Book Review: The Princess Plan by Julia London

Princes have pomp and glory—not crushes on commoners.

Nothing gets the tongues of London’s high society wagging like a good scandal. And when the personal secretary of the visiting Prince Sebastian of Alucia is found murdered, it’s all anyone can talk about, including Eliza Tricklebank. Her unapologetic gossip gazette has benefited from an anonymous tip about the crime, prompting Sebastian to take an interest in playing detective—and an even greater interest in Eliza.

With a trade deal on the line and mounting pressure to secure a noble bride, there’s nothing more salacious than a prince dallying with a commoner. Sebastian finds Eliza’s contrary manner as frustrating as it is seductive, but they’ll have to work together if they’re going to catch the culprit. And when things heat up behind closed doors, it’s the prince who’ll have to decide what comes first—his country or his heart.

Buy Links

Harlequin  |  Amazon  |  Apple Books

Barnes & Noble  |  Books-A-Million  |  Google Play

IndieBound  |  Kobo

Click me to read an excerpt!

Since my high school days, I have loved Regency romances. In my quest to read as much Regency romances as possible, I went through Avon's list of authors like my life was ending. One of the fabulous jewels I discovered was Julia London. It's been some time since I've read her books and she has an impressive backlist that you should definitely check out here. 

In this fairly new series, Julia combines princes and starcrossed lovers. Eliza Tricklebank is unlike other ladies in her social class. She's smart and enjoys her singlehood after a past mistake marks her as unsuitable for marriage. Chastened by her past experience, Eliza lives with her father, a Justice or Judge for Her Majesty's court. I really liked the judge. He was a refreshing character. Despite being blind, he is wise to the antics of his daughters. Compared to the other men of this era, he is quite a progressive Feminist, but also a rational man. The women of the Tricklebank family are well educated and outspoken with their opinions and forge their own paths in life, in spite of society's dictates. I love this sort of female lead the most. Back to the story, the plot overall was good but somewhat predictable. 

After a chance encounter with Prince Sebastian at a masquerade ball, Eliza thought she'd never see the Prince again. Unfortunately, after his aide was found murdered, the Judge receives an anonymous note in the post about the murder and a potential suspect. Eliza and her sister, Hollis, who runs her late husband's gazette, publish a piece of speculation about the murder's identity. This catches the eye of Prince Sebastian. In an unorthodox move, the prince goes undercover to discover who the murderer is. The second (or was it third?) meeting with the Prince ended in spectacular fashion. Rather than dialing back his royal attitude, Prince Seb makes a jerk of himself and not in a good way. Realizing he'll get more results with honey than with vinegar, Prince Seb apologizes for his boarish behavior and Eliza offers him advice and a sympathetic ear. The pair grow closer, but the pressure of continuing the royal line and the success of the trade agreement rests on Prince Seb's shoulders. What does he do?

Here is one of the things I thought was a little rushed. Within the span of several weeks, Prince Seb and Eliza fall in love with each other. This is par for most Regency novels, but I thought it felt a little forced. It's the first time the Prince has ever been in love so how would he know if his feelings for Eliza were solid enough. Plus, he has his duties to answer to. I also thought the foreshadowing with the culprit was a little heavy-handed.

On another note, Eliza, Hollis, and Caroline are a hoot. I love the love and friendship between the ladies. I am curious to read the second book in the series, which is featuring Caroline and the Second Prince of Alucia. 

4 stars

About the Author

Julia London is an NYT, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of historical and contemporary romance. She is a six-time finalist for the RITA Award of excellence in romantic fiction and the recipient of RT Bookclub's Best Historical Novel.

Social Links

Author's Newsletter |  Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Blog Tour Promo Post: The Hideaway Inn by Philip William Stover

High school wasn’t the right time or place for their relationship to grow, but now, fifteen years later, a chance encounter changes both of their lives forever.

No one in the charming river town of New Hope, Pennsylvania, needs to know that Vince Amato plans on flipping The Hideaway Inn to the highest bidder and returning to his luxury lifestyle in New York City. He needs to make his last remaining investment turn a profit…even if that means temporarily relocating to the quirky small town where he endured growing up. He’s spent years reinventing himself and won’t let his past dictate his future.

But on his way to New Hope, Vince gets stuck in the middle of nowhere and his past might be the only thing that can get him to his future. Specifically Tack O’Leary, the gorgeous, easygoing farm boy who broke his heart and who picks Vince up in his dilapidated truck.

Tack comes to the rescue not only with a ride but also by signing on to be the chef at The Hideaway for the summer. As Vince and Tack open their hearts to each other again, Vince learns that being true to himself doesn’t mean shutting down a second chance with Tack—it means starting over and letting love in.

