Sunday, July 31, 2022

Sunday Post #171

 

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week.

It's been a busy week. I worked and then my husband and I drove down to Irvine (Southern California) for a work dinner (his work). We stayed overnight at the hotel it was held at. It's very close to Huntington Beach and so the weather was nice, but there was a lot of traffic and noise by the hotel. We drove back up north on Saturday morning to my daughter's house and had dinner with them, stayed the night and now we're on our way home. A lot of driving in three days. Sixteen hours! I'm just going to relax and read when I get home. 

The weather should be marginally cooler this next week, high 80s to low 90s and I hope to get some running in finally.

Irvine, CA

Read:
Click on cover for Goodreads link:

Received/Purchased/Library Lend:


I didn't read the Addicted to You series back when it came out, but it's being re-released by Berkley and they offered it up so I'll give it a shot. It seems a little angsty for my tastes, but my co-blogger from The Readers Den, Jasprit loved it. Love these Harlequin Desire romances. They're shorter and usually fun. A lot of fellow bloggers praised The Dead Romantics so I requested and audio copy at the library and it came through. Look forward to it!

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This would be a perfect spooky read for the Fall/Halloween season! 




How was your week?




Friday, July 29, 2022

Blog Tour Review: The Lost and Found Girl by Maisey Yates

 

The Lost and Found Girl by Maisey Yates
Publication Date: July 26th 2022 by HQN Books
Pages: 400
Source: Publisher 
Rating: ½

My Thoughts:
The McKee sisters are marked by finding baby Ruby on the bridge twenty-two years ago. Now in the present all four McKee women face challenges and a secret that needs to come out. This is part women’s fiction, part mystery and part romance, and wow! Didn’t see that twist coming at all!

Ruby McKee is the “miracle” baby of Pear Blossom, Oregon. A baby found bundled up on a cold December evening twenty-two years ago, a year after another girl went missing, casting a shadow on the idyllic town. Her rescue brought light and hope back to their little town and made her their symbol for all that’s good.

Ruby’s back home after going to school abroad taking a dream job as an archivist. Ready to do something good for the town. Because it was a miracle she was found that night and so she must be destined to have survived for something great, right? Those are some big shoes to fill, and finally Ruby is coming to the realization it’s not fair to put that on her.

Then there’s:
Marianne: The oldest McKee sister, with a seemingly perfect family, home, and business, and yet has visions of it all crashing down. She’s at odds with her fifteen-year-old daughter, and the perfect marriage she thought she had may not be so perfect.

Lydia: The second to the oldest, who just lost her husband, and is dealing with his best friend, Chase insisting to help on the farm. She’s grieving, but not in the way most assume.

Dahlia: The closest in age to Ruby, just four when they found her. Dahlia was the baby of the family until Ruby. She’s always been a bit of an outsider, the edgy girl dressed in black, always speaking her mind. She’s now writing on the town paper and discovering old secrets that may throw a wrench into what everyone thought was truth.
                                  
The Lost and Found Girl focused on all four women. Their loves, losses, and troubles, and it all felt real-to-life and relatable.  Then there’s mystery of the missing girl, Caitlin and of Ruby’s abandonment. The story was so good, and riveting and oh my, that ending! I didn’t see it coming! Such a great twist and I love how everything came together!

 4.5 Stars



Book Description:

The small Oregon town of Pear Blossom welcomes the return of its prodigal daughter Ruby McKee. Found abandoned as a baby by the McKee family, Ruby is the unofficial town mascot, but when she and her adoptive sisters start investigating the true circumstances around her discovery, it soon becomes clear that this small town is hiding the biggest, and darkest, of secrets. A raw, powerful exploration of the lengths people go to protect their loved ones, for fans of Lori Wilde and Carolyn Brown.

Ruby McKee is a miracle.

It’s a miracle she survived, abandoned as a newborn baby. A miracle that she was found by the McKee sisters. Her discovery allowed the community of Pear Blossom, Oregon, broken by a devastating crime, to heal. Since then, Ruby has lived a charmed life. But she can’t let go of the need to know why she was abandoned, and she’s tired of not having answers.

Dahlia McKee knows it’s not right to resent Ruby for being special. But uncovering the truth about sister Ruby’s origins could allow Dahlia to carve her own place in Pear Blossom history… if she’s brave enough to follow her heart.

Widowed sister Lydia McKee doesn’t have time for Ruby’s what if’s – when Lydia’s right now is so, so hard. Her husband’s best friend Chase might be offering to share some of the load, but can Lydia ever trust her instincts around him?

