Excerpt: Gambling with Love - Kaye Spencer - Coffee Time Romance & More

Gambling with Love by Kaye Spencer is an erotic western romance available at:

Breathless Press: http://www.breathlesspress.com/erotic/branded/gambling-with-love.html

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Gambling-With-Love-ebook/dp/B004AYCSPM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301957339&sr=8-1

TEASER

Gambler Lainie Conrad wants revenge. Marshal Nick Foster is duty bound to arrest her. Her choice is clear. She loves him, so she shoots him…twice.

BLURB

Disowned by her wealthy Charleston family when she married a gambler, Lainie Conrad lived a charmed life of European travel, good times, and gambling until Rutherford Tolliver decided to claim Lainie for his own. Now, widowed and certain that Tolliver killed her husband, Lainie plots revenge, but she doesn’t want Ford’s life. She plans to ruin him in a high-stakes poker game. The problem is, she’s fallen for U.S. Marshal Nick Foster, who is duty bound to arrest her for a murder she didn’t commit. Derringers, poker, and her feminine wiles become weapons in her quest for retribution.

EXCERPT

Chapter One – Pine Bluffs, Wyoming Territory 1883

“I’m sorry, sir, there are no vacancies.”

Nick Foster ignored the desk clerk. He was staring at the poker game in the adjoining room. Seeing Lainie again was like taking a right hook to the gut. It took the wind right out of him. He’d been on her trail for three months, and given how elusive she’d been, catching up with her tonight surprised him. She didn’t often play penny ante places. The snowstorm must have stranded her.

Two months ago, she’d been running a faro table in Tombstone, then moved on to San Francisco. He’d missed her in both towns by mere days. Following a lead to Dodge City, the deputy had told him he’d noticed her talking to an older woman with a small child who had already been in town for a couple of days when Lainie had passed through. The woman and child had boarded an eastbound train alone. The general thought had been that from Dodge, Lainie was headed for Denver by way of Cheyenne.

Nick spoke indirectly to the clerk. “The woman playing cards. She come in alone?”

“Yes, sir, this morning on the train. The storm’s shut down the stage and train until the weather clears.”

Just as he’d thought. “What’s her room number?”

“I can’t give”””

“It’s business.” Nick opened his coat and pulled his vest aside to reveal his badge. “And it’s confidential.”

The clerk’s eyes went wide. Apparently antsy, he shuffled his feet as he stole a glance around the lobby. Nick recognized the man’s hesitation as consideration of the ramifications of not cooperating, but he didn’t debate long. Not obstructing justice won out over hotel protocol.

The clerk reached under the counter for a key, then slid it across the wooden surface. “Room two-ten.”

Nick pocketed the key. “Bath facilities here?”

The clerk jerked his head toward the back. “Down the hallway. First door on your right.”

“Any chance of getting some grub and coffee?”

“Slim chance. The kitchen closed a while ago.”

Nick tossed him a Gold Eagle. “Will that cover it?”

“With some to spare.”

“Keep it.”

The clerk’s manner changed immediately. “I’ll have food and coffee brought to you right away, sir.”

“I’d appreciate it.”

Stranded travelers and tobacco smoke filled the lobby, but no one noticed Nick as he walked to the bar and ordered whiskey. With his hat pulled low over his face, Winchester cradled casually in the crook of one elbow, and oversized saddlebags slung over one shoulder, he looked like any other saddle tramp passing through. He wanted to keep it that way. No sense inviting undue attention. It would come on its own soon enough.

He downed his drink, refilled, then took the glass and moved to where he could watch the card game unnoticed. Warming with the whiskey, he relaxed and made a quick sweep of the four players. Three men and Lainie. Although he didn’t know the men, he pegged two of them as cowboys waiting out the storm and passing the time with a friendly game of poker. They weren’t serious players. He chuckled. They were the type Lainie usually took pity on and made sure they left the table with a few dollars more than when they started. Onlookers blocked Nick’s view of the third man, but he wasn’t curious enough right then to care who he was.

