Sarah MacLean's Blog, page 2

31 Books of Love – A Kingdom of Dreams

Oh, Judith McNaught. You are the greatest. I reread your entire catalog while writing every one of my books, and I always end with A Kingdom of Dreams. Here’s why – I am a sucker for the black moment. I adore the moment when the hero and heroine are both broken in their own way, and they – and the reader – can’t imagine how this love story will ever work out.

And nobody – NOBODY – writes a black moment like Judith McNaught. So I read her over and over, and I try to figure out how she does it. In my mind, there are two tremendous McNaught Black Moments. One is Perfect – her contemporary about an escaped convict movie star and the teacher he abducts into the Colorado mountains. The other is A Kingdom of Dreams. Since I am trying not to repeat authors during 31 Books of Love, I flipped a coin. It was tails. I’m booktalking A Kingdom of Dreams.

The book begins with the abduction of the heroine and her subsequent marriage to the hero (Remember, we’re talking about an old school romance here, so abduction is par for the course). Jennifer is from the Scottish Clan Merrick, and utterly, blindingly loyal to her clan (more on that later). Royce Westmoreland (known as “The Wolf”) is a virtually undefeatable English warrior. Jennifer vows never to be loyal to him and somehow extracts a vow from him never to hurt her family, a vow that will come back to hurt them both in the aforementioned black moment.

There’s all sorts of dramatic, ermagerd kind of stuff in here…there’s a loyal steed, a tourney, a devastating betrayal, a misunderstanding to end all misunderstandings, and the final, on his knees/on her knees kind of black moment that will have you wishing this book would never end.

Outlander, shmoutlander. 

A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught
Pocket Books, 1989
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Indiebound

31 Books of Love – One Night is Never Enough

One Night is Never Enough is one of those books that I read the first time because I love the author (Anne Mallory is one of the unsung geniuses of historical romance), the second time because I loved it so much that I couldn’t stop myself from the reread, and the third-through-nth time because I still can’t figure out how to write a book that is so compelling and so so well crafted.

The story is deceptively simple – the heroine, Charlotte, is at the mercy of her father, who is basically penniless and has only one thing that holds any value…his daughter. In an insane night of gambling, dad puts up one night with his daughter against a fortune, sure that he’ll win. But he doesn’t, of course. Instead, Roman Merrick, gaming-hell owner and notorious rogue, wins. And Charlotte, utterly noble—even in the face of her horrid father’s horrid decisions—accepts her fate. The rest of the book, you can imagine…Roman and Charlotte fall in love. But it’s not nearly as simple as you’d think.

What Anne Mallory does better than anyone writing romance today is this: She makes falling in love feel at once breathlessly intense and nearly excruciatingly deliberate. During the night they spend together, Charlotte and Roman while away the hours in his bedchamber, playing chess. The scene takes a long time – nearly 30 pages. There is no smooching. No sex. Only chess and conversation. And at the end, you feel rewarded and exhausted…as though you’d just read the greatest love scene ever written. And perhaps you have. 

Basically, the takeaway here is – One Anne Mallory book is never enough. Lucky for you, there are a few.

One Night is Never Enough by Anne Mallory
Avon/HarperCollins, 2011
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Books-a-Million, Indiebound

31 Books of Love - Sins of A Wicked Duke

Long before I loved Sophie Jordan so much that I dedicated a book to her and long before she dedicated a book to me, I loved Sophie's books, and when I got that first, fateful email from her, saying that she was coming to New York City, I got so excited as a reader...not knowing that she would eventually become one of my best friends. I called my sister and squeed.

This book is why. 

I love all of Sophie's books, but Sins of a Wicked Duke is my very favorite. I'm not sure I can tell you why. It might be because it plays on my very favorite romance trope -- heroine masquerading as male at the beginning of her relationship with the hero. It might be because the heroine, Fallon is brave and bold and wonderful, even when the hero--a true, nearly reprehensible rake--discovers that his footman is no kind of footman. Or, perhaps it's because of the moment when he discovers it -- a scene that is so scorchingly hot, that it makes me want to write a bathtub scene just to try and get close to the amazingness that is that scene. 

Right now, Sins of A Wicked Duke is on sale in all eFormats! 

Sins of A Wicked Duke by Sophie Jordan
Published 2009, Avon/Harpercollins 
Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Indiebound

31 Books of Love - Evernight

I have struggled with Steampunk in the past. I can't really tell you why, as I love historical romance (obviously), and I love the aesthetic--I have a particular obsession with clockwork jewelry and elaborate corsets. 

But for some reason, if you'd asked me over the summer, I would have told you that Steampunk just isn't my thing. But in September, I read Kristen Callihan's Evernight. And now I totally get it. Boy oh boy, do I get it. Evernight is the fifth in Callihan's Darkest London series, but I hadn't read the rest of the series when I read it, and it didn't really matter--the book stands alone really well. 