Marianne Martin is glad that her youngest sister is back in town, but balancing Ruby’s crusade with the way her own life is imploding is turning into a bigger chore than she imagined. Especially when Ruby starts overturning secrets about the past that Marianne has spent a lifetime trying to pretend don’t exist.

And when the truth about Ruby’s miraculous origins, and the crime from long ago, turn out to be connected in ways no one could have expected, will the McKee sisters band together, or fall apart?



About the author:

Maisey Yates is a New York Times bestselling author of over one hundred romance novels. Whether she's writing strong, hard working cowboys, dissolute princes or multigenerational family stories, she loves getting lost in fictional worlds. An avid knitter with a dangerous yarn addiction and an aversion to housework, Maisey lives with her husband and three kids in rural Oregon. Check out her website, maiseyyates.com or find her on Facebook.


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Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Audio Review: The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda

 

The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda
Publication Date: July 26th 2022 by Simon & Schuster Audio
Pages: 336
Audio Book Length: 9 hrs 23 min
Narrator: Alex Allwine
Source: Publisher & Libro.fm
Rating: ½

My Thoughts:
Abigail Lovett loves her job and home at The Passage Inn at Cutter’s Pass, a place where people can enjoy the gorgeous North Carolina mountains, and it’s a point of access to the Appalachian trail. However, the town of Cutter’s Pass has a shadow cast upon it. It’s notoriously known as the spot where several have hiked out never to be seen again, starting with the notorious “Fraternity Four,” leading up to more recent disappearances.

Even being there ten years Abby is still sort of counted as an outsider, and the questions she asks keeps her on the edge still.  Landon West, a journalist, is the last to have disappeared, and now his brother, Trey, is at the inn trying to find out what happened. Trey’s appearance is stirring up the past, and shaking loose secrets, and Abby can’t help herself, she wants to know what happened.

The Last to Vanish was eerie and atmospheric! I wasn’t sure if there would be some supernatural elements to the story just by the spooky feel of the story, but there weren’t any, which just goes to show real-life is creepy enough without it! I was surprised by most of the revelations and twists I’m happy to say!

I couldn’t stop listening! The story was so good! Abby was a great narrator, her unease palpable and I wanted to get to the truth just as much as she did! Alex Allwine’s performance brought Abby and the story to life, lending a haunting quality that kept me on the edge of my seat!

4.5 Stars



Book Description: 

Ten years ago, Abigail Lovett fell into a job she loves, managing The Passage Inn, a cozy, upscale resort nestled in the North Carolina mountain town of Cutter’s Pass. Cutter’s Pass is best known for its outdoor offerings—rafting and hiking, with access to the Appalachian trail by way of a gorgeous waterfall—and its mysterious history. As the book begins, the string of unsolved disappearances that has haunted the town is once again thrust into the spotlight when journalist Landon West, who was staying at the inn to investigate the story of the vanishing trail, then disappears himself.

Abby has sometimes felt like an outsider within the community, but she’s come to view Cutter’s Pass as her home. When Landon’s brother Trey shows up looking for answers, Abby can’t help but feel the town closing ranks. And she’s still on the outside. When she finds incriminating evidence that may bring them closer to the truth, Abby soon discovers how little she knows about her coworkers, neighbors, and even those closest to her.


Sunday, July 24, 2022

Blog Tour Review & Excerpt: Grace Under Fire by Julie Garwood

 

Grace Under Fire (Buchanan-Renard #14) by Julie Garwood
Publication Date: July 19th 2022 by Berkley
Pages: 352
Source: Publisher 
Rating: 
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:
Isabel MacKenna is in Boston for the Buchanan’s anniversary party, the in-laws of her sister, Kate and while walking around the city she runs into a man shot and bleeding with his attacker in hot pursuit and when he starts shooting, Isabel quickly reacts and ends up killing him.

Michael Buchanan, Isabel’s least favorite of the Buchanan clan, is sent to assist and represent her with the police and from then on sticks to her like glue when it seems there is still a threat out for Isabel. Which is surprising considering Michael seemed to steer clear of her every time she was around.

Michael kept his distance from Isabel because she was so young, just entering college, and gorgeous. Now seeing her several years later that same reason doesn’t apply but of course he doesn’t want a relationship. Tough to keep his hands to himself when she’s so tempting. He should let someone else watch over her, but he can’t keep away.

