Four Winners!

Congratulations to Winners!

I forgot the Second winner of ebook of The Midwife's Revolt so I am announcing that now too:

Fallen Star 

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Giveaways Ended March 22, 2013.

ARC Giveaway: Lady Eve's Indiscretion 

Cassandra

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Giveaway: Maiden Lane Series by Elizabeth Hoyt -A FULL PRINT SET OF ALL FIVE BOOKS IN THE SERIES to one lucky US winner!!  

Lisa A. 

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Print Giveaway: White Picket Fences by Susan Meissner

Brooke

Fallen Star, Cassandra, Lisa and Brooke Please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form or email me at mesreads AT gmail.com to confirm the win and send your address so I can mail the book or notify the Publisher. Please reply within 72 hours!
Thank you to all who entered these giveaways. 

Book Review and Giveaway: Lord of Darkness (Maiden Lane) by Elizabeth Hoyt

Once again Ms. Hoyt does a good job of mixing action, lonely characters and a new chance at love.  Book 5 of this series.
Lord of Darkness (Maiden Lane)
Elizabeth Hoyt

• File Size: 547 KB
• Print Length: 385 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0749958162
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (February 26, 2013)
• Sold by: Hachette Book Group
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007ZFPRL0

Genre: Historical Romance
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: February 26, 2013
"Elizabeth Hoyt has outdone herself." --Jennifer Ashley, New York Times bestselling author

WHEN STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT
He lives in the shadows. As the mysterious masked avenger known as the Ghost of St. Giles, Godric St. John's only goal is to protect the innocent of London. Until the night he confronts a fearless young lady pointing a pistol at his head-and realizes she is his wife . . .

BECOME LOVERS . . .
Lady Margaret Reading has vowed to kill the Ghost of St. Giles-the man who murdered her one true love. Returning to London, and to the man she hasn't seen since their wedding day, Margaret does not recognize the man behind the mask. Fierce, commanding, and dangerous, the notorious Ghost of St. Giles is everything she feared he would be-and so much more . . .

DESIRE IS THE ULTIMATE DANGER
When passion flares, these two intimate strangers can't keep from revealing more of themselves than they had ever planned. But when Margaret learns the truth-that the Ghost is her husband-the game is up and the players must surrender . . . to the temptation that could destroy them both.

Review:
Lady Margaret’s secret fiancé, Roger, is murdered, supposedly by the Ghost of St. Giles. Margaret is grief stricken and even more distressed when she realizes she is pregnant. She is hastily married to Godric St. Johns and retires to his country estate. She loses the child and only returns to London for two reasons-- to seduce her husband in hopes of conceiving another child and to seek revenge against the man who murdered her true love.

Godric has shut himself off from the world after the lingering death of his beloved first wife. Godric agreed to a marriage of convenience and has been fine with Margaret away in the country. He is surprised when she shows up at his London home with his sister, a great aunt and a pregnant dog and no apparent plans to leave anytime soon. The home has been allowed to gather cobwebs with no female touch, minimal servants and a master who is disinterested. The only thing that Godric has been interested in is he secret activities as the Ghost of St. Giles. Meg is surprised to discover that her own husband is the dashing, confident Ghost who faces danger to protect innocents in St. Giles.

Although Godric at first refuses to become intimate with his wife, he is aware of the ‘light and laughter’ she brings into his home. He ends up striking a deal with Megs but what starts as duty soon flares to passion and slowly simmers in caring. Godric is the first to move beyond the past and determine that he wants a life with Megs. Margaret has not yet chosen to release her heart to love again. Now Godric must help her get beyond her obsession with the past so they may have a chance at a future, even as that chance is threatened by his own dangerous activities.

I enjoyed the growth of Meg and Godric as they give up their personal ghosts and learn that, as Godric says: “Life is by necessity for the living.” The sexual passion is steamy, real and loving. In addition to the growing romance, the story has plenty of action with Godric rescuing children and being relentlessly pursued by Captain Trevillion who is determined to catch the Ghost and is suspicious of Godric’s nighttime outings. I also liked the myth that is shared at the beginning of each chapter as a parallel to the story.

This is book five of the series and I suppose it might work as a stand alone. However, I do recommend reading the prior books to get the full enjoyment of the surrounding characters and the prior romances. I look forward to more adventures of the Ghost of St. Giles.

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Godric realizes that Meg has restored life to his world:

Godric stood, watching as Megs turned and beamed at him, all glorious, vibrant life. Everything he was not. Everything worth protecting. Location 2370.

I received this ebook through NetGalley from the publisher for an honest review and with the opportunity to host a Giveaway.

The wonderful team at Forever Romance at Hachette are GIVING A FULL PRINT SET OF ALL FIVE BOOKS IN THE SERIES to one lucky US winner!!

 ENTER BY RAFFLECOPTER BELOW

For 3 Extra Bonus entries Visit the author's website and tell me something you find of interest.

* This contest is open US Only.
* No P.O Boxes.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on March 22, 2013.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED on March 23, 2013.
Winners are asked to respond by email or the linked winners form within 72 hours of the announcement.

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Book Review: Thief of Shadows (Maiden Lane) Elizabeth Hoyt

This is a grand blend of intrigue, tension and romance. Check back tomorrow for my review and giveaway of Lord of Darkness, Book 5 in the series!

Thief of Shadows (Maiden Lane)
Elizabeth Hoyt

• Paperback
• Publisher: Grand Central Pub 2012-06-26; First Edition edition (2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1455508322
• ISBN-13: 978-1455508327
• ASIN: B008XH5FTI

Genre: Historical Romance
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: June 26, 2012

A MASKED MAN . . .
Winter Makepeace lives a double life. By day he's the stoic headmaster of a home for foundling children. But the night brings out a darker side of Winter. As the moon rises, so does the Ghost of St. Giles-protector, judge, fugitive. When the Ghost, beaten and wounded, is rescued by a beautiful aristocrat, Winter has no idea that his two worlds are about to collide.