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

Buy Links

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  iTunes  |  kobo  |  Google

That summer Vinny would come by and see me almost every day, usually with a new book. I loved hearing him talk. He described the spiritual journey of Siddhartha, the complicated plot of King Lear and even read some of James Baldwin’s poems to me that were so riveting I almost ham­mered my finger to a post. At school I was in a class called “Reading Foundations” and even I was smart enough to know it was for kids who were barely passing. I never felt dumb around Vinny. He treated me like I was just as smart as he was and after hanging out with him for a few weeks, I started to believe it.

Being alone with Vinny was easy. We were so different but also had so much in common. My mom died when I was a kid and he never knew his father. I never talked to anyone about not really having many memories of her and wanting more. He only had a single picture of his dad and never wanted to know more. We fit like opposite pieces of a puzzle that click when joined. Being alone together at the edge of the farm felt like freedom. But when the fence was done and school started, the world shifted back to where it was and whatever we had evaporated.

A small-town high school is a network of territories with strict borders. Vinny didn’t belong anywhere and it made his life miserable but it made me admire him more because he didn’t need to. He did what he wanted, how he wanted to do it.

My life felt like an endless list of obligations. I followed some script then and I don’t even know why or where it came from. I had to place at the meets, have the hottest girlfriend, drink like an animal at parties on the weekends. These things were expected of me or I expected them of myself. At the time I couldn’t tell the difference. I couldn’t imagine a life being anything other than the one that was already attached to me, but meeting Vinny put a crack in that heavy iron chain.

Once school started, Evie came back from her summer job down the shore, football practice began and chores on the farm took over my life. At least, that’s what I told my­self. I couldn’t find a way to make Vinny part of my life beyond that summer without making my entire world explode. I ignored him at school, pretty much, even though alone in bed at night I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I kept those worlds separate because they seemed to be in completely different orbits. It was a shitty thing to do. I know it now and I even knew it then.

I left The Hideaway mad as hell at Vinny—or rather Vince—for the way he treated me in the kitchen, but the truth is I deserve everything he said to me and more. How could I ever get him to understand the choices I made back then and why I made them? How could I explain to him how hard I have worked to undo everything I did back then? Then I remember how I already started on the wrong foot. He asked about Evie and I went all mysterious and vague. I should have told him we got divorced. I should have told him that we still co-parent a wonderful, funny six-year-old. I should definitely have told him that I finally came out as bi. But picking him up on the side of the road was such a confusing surprise that my brain wasn’t functioning at full capacity.

Copyright © 2020 by Iron Bridge Creative

About Philip William Stover

Philip William Stover splits his time between Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and New York City. He has an MFA in writing and is a clinical professor at New York University where he is the former chair of the writing curriculum. As a freelance journalist, his essays and reviews have appeared in Newsday, The Forward, The Tony Awards, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Houston Chronicle, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and other national publications.

Philip grew up tearing the covers off the romance novels he devoured so he wouldn’t get teased at school. Now he enjoys traveling the world with his husband of over twenty years and sitting in front of the woodstove with their half-Bassett, half-Sharpei rescue pup and he would never consider defacing any of the books he loves.

He is thrilled to be returning to romance and loves to write cozy, warm-hearted stories served by hairy forearms with a side of fries. He can be found on social media as Philip William Stover.

Connect with Philip William Stover

Website  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads

Carina Adores is home to highly romantic contemporary love stories featuring beloved romance tropes, where LGBTQ+ characters find their happily-ever-afters.

A new Carina Adores title is available each month:

• The Girl Next Door by Chelsea M. Cameron (available May 26, 2020)
• Just Like That by Cole McCade (available June 30, 2020)
• Hairpin Curves by Elia Winters (available July 28, 2020
• Better Than People by Roan Parrish (available August 25, 2020)
• Full Moon in Leo by Brooklyn Ray (available September 29, 2020)
• If You Can’t Stand the Heat by KD Fisher (available October 27, 2020)
• Just Like Us by Cole McCade (available November 24, 2020)

Blog Tour Book Review: 48 Hour Lockdown by Carla Cassidy

Perfect for fans of Criminal Minds and Blacklist...

Uncover the lives and loves of the FBI elite as they take on the toughest assignments. This is a new four-book miniseries featuring an ensemble cast of characters spread across 4 books, featuring 4 urgent cases, with one stellar team of crime-solving experts.

