his experience of the real world therefore didn’t make him seem too young for her.

Despite being at risk of being attacked by feminists everywhere, my favourite character was Edward’s brother Robert. From our first glimpse of Robert I found myself so intrigued with his character, and the obvious pain and heartbreak he was hiding behind a mask of disinterest and sarcasm. Whilst I felt furious at his behaviour towards Ellen during their first meetings, I always had hope that his actions were all due to his desire to protect his brother from harm, and I loved how his character developed throughout the course of the story.

The pace of the novel was so different to many novels, and I really loved it. In many novels you have a huge build-up to the main drama at the end part of the novel, however in ‘Illicit Love’, the story has many peaks and falls in the intensity of the drama, starting well before the mid-way point of the book. It was a brilliant way of keeping the reader’s attention and also giving little snippets of new information that is uncovered from each crisis that is then added together in a stunning conclusion where we finally understand the feelings and actions of the different characters.

The historical context of the novel was well depicted, and I loved the brilliant descriptions of the clothing of both the men and women. I loved how attention was given to the fashion of the time, as it really helped me to integrate myself into the story and feel myself as part of it, rather than merely reading about it from the outside.

This was a fantastic read which I highly recommend to all lovers of romance. A superbly written tale of love, loss, family and bravery, this is one not to be missed. 5 Stars!

Book Review - 'First, I Love You (The Downey Trilogy #1)' by Genevieve Dewey.

Book Review - 'First, I Love You (The Downey Trilogy #1)' by Genevieve Dewey ~ 5 Stars!

To start, all I can say is WOW! This is an absolutely amazing book that has something for everyone in it. It has a mix of genres including gangster crime, detective, mystery, romance and family. This is a book not to be missed.

I genuinely applaud the author Genevieve Dewey for how incredibly well this book was written. With six main characters and the narration skipping between each character for each chapter, I was worried at first that too many points of view would get confusing especially with this kind of fast-paced detective storyline, but I need not have worried as it was handled superbly, with the different characters stories intertwining brilliantly. I absolutely loved how easily I connected to all the characters, especially those whom you would not expect to appreciate or have any respect for if you hadn't read their story from their point of view.

Reading Mickey's storyline was a real experience for me as it really made me see that even though the gangsters in this story have done bad things, that doesn't necessarily mean that they are people with no feelings. We can see that the love Mickey has for all his children transcends all the feelings he has for his work, and his inability to earn his son Tommy's respect isn't necessarily his own fault, but due to the circumstances and lifestyle that he himself was brought up in. His relationship with Tommy's mother was also brilliantly written, and it really emphasised the importance of family and how the love of a parent can outweigh that of romantic love.

James and Kiki's storyline was so much fun, and I really connected with Kiki and felt her turmoil at the life she lived, and her worry over her growing relationship with James. At many times I wanted to bang her and James' heads together and just yell at them to talk to each other, which I loved as it really shows how much I connected to the story and the characters. Throughout this book, I also really wanted to reach into the pages and give Tommy a huge hug. I look forward to seeing how his growing friendship with Ginny will develop, as I love the connection they share and how their devotion to their work gets in the way of them taking the next step in their relationship.

The author's decision to use an epilogue was brilliant, as there are far too many books which end with a cliffhanger and leave you feeling a little let down that you don't get a little closure from the books storyline. This epilogue left me feeling greatly excited for the next book in the series, as it gave me closure to some of the issues that were risen during the first book, and raised intriguing questions that the characters will have to answer in the next book of the series.

Overall this book is a real gem that if I could give more than five stars, I definitely would! It is a beautiful story of love, friendship and most of all family that will have you laughing and crying. Go and check it out! You won't be disappointed.

First, I Love You is available to download on Amazon Kindle

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'Sunspots' by Karen S. Bell Blog Tour and Review.

Sunspots by Karen S. Bell

Sunspots follows the healing journey of a young woman thrown into the horror of losing a spouse. It is a love story of loss and redemption and the ghosts that haunt our lives and our houses. Skirting the genres of magical realism and romance, Sunspots, explores the existence of the afterlife and the paranormal. The story takes the reader on a path of high emotion as the narrator, Aurora, uncovers her husband Jake’s secret life and her own internal conflicts as she matures to self-awareness.