A DANGEROUS WOMAN . . .
Lady Isabel Beckinhall enjoys nothing more than a challenge. Yet when she's asked to tutor the Home's dour manager in the ways of society-flirtation, double-entendres, and scandalous liaisons-Isabel can't help wondering why his eyes seem so familiar-and his lips so tempting.

A PASSION NEITHER COULD DENY
During the day Isabel and Winter engage in a battle of wills. At night their passions are revealed . . . But when little girls start disappearing from St. Giles, Winter must avenge them. For that he might have to sacrifice everything-the Home, Isabel . . . and his life.

Review:
The book description does a good job of summarizing the primary characters and storyline.
Isabel is alone with certain liberty as a wealthy widow.  She is one of the Ladies’ benevolence patronesses who support the foundling home. One of the other aristocratic ladies, a frivolous heiress, decides they need an aristocratic manager to represent the home in society settings claiming that the commoner, Winter Makepeace, just doesn’t have the right skills. Isabel is one of several of the ladies who appreciate Makepeace’s dedication and managerial skills. She takes up the challenge to tutor him in social skills rather than allow him to be removed from the home. She would not normally mix with a common schoolteacher but she is drawn to the similar loneliness she sees in the solemn, mysterious man.

Isabel saved the Ghost of St. Giles from a mob and is intrigued by the injured man. Soon she begins to make a connection between the dashing, masked avenger and the quiet, intense schoolteacher. As she tutors Winter a desire builds in her even as he tries to resist her temptations. The tables turn when the previously celibate Winter finally succumbs to Isabel’s spell. She brings light to Winter's darkness. His desire, honor and intensity seeks to bind them for the future but she pulls away because of her own secret.

Winter has learned that young girls are being snatched off the streets to serve in a sweat shop where they are being starved and ill-treated. The location of the operation is moved just when he thinks he can rescue the girls. Now he must continue his hunt, as the Ghost of St. Giles, but he has more to risk than ever before.

There is a wonderful dance of dialogue and romance between these characters. The action begins immediately and the background story is filled with the dangers and evils in St. Giles and heroic efforts to help innocent children.  Although the sexual scenes are a bit raw in graphic description of the passion, there is love, natural chemistry and wonder shared. You can skim over the sexual details if need be and still enjoy the conflict of the relationship and the suspense, intrigue and danger of the plot. There are secrets, excitement and surprises to keep the reading moving quickly. I really like Ms. Hoyt's writing and this series for the exciting plots and the enjoyable dance of the couples as they resist the love that flows from their passions.

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As Isabel tutors Winter their practice goes beyond the dance steps:

    “And yet you are a passionate woman,” he whispered as he took her hand and raised it. They circled each other as he spoke. “Has anyone cherished you just for yourself?”
    She looked up and laughed at him. “This question from the man who takes care of everyone yet whom no one takes care of?”  Page 111.

I received this book from Grand Central, Hachette for an honest review.

Review - Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt

This is a wonderfully tense mystery and romance.
Wicked Intentions (Maiden Lane)

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (August 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044655894X
• ISBN-13: 978-0446558945

Rating 4.5 of 5.0

A MAN CONTROLLED BY HIS DESIRES Infamous for his wild, sensual needs, Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, is searching for a savage killer in St. Giles, London's most notorious slum. Widowed Temperance Dews knows the area like the back of her hand—she cares for its children at the foundling home her family established. Now that home is at risk…

A WOMAN HAUNTED BY HER PAST
Caire makes a simple offer—in return for Temperance's help navigating the perilous alleys of St. Giles, he will introduce her to high society so that she can find a benefactor for the home. But Temperance may not be the innocent she seems, and what begins as a cold bargain soon falls prey to a passion neither can control—and may well destroy them both.

Review: This book contains wonderful elements of murder, mystery and rather tortured characters.

I loved these characters.  Lord Caire is partially the typical stereotype of a cold, arrogant British aristocrat.  He is rumored to have wild, sexual behaviors.  It is a secret that he has a unique skin disorder that causes him to be even more “hands” offish. Caire doesn’t believe he is lovable nor deserving of love. Although his outward appearance is harsh and cold, inside his feelings run deep; so much so that he is willing to seek the murderer of his mistress even though he claims no great attachment or affection for her.

Temperance is a widow who devotes her life to helping her pious brother manage the foundling home located in the London slums of St. Giles.  She appears to be pure and saintly because she keeps a tight rein on her emotions.  But it quickly becomes clear that she has deep passions.  She believes that she is not permitted to experience her passions, whether it is love for the children or sexual interest in Caire.  She is not a physical beauty but she has wonderful strength of character that makes her a beautiful person and Lord Caire is able to see that in her.

I really liked the chemistry and the unusual courtship conducted while they are roaming the dark streets looking for a murderer.  The sexual scenes are rather graphic. I didn’t find them perverse or wicked as is intimated by the rumors of Caire’s activities.  It is just that they are described in detail.  I believe this presentation helps give the full impact of the emotional obstacles that Caire and Temperance had to overcome in order to come together for a healthy, loving relationship. I haven’t read any other books by Ms. Hoyt yet so I cannot say for certain if they are all this steamy.

The author is able to invoke a sense of darkness and mystery throughout the book.  You just feel that you are in a misty, dark place of danger and it is nice to have a strong man around for protection.  I enjoyed the mystery and the romance and look forward to reading more in this series.

xxx

Thanks once more to Anna and Hachette for providing this book for review and Giveaway.

Please enjoy the Author interview too!