Maggie Robinson's Blog, page 16

Goodreads Giveaway!

Ten copies of Lords of Passion are on offer at Goodreads from November 20 thru December 15!

The Season's Review of NQAC in LOP

The real gem of this anthology is Maggie Robinson's Not Quite a Courtesan. It is difficult for me to find complaint with the story, which is both romantic and sensual in equal measure with well-motivated and delightful characters. Widowed heroine, Prudence Thorne, is thrown into hero and adventurer Darius Shaw's hands under the most unlikely of circumstances. Here she is thrust into the world of the courtesan at his house on Jane Street where he is auctioning off a collection of erotic items he has just returned from gathering from all corners of the world. The most enjoyable element of this story is its characters – the piquant Mr. Shaw and the dutiful lady who trespasses into his house. His emotional growth, threaded with warm touches of humor, more than anything is what encourages him to draw the woman out of Prudence's tightly-buttoned mourning garb.

"It's still too soon."

"Then we'll have a long engagement. But I want us to live together. On my farm."

"We'll shock the sheep, living in sin."

"The sheep won't notice. We'll stay indoors. In bed."

She picked up an egg-laden fork and put it down. There was no way in the world she could eat now, with her heart hammering like Darius's gavel in her chest. "There's more to marriage than sex, Darius."

"I don't doubt it. And I expect you to school me in all of its rules and regulations. You're a very organized woman, Pru. A woman like you could make something out of a man like me."

Not Quite a Courtesan is so well-written and near perfection that I can't wait to dive into another Maggie Robinson tale!

Reviewed by: Amber Leigh

To read the entire review, click here.

Romance Junkies Review of Margaret Rowe's Tempting Eden

Another review! Are you bored yet? I'm not. Don't forget to enter this month's contest for a chance to win a copy of Lords of Passion!

Also, just found out Tempting Eden is down to $6 on Amazon. Virtually irrisistible, LOL.

Since the day Eden Emery's widowed mother married Baron Ivor Hartford she has been chained to him in one form or another. At first, by the guardianship he provided, then by his charms as she blossomed into a young woman. Eden helplessly fell for the baron's skilled seduction and soon entered into a forbidden relationship she could never escape. Eden endures the torture and humiliation of being the baron's lover for years to keep her sister from having to experience the same. Even after his death, Eden carries the memories and shame of her ruination. Eden wants nothing more than to be left alone to care for her ailing sister, but the new baron is already on his way to the estate.

Major Stuart Hartford is known among his friends as "Holy Hartford" for holding high morals and doing what is honorable. He adopted his ways long ago in an attempt to be as little like his immoral father and uncle as possible. Upon his uncle's death, he inherits his properties and wealth. Hart withdraws from the war and is swayed by his aunt that it's, perhaps, time for him to settle down with a wife. First he must see to tying up some loose ends, mainly the care of his newly inherited wards. He believes the eldest, Eden, to be a bit severe and plain, yet she compels him nonetheless. When he is going through his uncle's library he stumbles upon a rather lurid drawing of Eden, which shows her in a whole new light. Now Hart can't get the tempting vision of Eden out of his mind, though he is appalled to think that she willingly had that sort of relationship with his uncle.

Eden shockingly finds herself attracted to Hart who is nothing like the old baron. Yet even as the chemistry rises between them, she is frantic to keep her past hidden. When her relationship with the late baron is brought to light by Hart, it releases a cataclysm of emotions and events for both of them. The truth of Eden's relationship with Ivor is all but black and white, but will Hart be able to set aside his beliefs, stemmed from his idea of virtue, to see the shades of gray that have marred Eden for years?

Margaret Rowe delivers a unique historical romance that will keep you enthralled from start to finish. TEMPTING EDEN is murky, edgy and filled with complex motivations and actions. The serious tones and intricate storyline pulled me in. It touches base on a topic that probably occurred more often than ever verbalized in the era. Despite the darker touches, this is a quite erotic and enjoyable read. Ms. Rowe presents us with a cast of redeemable characters, detailed surroundings and a sizzling chemistry that is made believable among a somewhat unlikely couple. She provides just enough of the heroine's heartbreaking past that you feel genuine anguish for her. Then she takes and pulls her out of the ashes. This is a memorable story that is sure to leave a lasting impression.

SNIPPET: After Eden Emery has lived with years of abuse from the late Baron Hartford she faces a new danger. The nephew, who is the new baron, has come to claim the estate that he's inherited. Eden finds Hart to be nothing like Ivor. She's now close to losing the only thing she has left…her heart.

To see the review on site, click here.

Another Lords of Passion Review

Happy dancing!