Here's the premise. Our hero, Will, is part demon, and the victim of a fairly horrific torture earlier in his life that resulted in his being given a clockwork heart. Now, the metal that makes up the heart is taking over Will's body and mind, and in order to survive, he needs the person who made the thing in the first place. The woman who made the thing in the first place--Holly Evernight. Holly is an elemental--she can manage metal with touch, literally driving it back to Will's heart from where it threatens his life and his sanity. You can imagine that this touch bit is pretty central to the romance-y parts of the story, and you'd be right, but even more than you think. You see, Will isn't wild about the woman who was complicit in his being fitted for the heart in the first place, so there's a great amount of conflict between the two even as they have to touch all the time. 

It's SO GOOD. 

If you, like me, are hesitant about Steampunk, try this one. I dare you. I don't think you'll be disappointed. 

Evernight, by Kristin Callihan
Published 2014, Forever
Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Indiebound

31 Books of Love - Hot Head

I read around, y'all. If it's got great conflict and emotional connections, I'll read it and love it. We started this with a classic historical and a classic contemporary -- but now it's time to mix it up.

Today's pick is Damon Suede's Hot Head, which is a particular favorite of mine, in large part because it was the first M/M romance I read and really, truly adored. The romance is deeply emotional, the conflict is tightly written, the worldbuilding -- New York City Firehouses, post 9/11 -- is terrifically well done...oh, and the sex? Scorchingly hot. Which is in no way a problem for me. Obviously.

The two heroes, Griffin & Dante, have been best friends since they were kids, and serve together on the New York City Fire Department. They've been through the ringer -- both of them having served at the World Trade Center on 9/11. Griffin is falling hard for Dante, who is a straight-up ladies' man...or is he? The conflict is beautifully drawn -- aside from the "is he or isn't he into me" question that both the heroes struggle with, there's also a very real sense that their love won't be accepted by the fire department, by their friends or by their families.

Damon Suede does a beautiful job telling this story, and making readers understand his characters and their emotional struggle all while entertaining us with a terrifically hot, unputdownable romance.

Hot Head, by Damon Suede
Published 2011, Dreamspinner Press 
Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Indiebound

31 Books of Love - Nobody's Baby But Mine

I know, I know...I talk about this one so much that using it as a booktalk this month should really be considered a cheat. But in case you are one of the 13 people I've met in my entire life who has not hear me wax poetic about this book...read on. 

Let's get this out of the way: Susan Elizabeth Phillips's Nobody's Baby But Mine is utterly crazy pants. In all the best ways. Here's the basic premise: The heroine, Dr. Jane Darlington, is a genius physics professor who basically was Dougie Howser without the cool best friend. She's socially awkward and has very few friends because she's, well, a genius. But her biological clock is ticking, and Jane wants a baby. She considers a sperm donor for a minute and a half, but decides against it because lots of med students donate to the clinic nearby, and she's afraid of cursing her baby with her genius x2. She wants someone idiotic. Someone who is all brawn and no brain. Someone like Cal Bonner--NFL Quarterback. So she sets out to steal a baby from him. The plan works. But not nearly the way she intended. 

That's all I'm going to say about this book except, all of the above happens in, like, the first 15 pages. And the rest of the book is so incredibly good, you must go read it now. 

Ok...wait. I know I said I wouldn't say any more...but I have to add two things: 1) This is the book that I recommend to people who have never read a romance novel. Don't believe me? Listen to this podcast. And 2) The scene where Cal finally sees Jane naked might just be the most perfect scene in all of romance novel history.

And...added bonus! The Kindle version of NBBM is on sale! 

Nobody's Baby But Mine, by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Published 1997, Avon/Harpercollins
Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Indiebound

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31 Books of Love - Dreaming of you

I can't believe that it's already December! I may be having a terrible time coming up with gifts for the people on my list...but here's the thing: I have no trouble at all coming up with romance novels that I wish the whole world has read. That said, I thought I'd spend the month of December recommending 31 Romance Novels that I love beyond measure. And maybe...just maybe...you'll love them, too! 

I will do my best to make as broad a list as possible -- historical, paranormal, contemporary, new releases, old classics, and more. Feel free to comment and tell me what you thought of the books if you've read them yourself! 

Without further ado....Book I! 

As you know, I've just finished writing an historical series set in a pre-Victorian era casino, so it should come as no surprise that some of my very favorite romances have gambling at their heart. There will be a few of these as we go forward, but I figured I should start with the one that I've read the most of all -- Lisa Kleypas's Dreaming of You. 