He glanced at the clock””ten forty-five. She never played much past midnight. In another hour or so, she’d ask the bartender for a pot of coffee to take to her room. He had plenty of time. Tossing off the whiskey, he made his way to the bath room. An hour later, with a full belly, bathed, shaved, and feeling like a new man in a clean set of clothes, Nick returned to the bar and paid for another whiskey. Nursing it along with his elbow resting on the bar, he watched the game out of Lainie’s direct line of sight. When midnight arrived, he started for the stairs.

“Gentlemen, do any of you know the time?”

He stopped and stared straight ahead. The languid cadence of her cotton-soft southern drawl wafted in the air, embracing him with bittersweet memories of their last night together and the ring he hadn’t put on her finger. The siren call in her voice tugged at him. Damn he’d missed her, and now that he’d found her, his willpower to separate love from duty was quickly becoming a one-sided, losing battle.

One of the men gave her the time, and Nick heard chairs move on the hardwood floor.

“Gentlemen, I am afraid I must take my leave of you. I cannot go without my beauty rest. It has been a pleasure.”

Nick glanced over his shoulder then turned and took a better position to see into the game room for a better view of Lainie. He couldn’t see the cowboys directly, but he could tell they were standing with hats in hand as they uttered thanks for the game. The third man remained seated. Nick got a good look at him. His face wasn’t familiar but his type was. Cardsharp. Likely a good one too. He looked like the sort who came to the table with genteel larceny in mind, ready to fleece unsuspecting lambs foolish enough to play the master in his own game. The jeweled stickpin in his lapel and ostentatious diamond ring on his finger smacked of extravagance and excess.

His manner was as controlled and cool as his black suit was expensive and tailored. His long slender hands and nimble fingers bore the trademark of a professional gambler, and the cards fairly sang as he shuffled them. Although the man made no outward indication that he knew Nick was watching, Nick sensed nothing got by him. On sheer principle, Nick didn’t like him. His kind of gamblers were users and takers. Shady characters, the lot of them.

“It’s still early, Lainie. Let me buy you a drink…or at least coffee.” There was power and confidence in the man’s deep resonate voice.

“Mrs. Conrad to you. You know full well that after a game I take coffee in my room alone, and I rarely drink except on very special occasions. Stranded in this rowdy cow town does not qualify as a celebratory event.”

“You’re right; I do know that about you, Mrs. Conrad.” The corners of his lips turned up in a slight smile, and he continued deftly manipulating the cards as he spoke. “I’m assuming you’ll be in Denver this weekend. We should make plans to celebrate after I win the game.”

Nick was close enough to see a fiery spark ignite in Lainie’s eyes for just a second before she resumed her impassive composure. “Yes, I will be a player in that game, and it will be my pleasure to finally take all of your money. Perhaps I’ll feel generous enough after I win to leave you with a little traveling change so you can leave town. Again…good night, gentlemen.”

The man smiled again, obviously enjoying their banter. Without looking directly at her, the gambler snatched her hand in a swift, snakelike strike, stopping her departure. She didn’t struggle; she didn’t pull away. To anyone who didn’t know her, she might have seemed indifferent, but Nick recognized the unreserved loathing in the steady, steely gaze she fixed upon the gambler’s face. There was history between them that piqued Nick’s curiosity.

“Stay awhile, Lainie. We’ve known each other long enough to put aside formal pretenses. Let’s dispense with this ongoing faÃ§ade. It’s boring as well as tiring. There’s no reason for either of us to spend the rest of this night or any night in the future alone.” The gambler’s lips curled in a leer, and he raked his gaze hungrily over Lainie’s body. Nick’s temper rose. Jealousy surged through his veins, but if he knew nothing else about Lainie Conrad, he knew she was capable of handling herself with any man in any situation. Still, he pushed back the side of his duster for quick access to the tied-down Smith & Wesson .44 at his hip, alert and ready to move in.