The Tactical Crime Division—TCD—is a specialized unit of the FBI. Because of the growing concerns and need for ever-increasing response time to criminal events, the FBI created a specialized tech and tactical team combing specialists from several active divisions that include: weapons, crime scene investigation, protection, negotiation and IT.

Each title can be read as a standalone novel, featuring a unique hard to solve crime cases.

The Tactical Crime Division—TCD—is a specialized unit of the FBI. They handle the toughest cases in the most remote locations. When TCD learns of a school invasion turned lockdown, every agent is ready to engage. With children in jeopardy, the stakes couldn’t be higher. But it becomes personal for hostage negotiator agent Evan Duran when he learns Annalise Taylor is one of the captives holed up with the students in a school for the gifted. He’ll need every resource available at TCD and every ounce of his expertise to turn this disastrous situation into a rescue mission—and if he succeeds, maybe reunite with the woman he never stopped loving.

Buy Links

Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Google  |  Indiebound  |  Harlequin

Click me for an excerpt--->

48 Hour Lockdown was a good read. Full Stop. As the first part of the series, Carla Cassidy does a great job setting up the character profiles for the secondary cast of characters. In this book, the main characters are Evan Duran and Annalise Taylor. Annalise is a teacher at a prep school for gifted students. The main characteristics that drew me to Annalise was her passion for teaching, her compassion, and her love for her students. The story starts off as a normal day for Annalise and her students, that is until armed gunmen holds Annalise, her students, and other staff members hostage. Enter Evan Duran, hostage negotiator of the Tactical Crime Division and Annalise’s ex. I’m always iffy about stories that begin with a failed and/or past relationship. There was a reason you guys didn’t work out the first time, so what’s different this time? This aside, I usually wait to see how authors craft their delivery and how the relationship comes together by the end of the book. I thought that the main issue between Evan and Annalise was a lack of communication and Evan’s tendencies (What kind of tendencies? You’ll have to read the book to find out).

Who the hell breaks up with someone with a text message? And it was from the girl?!?!  

There were parts of the story where it dragged. The logistics and motives behind the hostage situation felt a little stilted. Carla Cassidy goes from the main story to a POV from another member of the TCD team. It didn’t feel absolutely necessary to have these scenes, but they do add some context to Evan’s backstory. The ending did conclude nicely; All in all, I think Carla Cassidy did a good job. There were a few things that I had an issue with, but they were minor things. 

4 stars

About Carla Cassidy

Carla Cassidy is a New York Times bestselling author who has written more than 125 novels for Harlequin Books. She is listed on the Romance Writer's of America Honor Roll and has won numerous awards. Carla believes the only thing better than curling up with a good book to read is sitting down at the computer with a good story to write.

Click me to learn more about the Tactical Crime Division series.

Book Trailer

Harlequin Series Blog Tour Promo Post: A Hidden Heir to Redeem Him by Dani Collins

She kept their child hidden…now the secret’s out!

Valentino Casale is outraged to find Kiara kept their daughter a secret from him for two years! Forever branded by his own illegitimacy, the hardened billionaire wants to do things differently…

Kiara could never regret the consequence of her one delicious night with Val. Even if he turned out to be every bit as coldhearted as their night was hot! Yet behind Val’s reputation is another man—revealed only in their passionate moments alone. Could she give that man a second chance?

Purchase Links

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Google  |  IndieBound  |  Harlequin

Excerpt, A HIDDEN HEIR TO REDEEM HIM by Dani Collins

 “You knew she was pregnant? And you didn’t tell me?” he demanded of her.

“You were on your honeymoon.” His mother’s voice dropped to the syrupy, conciliatory tone that wheedled for him to take her side. “You didn’t need an ugly scandal.”

“Like the one I grew up in?” When had he last bothered to be angry? Truly furious? Maybe his last visit to this tower? Maybe it was the air in here that stoked his rage. The fetid stench of manipulation and jealousy and profound selfishness. “You live for making a scene. Blaming Niko for my shortcomings is your bread and butter. You could have used the baby for leverage all this time if you had— Oh, my God.”

Val hooked his hands on his hips and laughed drily toward the ceiling as he realized why she had preferred his baby be erased from existence.

“This is a new low for you, Mother.” He was un-characteristically, profoundly astounded. And sickened. “Or should I say… Nonna?”

“Do not…” she warned in shaken outrage.

“Oh, I will. Because your precious vanity sent her to him.” He pointed at Kiara then the folder rep-resenting the fortune that had been the reason for, and the bane of, his very existence.

This situation was abhorrently reminiscent of his childhood, when something clean and precious and his would be sullied and used as leverage and snapped apart in the struggle between his parents and his half brother and his father’s ex-wife, Paloma. Val’s wants and needs had never been part of any conversation. If they had, they’d been dismissed as irrelevant.