We actually got 2 reviews from Romance Junkies (see below), but this is the one that's been posted:

BEAUTY AND THE BRUTE by Virginia Henley

Can there be a more degrading reason to marry than to settle a gambling debt? Lord Charles Lennox and Lady Sarah Caversham certainly don't think so. No wonder Charles left for his Grand Tour as soon as his marriage to the young Sarah became final. But all things change with time. A spoiled and domineering bully like Charles at 18-years-old can grow into a mature, respectful, responsible, sympathetic 21-year-old man. While a 13-year-old awkward, lanky and naïve youth like Sarah can blossom into a buxom, curvaceous, heart-stopping beauty. Imagine the shock when Charles returns to town and unknowingly falls in love-at-first-sight – with his own wife! Now, how to turn their marriage of convenience into the passionate conflagration that burns in both of their hearts…

HOW TO SEDUCE A WIFE by Kate Pearce

Louisa March is not beautiful, not in the classic sense. But then her husband, Nicholas, a notorious philanderer in his younger years, didn't marry her for her physical attraction. Still, Louisa had hoped she would reap the benefits of having a man so well versed in carnal knowledge. How disappointing when Nicholas' lackluster performance in the boudoir forces her to seek passionate fulfillment in her gothic romance novels. For Nicholas, it is totally unconscionable that his wife would rather read a book than fulfill her marital obligations to him. The gauntlet has been thrown, and despite having to revisit some of his more wicked haunts, Nicholas is fully intent on properly seducing his wife!

NOT QUITE A COURTESAN by Maggie Robinson

Responsible and respectable widow, Prudence Thorne, while not the head of her family, has always been saddled with her family's burdens – caring for her sick, infirmed mother and raising her younger, addle-brained cousin. Sophisticated, handsome and well-traveled Darius Shaw is the head of his family and their shocking business – erotic antiquities. His travels have finally brought him back to London, and serendipitously right smack dab into the middle of Pru's blasé world of order and efficiency. There isn't much Darius hasn't seen or done in his travels, but there's something about Pru's veiled innocence that is utterly irresistible. With a sexually deprived vitality just waiting to be unleashed, Pru merely requires instruction. And Darius is just the man to initiate her into the world of sexual gratification.

LORDS OF PASSION is a luscious anthology of three erotic Regency romance novellas featuring three heroes of varying birth and backgrounds, but all thoroughly well studied in the ways of love and the art of intimacy. Oh to be their heroines!

Charles, from Ms. Henley's BEAUTY AND THE BRUTE, to put it plainly, is such a lout. At least, he is at the onset. His transformation is totally welcomed, but woe is he who falls in love with the wife he cursed and fled on his wedding day. Sarah is surely in the right when embarking on her plans for revenge. But three years is a long time, and the changes that occur at such an age are pivotal, as evident in Charles's newfound humanity and Sarah's well-trained cunning. Charles' subtle charms (and not-so-subtle sexual innuendos) coupled with Sarah's quick, sarcastic wit are beguiling, and their love scenes both tender and provocative. BEAUTY AND THE BRUTE is a lovely, memorable read that will touch the heart and raise the body temperature, just in time for the second narrative.

Ms. Pearce's HOW TO SEDUCE A WIFE is a boisterously entertaining and satisfying read if ever there was one! Louisa's intellectual nature, interminable propriety, and sexual naïveté make for such hilarious retorts, especially when in response to Nicholas' forthright sexual observations, requests, and commands. While their marriage was not founded on love, just based on the honesty of their interactions, love can't be far. And for Nicholas who, unlike his unfaithful father, swears fidelity to Louisa despite their unsatisfactory sex life – that in and of itself, is a declaration… of sorts. Utterly delectable, HOW TO SEDUCE A WIFE will leave the reader happily sated and primed for the final story in the anthology.

The LORDS OF PASSION collection could not have found a more wonderful culmination than Ms. Robinson's NOT QUITE A COURTESAN. Perhaps it's the self-aware rake in Darius Shaw that is so appealing, or perhaps his straightforward manner in how he deals with Pru, or perhaps how something in Pru's stringent propriety resonates with Darius making him gravitate towards her – whatever it is, it's totally enchanting. The repartee between Darius and Pru, Darius and his steward, even between Pru and his steward, is clever and laugh-out-loud amusing. The lovemaking scenes are heart-stoppingly, monstrously sweet, and so erotic that readers will suffer from dry mouth. Put simply… NOT QUITE A COURTESAN is superb!

LORDS OF PASSION completely mollifies the readers' hunger for heroes who know their way around the bedroom and into a woman's heart. A tried and true treasure trove!

By Romance Junkies Reviewer: Chris

Kudos for Not Quite a Courtesan

A little more than 2 weeks to go before Lords of Passion and these other great Brava books release! Chris from Romance Junkies e-mailed me the other day with another great review for LOP. I decided to post just the part about my contribution to it, Not Quite a Courtesan. I could not be happier!