The novel’s tone vacillates from irreverent humor to solemnity as Aurora relates her previous life with Jake and her present challenges. The title refers to the solar maximum which became the backdrop for Aurora’s conception when her hippy parents went to Canada to observe the Aurora Borealis. In name and in spirit, Aurora is connected to the observable and unobservable energy around us. With the help of friends, family, and the ghost of Viola Parker (her home’s original owner), Aurora accepts her fate and the secrets revealed about Jake’s true character. She realizes that in this life she will finally break the cycle of pain caused by her love for this man, Jake Stein, through the centuries.

Click here to buy this book – UK

Click here to buy this book – USA

Author Bio:

Walking with Elephants was my debut novel in 2010, although I am not new to writing. I was a theater critic and celebrity interviewer for a weekly tabloid in Jacksonville, Fl and I earned a Master’s in Mass Communication from Oklahoma State University. For 15 years I worked in Corporate America as a technical editor/editor/writer. I experienced first hand the politics and intrigue that goes with that territory and the balancing act that comes with being a working mother. I salute all those mothers who are the glue that holds their families together while pursuing the nine to five brass ring. That experience was the inspiration for Walking with Elephants.

With my second novel, Sunspots, I continue to be in awe of the magical and wondrous phenomenon called life. As an observer and obvious participant in feminine values and approach to our human challenges, I bring this perspective to my work. Fascinated by the mysteries of the unseen forces that perhaps play a role in guiding our choices, I search for answers in the mundane as well as in the cosmic forces that surround us.

I am working on my third novel and live in Ponte Vedra, Fl. with my husband and our two furry kids.

Book Review - 'Sunspots' by Karen S. Bell.

I can find no other way to describe ‘Sunspots’ than it being a stunning piece of literature. It is a beautiful and heartbreaking story of a young woman Aurora who loses her husband Jake in a car accident and, during her battle to move on, is confronted with information showing her late husband wasn’t as deserving as she believed.

This story took not only Aurora on a journey but also me as a reader. I felt myself connect so strongly to Aurora and her pain, feeling heartbroken at her grief and a strong desperation for her to find peace with herself at the sudden end of her marriage. Sunspots was so cleverly written and I applaud Karen Bell for taking me on such a journey through her writing that when I finished it I was shaking and sobbing, feeling as though I’d been going through the same trials as the characters.

I sometimes feel sad when I read books where we are made to dislike the main characters original love interest immediately, and then spend the rest of the book looking for her new one, so it was a wonderful and refreshing change to see the development of Aurora and Jake’s relationship from the start, which makes us also in a way connect to Jake and feel hope that he too loved Aurora as much as she did him. This also made me more strongly connect to Aurora as a character, and grieve with her as she starts her new life without her husband.

What I really loved about this story was the glimpses of the past we were given throughout the novel. The switch from the present to the past was expertly done, and I greatly enjoyed how the two storylines unfolded. I was stunned by how cleverly the switches in time were placed within the story, as the chapters of Aurora and Jake’s beautiful courtship and their obvious love for each other coincided with chapters set in the present where Aurora was grieving for the lost love that she thought was perfect, and then as Aurora began to realise that her life with Jake had some issues, the flashbacks to the past showed the less deserving side of Jake which had always slipped through Aurora’s rose-tinted view of her husband. This was incredible storytelling, and helped lead to some brilliant character development.

The paranormal and spiritual side to ‘Sunspots’ was wonderfully balanced and whilst being an important feature in the second half of the book, wasn’t unrealistic in its role. It was instead a beautiful and poignant reminder that there is more to this world than we always realise, and didn’t at all detract from Aurora’s storyline of her finding acceptance. I loved the past-life elements that were infused within the story and there was some brilliant use of foreshadowing in the flashback chapters that all adds together in the final chapters.

I cannot recommend ‘Sunspots’ enough, and if I could give it more than 5 stars, then I definitely would. It is a beautiful journey of love, loss, grief and acceptance, which portrayed a realistic and heartbreaking view of the world that we live in today.

5 Stars!

 

Sunspots is available to download on Kindle and to buy in Paperback.

 

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sunspots-ebook/dp/B00ANBR4TQ/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1371817760&sr=8-1

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Sunspots-ebook/dp/B00ANBR4TQ/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1371817760&sr=8-1