And Kiara had played along with all of that.

“Why did you tell her instead of me?” he demanded of Kiara.

Whatever culpability flickered into Kiara’s face was quickly schooled into something more facetious. “I guess I could have left a message with your wife?”

It was a darling effort at shaming him, but, “I’ve been divorced a year. You’ve had time.”

“There were circumstances.” She shifted uncomfortably. “Niko was ill and needed us there.”

“You’ve been living with him? This whole time?” If Val believed people were capable of true remorse, he might have thought the way Kiara bit her lip might have signaled regret.

He had played this game too long to believe she felt anything but glee, however, at claiming the pot of gold.

Walk away, he thought. Just. Walk. Away.

“He thought if you knew Aurelia existed, you would pressure me to leave the island instead of staying with him.”

Aurelia. It was the name of the villa in Venice where they’d spent their night together. The site of their lovemaking and, apparently, the conception of their daughter.

Every morning, when he gazed on Kiara’s sketch, he was back there on the bed with her, seated behind her in the rumpled sheets, teasing her into continuing with her study of the open balcony doors while he sampled the scent in her neck and tasted the smooth-ness of her shoulders and felt her breast rise and fall in growing excitement against his palm.

He swallowed, trying to dismiss any profundity in her bestowing that villa’s name on their child. He didn’t buckle to sentiment. It was a manipulation tactic. Everything was.

Even so, he couldn’t take his eyes off her as she turned her attention to his mother, showing no fear as she said baldly, “Niko didn’t want you or Paloma to know about her or about Scarlett’s pregnancy. He thought it would create more conflict than he could deal with in his weakened condition. Since he was terminal, we respected his wishes.”

It was so poetic, it bordered on sappy, but to keep the knowledge of his daughter from him for three years? He would never forgive any of them for this.

“We’ll wait for a DNA test before we continue this discussion.” Evelina took care to tuck her cashier’s check into her clutch. “Niko can’t overlook his son in favor of a child we’ve never seen. We’ll fight this.”

“You’ll be wasting your money,” Davin said. “There’s already a DNA test that proves Aurelia is Niko’s descendant. Her sample was correlated with the DNA test that proved Mr. Casale’s paternity. Niko was of sound mind. Further tests won’t change anything.”

Val didn’t need a test. He wasn’t so gullible as to take Kiara’s word, but his father had always been diligent about such fine points.

He didn’t care anyway, he assured himself. Not beyond how galling it was that Niko had gotten the last laugh, but so what? Val had never wanted offspring—one of the reasons his marriage had tanked—and he hadn’t wanted his father’s money, either. He had no desire to take responsibility for the child in possession of that fortune— Oh, wait. The girl was only entrusted with half. That meant any involvement he had with her would mean dealing with Javiero on some level, as well.

And all the while, his mother would continue to claw at him for her piece of the pie.

Definitely time to exit stage right. He certainly could. Kiara was financially equipped to meet the needs of his child. Nothing in his life had to change. In fact, his mother would become Kiara’s problem. The solution was elegantly simple and utterly freeing.

Yet, he remained where he was, coldly enraged. His insides were gripped by a wrath that swelled his chest with the pressure of a primal yell he couldn’t release.

He could hardly pick apart why this provoked such a volcanic rise of fury in him. It had something to do with the grotesque replay of history. While he’d been married to Tina, Kiara had been having his child, sentencing an innocent to the label he’d worn like a dead albatross until he was old enough to make damn sure he deserved the slur.

No. He might not have crafted himself into the most upstanding of men, but he was decent enough to pluck a child out of a toxic spill before she was lethally poisoned and scarred forever.

“Refuse that money,” he told Kiara. “My daughter will inherit my fortune, not his.”

“A minute ago you didn’t even want to know her name.”

“She can have mine,” he shot back. “You’re going to marry me. Today.”

About the Author

When Dani Collins found romance novels in high school she wondered how one trained for such an awesome job. She wrote for over two decades without publishing but remained inspired by the romance message that if you hang in there you'll find a happy ending. In May of 2012, Harlequin Presents bought her manuscript in a two-book deal. She's since published more than thirty books with them and is definitely living happily ever after.

Social Links

Goodreads  |  Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook

Blog Tour Promo Post: The Girl Next Door by Chelsea M. Cameron

New York Times bestselling author Chelsea M. Cameron is back with the opposites-attract, sweet-and-sexy small-town romance you’ve been waiting for.