Responsible and respectable widow, Prudence Thorne, while not the head of her family, has always been saddled with her family's burdens – caring for her sick, infirm mother and raising her younger, addle-brained cousin. Sophisticated, handsome and well-traveled Darius Shaw is the head of his family and their shocking business – erotic antiquities. His travels have finally brought him back to London, and serendipitously right smack dab into the middle of Pru's blasé world of order and efficiency. There isn't much Darius hasn't seen or done in his travels, but there's something about Pru's veiled innocence that is utterly irresistible. With a sexually deprived vitality just waiting to be unleashed, Pru merely requires instruction. And Darius is just the man to initiate her into the world of sexual gratification.

The LORDS OF PASSION collection could not have found a more wonderful culmination than Ms. Robinson's NOT QUITE A COURTESAN. Perhaps it's the self-aware rake in Darius Shaw that is so appealing, or perhaps his straightforward manner in how he deals with Pru, or perhaps how something in Pru's stringent propriety resonates with Darius making him gravitate towards her – whatever it is, it's totally enchanting. The repartee between Darius and Pru, Darius and his steward, even between Pru and his steward, is clever and laugh-out-loud amusing. The lovemaking scenes are heart-stoppingly, monstrously sweet, and so erotic that readers will suffer from dry mouth. Put simply… NOT QUITE A COURTESAN is superb!

Romance Junkies Review of LOP

Completely forgot about the time change, but this review was a fabulous way to wake up when I got up at what was really 5 AM, LOL.

LORDS OF PASSION

BEAUTY AND THE BRUTE by Virginia Henley

When eighteen-year old Charles Lennox, Earl of March, is called home from school, the last thing he is prepared for is a quick marriage. His father has lost a great deal of money to General William Cadogan, who sees a chance to get his thirteen-year-old daughter, Lady Sarah, a titled husband. Before they are even introduced, Charles reprimands her, leaving her very upset, especially when she discovers he is to be her new husband.

After the wedding, Lady Sarah returns home with her parents and Charles embarks on his Grand Tour.Three years later, Charles returns home, a changed man after being so ill that he nearly died during his Grand Tour. However, when he sees the voluptuous woman with his sister, he does not realize that she is his wife. The girl he married had been a thin stick, not this very desirable woman. How can he convince her to forgive him for his past conduct when all she wants is to get a little revenge?

Deliciously sensual, readers will find BEAUTY AND THE BRUTE a hard story to put down until the last page of this tale is read. Sarah is used to not having a husband around and her memories of Charles are not the best. So she leads him on a merry chase, as he tries desperately to win her forgiveness and get her to see that he is not the same man who left her so abruptly. A great read. http://www.virginiahenley.com

HOW TO SEDUCE A WIFE by Kate Pearce

Nicholas March, the eighth Earl of Stortford, had been forced to wed his wife Louisa, for her dowry to help his family. However, he wants to leave his wild life behind and be true to his new wife after watching his father's disreputable behavior over the years. His wife is not considered beautiful, but he does desire her. However, she seems to find more joy in the heroes in the novels she reads than she does with him. He believes that making love to his wife should be more respectful than the way he treated the women prior to his marriage.

Louisa gets nothing out of her husband's love making, but she believes there must be more to it after reading her racy novels. She wants him to sleep cuddled with her like the heroes in her books, but she is an innocent and doesn't know how to tell him. The only person she has to advise her is her mother and her husband's sister, but she can't discuss it with him. But when Nicolas gets the idea to take his wife to the local brothel, where they can reenact the situations in the books she reads, things between them really begin to heat up.

Delightfully wicked, HOW TO SEDUCE A WIFE is a witty, sensual historical romance that readers will enjoy immensely. Nicholas goes to great lengths trying to figure out what is wrong with his love life, until he finally hits upon a solution that works greater than he could ever have predicted. This story is a joy. http://www.katepearce.com

NOT QUITE A COURTESAN by Maggie Robinson

Prudence has spent her life taking care of her ailing and now deceased mother and her orphaned, heiress cousin Sophy, who has recently eloped with Cyrus Shaw. She has had no adventure in her life, but she figures now she will have the chance, since she has money and no one relying on her. But first, she has to help Sophy, who begs for her help in getting her husband back. Sophy had thrown him out after receiving a letter addressed to him, from a mistress named Carmela.

Darius Shaw and his brother Cyrus inherited a house on Jane Street, also known as Courtesan Court, since those residing in these homes are the Ton's most wanted mistresses. The house they inherited comes complete with their uncle's aging mistress, Carmela. While trying to evict her from the home, Darius mistakes the veiled Prudence Thorne for Carmela. Soon, spending time with Darius, under his skilled guidance, she finds more adventure than she ever dreamed of, as he fulfills her wildest desires.