There was never a dull moment in Grace Under Fire with a new danger or threat around every corner and the romance was engaging, as well. Michael and Isabel had a fun push and pull between them, and sizzling chemistry. I had to laugh every time Isabel got behind the wheel, her driving skills could turn anyone’s hair white from fright! I enjoyed all the places they “visited” from Boston and the private Buchanan retreat at Nathan’s Bay to Scotland and all the little towns there.

Grace Under Fire was the second book I’ve read in this long running series, and I really enjoyed it!

4 Stars



Excerpt:

Chapter One

 

Isabel MacKenna had a hundred things to do today. Killing someone wasn't one of them.

 

She had such high hopes this morning when she dragged herself out of bed at the ungodly hour of five a.m. She had made detailed plans for the day that lay ahead, and she would have sailed through them if two unfortunate incidents hadn't waylaid her. The first was an irritating inconvenience; the second, a terrifying nightmare.

 

Scheduled to take an early flight on a no-frills, but supercheap airline to Boston, she arrived at the airport in plenty of time to go through security. She was dressed for comfort in a pair of snug jeans and a light pink T-shirt. Her long blond hair was up in a ponytail, and she wore a Red Sox baseball cap her brother-in-law, Dylan, had given her. She checked her luggage, which was packed for a trip to Scotland the following week, and carried her backpack that held everything she would need for the next few days. It was so stuffed she was pretty sure it weighed more than she did. The first time she attempted to swing it over her shoulder she nearly did a backflip. Fortunately, once she was on the plane, another passenger helped her lift it into the overhead compartment.

 

She had been assigned a window seat, and she planned to go to sleep as soon as the plane took off. In hindsight, perhaps her expectations were naive. From past experience she had learned that there was never anything smooth or easy about flying, and today was no exception. Once she boarded, she was trapped, and a flight that should have taken a little under three hours ended up taking seven and a half, thanks to the fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants airline and the mechanical problems they were sure maintenance could fix in no time at all. The captain made the passengers sit on the plane for two full hours before they were allowed to go back into the terminal to continue their wait while repairs were completed. After another grueling hour passed, they were told a relief plane was being flown in to take them to Boston. Apparently, the fix-it-in-no-time-at-all plane couldn't be fixed.

 

It was a miserable flight. It began with Isabel plastered up against the window while two overly friendly college students in the seats next to her took turns hitting on her. They seemed to be in some sort of competition to hold her attention and get her phone number. One was in his seventh year at a college in Arizona. In the course of his monologue he sheepishly admitted he still didn't have enough credits to graduate. The other one was in his third year at Colorado State and had changed his major so many times he couldn't remember what it now was. Isabel thought maybe there was a little something extra baked into the cookies he was munching on. She was pretty sure he was stoned.

 

Being polite to the nonstop talkers took effort, for exhaustion was pressing down on her . . . and no wonder. She had gotten only three hours of sleep the night before, and the last several weeks had been brutal, with papers due and finals to study for, not to mention packing up almost everything she owned and shipping it back home to Silver Springs, South Carolina, leaving only some of her clothes and personal items. Finally, graduation. She had hoped both of her sisters would be there for the ceremony, but Kiera, the older of the two, was in the middle of a demanding medical residency and couldn't take time off from work to attend. Her other sister, Kate, and her husband, Dylan, were there to see her walk across the stage and get her diploma. She was on her way now to meet them at Nathan's Bay, Dylan's family home just outside Boston. Judge and Mrs. Buchanan, Dylan's parents, were celebrating their anniversary, and their big family was gathering for the occasion. Isabel was happy to be invited to the festivities. The Buchanans were so warm and welcoming, and she looked forward to a week of fun and relaxation.

 

Then she and Kate were off to Scotland to see Glen MacKenna, the property she would soon inherit from her crusty and-she had it on good authority-horribly mean great-uncle. The land was located in the Highlands, and Isabel was anxious to see it. Kate and Dylan had given her the trip as a graduation present.

 

After she returned from Scotland, her plans were uncertain. Maybe the trip would give her some insight into what her future would be.

 

Once the plane was in flight to Boston and the incessant chattering of her seatmates had died down, Isabel rested her head against the porthole window. She was feeling horrible. She had thrown up-a couple of times, as a matter of fact-as soon as she'd rolled out of bed, and now her head was pounding. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but the drummer banging away on the inside of her eyelids wouldn't let up.