Iris Turner hightailed it out of Salty Cove, Maine, without so much as a backward glance. Which is why finding herself back in her hometown—in her childhood bedroom, no less—has the normally upbeat Iris feeling a bit down and out. Her spirits get a much-needed lift, though, at the sight of the sexy girl next door.

No one knows why Jude Wicks is back in Salty Cove, and that’s just how she likes it. Jude never imagined she’d be once again living in her parents’ house, never mind hauling lobster like a local. But the solitude is just what she needs—until Iris tempts her to open up.

A no-strings summer fling seems like the perfect distraction for both women. Jude rides a motorcycle, kisses hard and gives Iris the perfect distraction from her tangled mess of a life. But come September, Iris is still determined to get out of this zero-stoplight town.

That is, unless Jude can give her a reason to stay…

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

Buy Links

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Itunes  |  kobo  |  Google

My parents and I hadn’t really talked about what happened and why I was back, mostly because it wasn’t for just one reason. There were many reasons, all culminating with me packing my shit in my car, loading up my dog, abandoning my friends, and driving back here.

I asked Mom if there was any ice cream in the freezer and she said that there was. While I was getting a spoon, I glanced out the window, which happened to look right into our neighbor’s living room.

Jude.

The lights were on and she stood in the living room wearing nothing but a sports bra and some athletic shorts. The spoon I’d just grabbed clattered on the floor. As I stood up from retrieving the spoon, I found her staring directly at me. Instead of looking away like a normal person, I stared back.

Her hair had been long in high school and her arms hadn’t been so…sculpted back then. At least not that I remembered. My mouth went dry and I held on to the spoon for dear life.

“What are you looking at?” a voice said behind me and I shrieked and dropped the spoon again. I turned around and found my mom leaning over my shoulder to see what I’d been staring at.

“Oh, nothing, just staring off into space.” I rushed with my spoon and the ice cream back into the living room. My parents kept the room dark and the only light was from my dad’s lamp and the TV, so I could hide in a corner with my lobster-red face.

What had come over me? I’d just stood there leering like a fucking creeper. Part of me expected a knock at the door and for her to storm in and ask what I’d been staring at.

That didn’t happen, but it didn’t stop me from looking up from my book every few minutes to check and make sure.

Before bed, I took Dolly out to do her business and my eyes kept flicking over to the house. The lights were still on, but I wasn’t going to stare this time. I hadn’t asked for more information from my mom about Jude, but I did wonder what she was doing back here. She’d hated this town, from what I remembered, so it couldn’t just be because of her parents’ house.

High school in a small town in Maine was brutal for anyone who didn’t conform, and Jude had been adamant about not conforming. I’d done my best to get through, and the drama club had been my safe haven. I’d never thought seriously about acting after high school, since that was way out of my league, but I still thought about it every now and then. There was a community theater group a few towns away. Could I put myself out there and get into it again?

Dolly was taking her sweet time, sniffing the bushes at the edge of the porch to find the right one to pee near. I jumped as I heard a door slam, the door to the neighbor’s house.

I froze with my back to the house, pretending I wasn’t completely aware of what was happening. Was she leaving again on that motorcycle? Where would she go tonight? The only bar in town closed in less than an hour, and there was nothing else open. Unless she might be going to a friend’s house for a party?

Or perhaps she was going to the beach for a midnight swim. I shivered at the thought of Jude slipping beneath the waves like a mermaid.

Copyright © 2020 by Chelsea M. Cameron

About Chelsea M. Cameron

Chelsea M. Cameron is a New York Times, USA Today and internationally bestselling author from Maine who now lives and works in Boston. She's a red velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, vegetarian, former cheerleader, and world's worst video gamer. When not writing, she enjoys watching infomercials, tweeting, and playing fetch with her cat, Sassenach. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Maine, Orono that she promptly abandoned to write about the people in her own head. More often than not, these people turn out to be just as weird as she is. Visit her at www.chelseamcameron.com.

Connect with Chelsea M. Cameron

Website  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads Page

Carina Adores is home to highly romantic contemporary love stories featuring beloved romance tropes, where LGBTQ+ characters find their happily-ever-afters.

A new Carina Adores title is available each month:

• The Hideaway Inn by Philip William Stover (available May 26, 2020)
• Just Like That by Cole McCade (available June 30, 2020)
• Hairpin Curves by Elia Winters (available July 28, 2020
• Better Than People by Roan Parrish (available August 25, 2020)
• Full Moon in Leo by Brooklyn Ray (available September 29, 2020)
• If You Can’t Stand the Heat by KD Fisher (available October 27, 2020)
• Just Like Us by Cole McCade (available November 24, 2020)