Born to be Wilde by Eloisa James

Eloisa James writes beautifully crafted historical romances and Born to be Wilde is no exception.

Lavina Gray and Parth Sterling have been quarreling with each other for years. She finds him appalling... condescending... rude... while he considers her to be shallow. The last thing either of them want is an attachment with each other, but when Lavinia realizes that marrying Parth would save both herself and her mother from ruin, she determines to swallow her pride and propose.

Parth is completely taken aback by Lavinia's insistence they marry. He cannot for the life of him understand why she'd suggest such a preposterous thing and offers an alternative: to find her another fiancé while he romances a widow. The plan seems perfect, the potential outcome less so, for the more time Parth spends in Lavinia's company, the more he realizes that he wants her for himself.

This was a wonderfully written romance. Watching the hero and heroine argue with each other in the most creative ways imaginable was thoroughly entertaining. A story to be savored and one I would highly recommend.

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Wilde In Love by Eloisa James

What a stellar beginning to a new series! The characters were well written (the hero utterly swoon-worthy) and the plot so intriguing I could not put this book down after picking it up. Fun and incredibly well-written, this story really showcases Eloisa James' skill as an author.

Lord Alaric Wilde returns home after years abroad to discover that he has become the most famous and desirable man in England. Women flock to his side, prints of him have become collectibles and the trendiest play in town is the one depicting his time in Africa. Horrified, Alaric seeks refuge in his father's castle. There he discovers that escaping celebrity is much more difficult than he expected and that the only woman he wants has no interest in him whatsoever.

Willa Ffynche enjoys her books and her privacy. She is an intellectual whose indifference toward Alaric's return could not be made more plain. Since her parents died in a carriage race years earlier, she has determined to steer clear of a reckless lifestyle. Instead she hopes to one day marry a man with whom she can enjoy a quiet and peaceful existence without the sort of adventurous behavior Alaric is so renowned for. But as she gradually gets to know him better, she begins to discover that there might be more to him than she initially thought and that resisting him will not be as easy as she had expected.

Filled with witty dialogue and an wonderful journey toward a well-deserved happily ever after, this book stands out - a definite must-read for any historical romance enthusiast!

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Wounded hero reading list

Hey everyone,

An article I've written for RT MAGAZINE about the wounded hero has just been published in the July issue. The idea to examine the appeal of such a hero came to me with the upcoming release of His Scandalous Kiss. Here, a tortured soldier carrying both physical and psychological scars has given up on both love and happiness. Instead, he seeks only revenge. Until he meets a mysterious young woman at a masquerade ball, that is.
Working on this article proved to be not only fun but extremely interesting. It gave me the opportunity to collaborate with the amazing Eloisa James, Elizabeth Hoyt, Mary Balogh and Valerie Bowman, all of whom have written memorable heroes with wounds galore. So I contacted them in order to get their take on why wounded heroes are so well-loved and was absolutely thrilled with their insight. If you'd like to know what they had to say, you'll have to grab a digital issue of RT Magazine HERE as I cannot share the piece myself due to copyright issues.

But, what I can do, is offer a reading list of wounded hero stories for you to sink your teeth into this summer - you can click on the images to find out more. Any that you'd like to add? Just comment below :)

Romance covers through the years

Since the publication of Kathleen E. Woodiwiss' The Flame and the Flower in 1972 by Avon Books, modern romance novels have evolved, and so have the covers. What probably surprised many, was how successful The Flame and the Flower would be, selling over 2.3 million copies in its first four years of publication. It paved the way for thousands of authors thereafter, laying the foundation for a genre that would become the top grossing one within the industry of literary fiction. But while these books once boasted domineering men and submissive women on their covers, they now seem more aware of gender equality and sensuality, with greater focus on the romantic. Because when all is said and done, aren't romance novels fairy-tales for adults? The reason we read them is in order to watch people fall in love and get that happily ever after that they deserve, no matter the odds stacked against them.
I have to admit, that I might think twice about reading a book with Fabio ravishing some woman on the cover, but I take no issue with showing off more recent romance novels. In fact, I think they're so pretty, and since many of them begin as paintings created by artists, I do feel that they deserve to be seen.

Flash back to the 80's and 90's

Some of the prettiest covers out there!

Just goes to show that not all romance novels depict a hero or a heroine on the cover.