Book Description:


Grace Isabel MacKenna had a hundred things to do today. Killing someone wasn’t one of them. It was supposed to be a quick visit to Boston for the Buchanan anniversary party, then on to Scotland to collect an inheritance. She checks into the hotel and then decides to go for a brisk walk. But after getting lost she ends up with a wounded man stumbling into her arms, and then his shooter coming after them both. When she fires back in self-defense, she doesn’t expect him to drop dead. Thanks to the Buchanans dispatching Navy SEAL and now a lawyer Michael Buchanan to help her deal with the police, Isabel endures hours of interrogation and is finally free to go.

Isabel knows she should be grateful for Michael’s help, but since she’s harbored an extreme dislike for him for years, gratitude is difficult to muster. Michael has appointed himself her de facto guardian, and she’s stuck with him despite their constant bickering and sizzling attraction. Even when Isabel goes to Scotland to claim her inheritance, Michael follows her, but he isn’t the only thing she can’t shake. Mysterious threats against Isabel surface, and before they can deal with their growing feelings for each other, Michael and Isabel must first survive.

Saturday, July 23, 2022

Sunday Post #170

 

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week.

It has been a busy week of family visiting! Lots of cleaning, planting and chores in preparation for the visit. Thursday my daughter, SIL, grandkids and my son, his wife, my dad, and my youngest sister all came up to Northern California to visit me and my other sister (she lives up here, too). My daughter and her husband and the two grandkids stayed with us while everyone else stayed with my sister.  We visited the historic downtown, shopped, had dinner out and then went to Tahoe to go river rafting. Everyone came over to my house today to check it out and then we went into town again to have lunch. 
 
It's been super hot mid to upper 90s so all the outdoor activities have been sapping my energy. I can't wait until summer is over. I planted a couple of Butterfly Bushes and they really do attract so many butterflies! They're so pretty (see pics below). 



Read:
Click on cover for Goodreads link:

Didn't get a lot of reading in, but I enjoyed both books. Heroic Hearts was a collection of fantasy stories that I mainly requested for Dating Terror by Patricia Briggs. Loved Asil's story! There were a lot of other good ones in there, too. 

Received/Purchased/Library Lend:


Instagram:

Loved The Bodyguard and the cover is so pretty, too! 






How was your week?

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Audio Review: The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

 

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
Publication Date: May 3rd 2022 by St.Martin's Press & Macmillan Audio
Pages: 320
Audio Book Length: 9 hrs 44 min
Narrator: Patti Murin
Source: Publisher 
Rating: 
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:
Hannah was going through a lot with mixed feelings over the death of her mother and then her boyfriend dumps her. Just when she needs the distraction of work to cope, her boss basically grounds her. That is until the famous movie start, Jack Stapleton needs protection. Hannah’s not thrilled with the assignment because it doesn’t seem like much of an escape being stuck in Texas and this assignment is much more up close and personal than she’d have liked it.

I loved Hannah so much! She wasn’t a knockout, just an average woman (like most of us) in an unexpected position of being a bodyguard. Yes, she’s only 5’5” but that’s not the key to being a bodyguard as I found out, and she was pretty badass even being pint sized! I’ve always dreamed of being a badass myself even though I’m only 5’2”. I looked up to female characters like Buffy and Wonder Woman, so I loved the idea of a woman bodyguard. Still, this story was way more about the personal aspects of Hannah’s life than a suspenseful protection situation. I loved Jack and his family! He was, for a big star, pretty normal, and his family was loving despite some of the hard knocks they’d been given. Absolutely loved Jack’s family!

All the stars for The Bodyguard! Katherine Center’s stories never fail to capture my heart! She writes imperfectly perfect, multi-layered characters like Hannah and Jack. Each had emotional turmoil to work through while trying to get by, battling an inconvenient attraction. This was definitely a romance of the slow burn variety, and I hung on every interaction between Jack and Hannah! That epilogue was oh-so-lovely!

I alternately listened and read The Bodyguard and I recommend both. The audio was fantastic with Patti Murin narrating and doing an excellent job with all voices, male and female.

5 Stars


Book Description:

She’s got his back.
Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindgerten teacher than somebody who could kill you with a wine bottle opener. Or a ballpoint pen. Or a dinner napkin. But the truth is, she’s an Executive Protection Agent (aka "bodyguard"), and she just got hired to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton from his middle-aged, corgi-breeding stalker.