Published in 1994, Dreaming of You is one of Kleypas's early novels, and one of her most perfect, I think. The heroine, Sara Fielding, is a writer who has made a living writing fictional accounts of the life of those who live in the dark corners of London--prostitutes, thieves, etc. But she's never experienced those corners themselves--and she arrives in London eager to research them, sure that the research will make her books better. Of course, on page one of this book, Sara is in a pickle, and needs rescuing from a not-so-nice pair of gentlemen. Her rescuer is Derek Craven, who, frankly, owns my heart (don't tell my husband). 

Derek is not an aristocrat. He isn't even gentry. He's a bastard who grew up on the filthy streets of the East End, and pulled himself out of the gutter to become the owner/operator of a casino that draws its clientele from the wealthiest of Londoners. Derek has worked to lose his accent, but it comes back when he's emotional -- and boy does Sara make him emotional. He doesn't believe in love, or in happiness, or anything good, really...because the world is cruel. But when he tries to prove that to Sara, she goes ahead and proves just the opposite.

This book is amazing. And it will leave you weeping like a child in the corner when it ends, because nobody--NOBODY--tortures a hero the way Lisa Kleypas does. Nobody. After you read this, you'll know why the entire romance reading community plotzed when they heard Lisa was going to write more historicals. And you will buy her entire backlist. Be warned.

Dreaming of You, by Lisa Kleypas
Published 1994, Avon/Harpercollins
Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Indiebound

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Avon Holiday Recipe Loop!

It's that time of year again -- time for the Avon Recipe Loop! A few years ago, I shared the recipe for English Shortbread, but this time, i thought I'd try something more savory--and still something that makes an appearance on every holiday table in our house. Caramelized Brussels Sprouts. 

Now, let it be said that I adore the Brussels sprout. I could eat it boiled, roasted, caramelized, hot, cold, in ice cream...however you want to feed it to me, I want to eat it. But my husband does not feel the same way. In fact, when we first met, the Brussels sprout was not his favorite. And then he had these -- and now he's a sprout convert. 

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts:

2 lbs. Brussels sprouts, trimmed (halve large ones)Extra-virgin olive oil1/2 stick butter1/2 lemon, juice & zestleaves of 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme1 tbs. maple syrup1 tsp. lightly packed finely grated lemon zestKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Put butter & thyme in baking dish (large enough for one layer of sprouts), allow to melt in oven.

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients (season generously with salt and pepper). Once butter is melted, put sprouts in dish, toss liberally. Roast until the sprouts are tender (the best way to test is by tasting), 20-25 minutes, stirring the sprouts once during roasting -- the edges of the sprouts will start to brown. You want that.

Once these guys are done, taste to make sure they are salted & peppered correctly, and that you don't need any more lemon. Serve immediately. Win the side competition at your holiday gathering. 

For dessert, why not try Katharine Ashe's Double Chocolate Kisses? Which sound AMAZING?!

Never Judge A Lady By Her Cover Release Day Excitement

You guys! It's here! It's finally finally here! Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover is out today and, while I am so sad that the series is over, I'm so so happy that I finally get to share this book with you. This book has been a secret for three years and four books -- and there's so much in here that I've been waiting to show you, to talk about, and (hopefully) that you will enjoy as much as I do. 

I've spent much of my spare time over the last week (i.e., time when I'm not working on my next book, which is coming along and due out next fall!) answering what feels like a million blog questions and writing what feels like a million blog posts...all talking about this book that I love so much.

I cannot wait for you to see Georgiana & Duncan's story unfold. Once you've read the book, I'll be answering any questions you have over in this spoiler thread -- so feel free to head over there and ask away! 

But let's get down to brass tacks. As it is the end of the Scoundrels series, I think we should have an epic giveaway, don't you? Let's do it! Comment below for a chance to win signed copies of both the Love by Numbers and the Rules of Scoundrels series, along with a collection of goodies, including Rules of Scoundrels notebooks made specifically for Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover! In addition, three winners will receive signed copies of the first three books in the series--A Rogue By Any Other Name, One Good Earl Deserves a Lover, AND No Good Duke Goes Unpunished! Apologies, but due to shipping costs, this giveaway is US only. 

YAY! So...TO WIN...comment below and tell me which of my Scoundrels is your favorite (or which one you're most intrigued by!) -- Bourne, Temple, Cross or Chase -- and why! Winners will be chosen at random on Friday!

If you haven't yet, you can order Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover from at the iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Books a Million, your local Indie, HarperCollins or Amazon, or for your Nook or Kindle! You can also order signed or personalized copies of all my books online at my local indie: WORD Bookstore!

Thanks, as always, for reading!

Never Judge a Lady By Her Cover Spoilers

Ok...so you've read Never Judge a Lady By Her Cover (thank you!) and you want to talk about the book...the series...and Chase's secrets. I want to talk about those things, too! If you leave your comments and questions below, I'll happily answer questions beginning Tuesday, all week long! 

BE WARNED: If you haven't finished the book...there are likely spoilers in comments! Click and read at your own risk!