Deliciously witty and sensationally sensuous, NOT QUITE A COURTESAN is a captivating historical romance that you will hate to put down. Mistaken identities and pornographic artifacts soon add up to a delightful interlude between the disreputable Darius and the prim Prudence. All I have to see is author Maggie Robinson's name on a book to know that it is a must read. http://www.maggierobinson.net

Wonderfully decadent, LORDS OF PASSION, a captivating anthology by three very talented authors, is a book that readers will want to read over and over again. The three stories are enriched with compelling and complex characters, creative plots, humor, love and plenty of steamy sensual scenes. Readers will be unable to tear themselves away from this book and these marvelous stories, as they read about unfulfilled heroines and reformed rakes, whose fantasies are played out and their desires satisfied in very imaginative ways. As I look forward to more works by these phenomenal authors, be sure to get your own copy of LORDS OF PASSION. You won't regret it!

Dottie, RomanceJunkies.com

Look Inside!

The Look Inside feature is posted on Amazon for Mistress by Midnight and Lords of Passion. Take a peek here for MBM and here for LOP!

Kickoff!

Thank you to Theresa Romain for featuring me and my books all this month on her blog. For a chance to win the complete "Maggie Robinson collection", hop on over and tell me about your first love. (I confess to Googling mine, LOL)

Magnetic, or How I Used To Be Interesting

Well, maybe not. But every now and again I discover from my website statistics that someone has read an old blog post, and I read it too. I've had this blog now almost 4 years, and at one time, I aimed to be philosophical, educational and humorous. But things have evolved, and now it seems I'm mostly promotional. I miss the old me, but the new me is pretty busy with deadlines and family and not quite as witty as I once was. So if you're reading this, you're apt to see infrequent posts with "portentious" news, like this:

Margaret Rowe will have a short, "Wicked Wedding Night," in the November 2011 Berkley anthology, The Agony and the Ecstasy. I'm excited that one of my critique partners J.K. Coi has a fabulous, twisty story in it as well. There will be about 20 5,000 word erotic-ish stories, and it was fun to have Margaret come out to play.

Copyedits for Margaret's Any Wicked Thing were finished last week. Sebastian and Freddie are two of my most favorite characters. He's a depraved duke, she's a bluestocking, there's a castle—what's not to like? An excerpt on the Books page will be going up soon.

I've ordered new magnets, so if you enter either of my contests this month, expect some in the mail when they come in to thank you for your efforts. Last month I mailed out new bookmarks to everyone who took the time to enter. I truly appreciate everyone who's along for the ride with me! This month's prizes are an ARC of Mistress by Midnight , two copies of Tiffany Clare's sensuous The Surrender of a Lady, and a fantastic excerpt book. There's still a week left to enter on the Contest pages.

Next month debut author Theresa Romain will have me on as her Guest Author of the Month. There will be a big book giveaway, and I'll let you know when the interview post goes up.

So that's it for now. As you can see from the pictures, I could not decide on the design for the AWT magnet, so I ordered three different styles, LOL. Which do you like best?

RT Review of LOP :)

LORDS OF PASSION

by Virginia Henley, Kate Pearce, Maggie Robinson

Genre: England, Anthology, Historical Romance

Sensuality: HOT

Setting: 18th- and 19th-century England

RT Rating ****

Passion or sex can be serious or fun and these three talented authors show the many sides of desire. Readers will delight as fantasies are played out and passion is given free rein, and while there is plenty of lust, there is also trust, love and tenderness — enough to please any reader seeking pleasure.

Three years ago, Lady Sarah Caversham was promised in marriage to Charles Lennox to settle her father's gambling debt. Now it's time for the "Beauty and the Brute" to begin married life. Charles is shocked to see his gawky bride has turned into a beauty and he's now more than ready to make her his wife. However, he'll have to woo her, seduce her, win and try to keep her in Henley's irresistible novella.

Pearce introduces readers to Louisa March, who wishes her staid husband was more like the heroes in her novels, especially the pirate in her latest romance. Thinking he cannot offend his wife's sensibilities, Nicholas has been the perfect gentleman in bed: quick and efficient. He's more than a bit surprised to learn Louisa wants more and with a courtesan's help, he learns "How to Seduce a Wife."

Robinson's prim Prudence Thorn is "Not Quite a Courtesan," just a sensible woman trying to help her cousin resolve a marital problem. Then she meets Darius Shaw, her cousin's husband's brother, at an infamous courtesan's home. She's intrigued by the man, who imports pornographic artifacts. The artwork and the idea titillates Prudence, and the idea of the wanton love slave is born. (BRAVA, Dec., 379 pp., $14.00)

Reviewed By: Kathe Robin

Publisher: BRAVA

Published: December 2010