He’s got her heart.
Jack Stapleton’s a household name—captured by paparazzi on beaches the world over, famous for, among other things, rising out of the waves in all manner of clingy board shorts and glistening like a Roman deity. But a few years back, in the wake of a family tragedy, he dropped from the public eye and went off the grid.

They’ve got a secret.
When Jack’s mom gets sick, he comes home to the family’s Texas ranch to help out. Only one catch: He doesn’t want his family to know about his stalker. Or the bodyguard thing. And so Hannah—against her will and her better judgment—finds herself pretending to be Jack’s girlfriend as a cover. Even though her ex, like a jerk, says no one will believe it.

What could possibly go wrong???
Hannah hardly believes it, herself. But the more time she spends with Jack, the more real it all starts to seem. And there lies the heartbreak. Because it’s easy for Hannah to protect Jack. But protecting her own, long-neglected heart? That’s the hardest thing she’s ever done.

Saturday, July 16, 2022

Sunday Post #169

 

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week.

It's been a hot week! Yesterday I drove down to the neighboring city Best Buy to pick up a TV we bought from the Prime Day deals and my car read 109 degrees! This was at 5pm! Once I drove back home it was a bit cooler at 101, but still hot. Today the real feel was 103, but I was working at the hospital so I was indoors all day. My husband got it though, building an fence enclosure so our trash bins are now hidden and he had to go inside because he felt sick. Not a good idea to work in the middle of the day outside. It's supposed to "cool down" to the high 80s by the end of the week. 

A few deer have been hanging out at our house since there's a creek than runs through our property and they like to sit in a shady spot right in front of our garage. There are two deer in the photo, the one on the right is a little harder to make out. My cat is not pleased by their presence.  We're real careful about only letting him out with us around because of all the wildlife so we had the "joy" of seeing him get back into hunting mode up here. He killed a bird and some type of rodent (mouse?). He gnawed off the head of the latter right in front of us! Gross! He was very proud of himself. Ugh.


Read:
Click on cover for Goodreads link:

Two review books I completed by purchasing the audio. I've been super busy. Remember Love was my favorite!  I love Carolyn Brown and remembered to pick up the audio of Riverbend Reunion (read & listen for free on Kindle Unlimited) after seeing Sophia's review. Easy going, funny and heartwarming! 

Received/Purchased/Library Lend:



Instagram:

Loved! So happy I have a copy for my shelf. 





How was your week?



Friday, July 15, 2022

Blog Tour Review & Excerpt: Remember Love by Mary Balogh



Remember Love (Ravenswood #1)  by Mary Balogh
Publication Date: July 12th 2022 by Berkley
Pages: 400
Source: Publisher & Purchased Audiobook
Rating: 
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:
Gwyneth Rhys and Devlin Ware, the future Earl of Stratton, have been in love with each other from afar for years, until one perfect day when they discover their mutual feelings.  That same day the situation unravels when Devlin finds out his father’s fidelity is a farce. Devlin calls him out on it in a very public way and is cast out ruining their plans, at least for now.

Devlin goes off to fight in the Napoleonic War while Gwyneth stays home and attempts to move on with her heart. Six years later, Devlin returns to take up his duties of Earl since his father has died, but he’s a changed man who feels incapable of being in love after everything he’s gone through. However, seeing Gwyneth and his beloved family reawakens feelings he never thought he’d have again, feelings that he’s intent on denying.

Remember Love, the first book in the Ravenswood series, was oh-so-lovely! I’m a huge sucker for a second chance romance. I just loved every minute of the story, from Devlin and Gwyneth’s initial time together, longing from afar and that magical time spent together, to years later discovering that attraction and pull had never died, even though Devlin was in a bit of denial and had to work through his feelings. But I also adored the rest of the families. Gwyneth’s parents and brother were so loving and supportive, and Devlin’s siblings were as well, even though I can see Philippa, Stephanie and Ben bear the scars from finding out that their father wasn’t the man they thought. That very public revelation had repercussions they each had to endure, and I think we’ll be finding out just how it affected each of the siblings in the books to come. I hope we get a story for each of the Ware’s and for Ben, the oldest son, of the clan from a dalliance before the senior Earl was married.

Mary Balogh’s writing is beautiful, she brought each of the characters to life, and I felt their hopes, dreams, disappointments, heartbreak, and joy deeply!  I eagerly await the next story!

5 Stars




Excerpt:

But Gwyneth scarcely noticed. For Devlin, elegantly dressed in a dark blue tailed evening coat with
gray knee breeches and white waistcoat, stockings, shirt, and neckcloth, was standing before her and
extending a hand for hers.
“Gwyneth?” he said. “My dance, I believe?”
He was not smiling. Not openly, at least. But there was a glow in his eyes and behind his face that
suggested he was smiling inside. Not just a social smile, but something for her alone. Or so she fancied.
Ah, she had so looked forward to this moment, and now it was here. She set her hand on his, palm to
palm, and he closed his fingers about it and led her to the head of a new set, the original one having
already stretched the full length of the ballroom. She stood next to Susan Ware, Devlin’s cousin, in the
line of ladies while he took his place opposite her next to Dr. Isherwood in the line of men. He continued
to look at her across the space between them with that same expression. Almost, she thought, as if he
wanted to devour her. It was a look that sent shivers of pleasure through her body. She smiled back with
all the sparkle that was inside her, and his eyes crinkled at the corners.
Soon there were four long parallel lines of dancers, two of women, two of men. A few adults,
mostly elderly people, and a crowd of children stood or sat off to the sides, watching. Gwyneth
remembered those days of childhood and the longing to be grown up and able to participate.
The orchestra struck a chord and the dancing began.
The pounding of several dozen feet on the wooden floor set a rhythm with the music of violins and
cello and flute and pianoforte while partners joined hands and promenaded to their left and then to
their right, both pairs of lines moving in unison with one another. They formed arches of hands with
their immediate neighbors like mini maypoles as they paced in a full circle, changed hands, and paced
back again. At the end of each pattern of steps the couple at the head of the line joined hands crosswise,
and twirled down between the lines to take their places at the foot before the whole thing began again.
Devlin smiled fully at Gwyneth as they twirled, the first couple in their line to do so, and she

laughed while everyone else in the lines clapped in time to the music. The earl was laughing in his own
set as he twirled the countess. And ah, she had never, ever been happier, Gwyneth thought. Not even
this afternoon in the rose arbor. As happy, maybe, but not more so. How absolutely . . . exhilarating it
was to be eighteen years old and in love and full of hope that perhaps she was loved in return.
But inevitably the music came to an end, and there was only a leftover ball to enjoy for the rest of
the evening. She tried not to feel sad about it. How ungrateful that would be.
“Thank you, Gwyneth,” Devlin said as he offered his arm and led her in the direction of her parents,
who had danced the set together. “Have you promised every other dance?”
“Only the next and the one after it,” she told him.
“Are you willing to keep the set after supper for me?” he asked.
She looked at him in surprise. The Wares never danced more than one set with the same partner,
either at this annual ball or at the Christmas ball or at any of the assemblies. It was a point of strict
etiquette with them.
“Yes,” she said.
“It will be dark by then and the air ought to be cooler,” he said. “Perhaps we can step outside.”
Step outside? To dance on the terrace? To take a stroll beyond it? He did not elaborate.
“I would enjoy that,” she said. She had not noticed until this moment how breathless the dancing
had made her.
“As would I,” he said.

Excerpted from Remember Love by Mary Balogh Copyright © 2022 by Mary Balogh. Excerpted by permission of Berkley.  All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Book Description:

The undisputed queen of Regency romance is back with a brand-new story perfect for fans of Bridgerton.

The handsome and charismatic Earl of Stratton, Caleb Ware, has been exposed to the ton for his clandestine affairs—by his own son.

As a child, Devlin Ware thought his family stood for all that was right and good in the world. They were kind, gracious, and shared the beauty of Ravenwood, their grand country estate, by hosting lavish parties for the entire countryside. But at twenty-two, he discovered his whole world was an elaborate illusion, and when Devlin publicly called his family to account for it, he was exiled as a traitor.

So be it. He enlisted in the fight against Napoleon and didn’t look back for six years. But now his father is dead, the Ware family is broken, and as the heir he is being called home. It’s only when Gwyneth Rhys—the woman he loved and then lost after his family banished him—holds out her hand to help him that he is able make the difficult journey and try to piece together his fractured family.

It is Gwyneth’s loyalty, patience, and love that he needs. But is Devlin’s war-hardened heart even capable of offering her love in return?

Photo Credit: Sharon Pelletier

About the author:

Mary Balogh has written more than one hundred historical novels and novellas, more than forty of which have been New York Times bestsellers. They include the Bedwyn saga, the Simply quartet, the Huxtable quintet, the seven-part Survivors’ Club series, and the Westcott series. Learn more online at marybalogh.com.