Both cowboys took offense and would have called the man out, but Lainie waved the well-meaning young men into silence. Her attention never veered from the gambler’s face as she extracted her hand from his grip as if it were something distasteful she was discarding. “Goodnight, Mr. Tolliver.” Her tone was as icy as her demeanor.

Nick grinned at the gracious yet pointed finality in her voice, and he dropped his coat back over his holster. He made a mental note to ask around about Tolliver tomorrow, but for the next few hours, Lainie was all he was interested in.

Historical Romance Blog - Fearne Hill	Historical Romance Blog - Kara Griffin
Historical Romance Blog - Eliana Piers	Historical Romance Blog - Sawyer North

0 COMMENTS

Cherokee
14 years ago

another nice title and blurb with some crisp dialogue, too, will have to put this one on my list too
hugs, Cherokee

Reply

ctrstaffer

786 975

Insta-Coffee | Sharing our love of books and authors with you since 2004.

Mafia Romance Giveawayhttps://bit.ly/3DyAIFU

0 0

Open

Mafia Romance Giveawayhttps://bit.ly/3DyAIFU ...

0 0

Sophia`s Letter by Elizabeth Donnehttps://bit.ly/3DkxjKS

In my sweet Regency novel, "Sophia`s Letter," the written correspondence between the hero and heroine plays a central role in the plot. You can read the first three chapters in the Amazon sample here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DKG71KFK

In Regency times, without landlines, emails, or text messaging, letters were the go-to method for communication between businesses and households. In literature of that era, letters carried critical news of an inheritance or, perhaps, the longing sighs of parted lovers.

Letters can make for interesting plot-points. Whose handwriting is that? Why is this person suddenly writing to her if she hardly knows him?

We might assume then that envelopes might also hold promising mysteries in Regency literature, right? Oddly enough, the answer is, mostly, "no." Envelopes really only came into regular use in Victorian times.

This is what Wikipedia has to say on the matter:
"In Western history, from the time flexible writing material became more readily available in the 13th century until the mid-19th century, correspondence was typically secured by a process of letter folding and sealing which sometimes employed elaborate letterlocking techniques to indicate tampering or prove authenticity. Some of these techniques, which could involve stitching or wax seals, were also employed to secure hand-made envelopes."
- (2021, March 12). Envelope. Wikipedia. Retrieved April 12, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Envelope

Shannon Donnelly explains further:
"The letter itself differed from its modern form. The letter usually comprised a single sheet (sometimes folded once in the middle to make a booklet-like page). This was folded in thirds, then the ends were folded together, with one end tucked inside another. Hot wax dripped onto the joining ends sealed the letter.
- Shannon Donnelly. (2010, May 29). The Regency Post — A Pity We`ve Lost Letters. Shannon Donnelly`s Fresh Ink. Retrieved April 12, 2021, from https://shannondonnelly.com/2010/05/

We can see that it would be unusual for a Regency author to write a scene in which the heroine eagerly rips open an envelope. More li...

2 0

Open

Sophia's Letter by Elizabeth Donnehttps://bit.ly/3DkxjKS

In my sweet Regency novel, "Sophia's Letter," the written correspondence between the hero and heroine plays a central role in the plot. You can read the first three chapters in the Amazon sample here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DKG71KFK

In Regency times, without landlines, emails, or text messaging, letters were the go-to method for communication between businesses and households. In literature of that era, letters carried critical news of an inheritance or, perhaps, the longing sighs of parted lovers.

Letters can make for interesting plot-points. Whose handwriting is that? Why is this person suddenly writing to her if she hardly knows him?

We might assume then that envelopes might also hold promising mysteries in Regency literature, right? Oddly enough, the answer is, mostly, "no." Envelopes really only came into regular use in Victorian times.

This is what Wikipedia has to say on the matter:
"In Western history, from the time flexible writing material became more readily available in the 13th century until the mid-19th century, correspondence was typically secured by a process of letter folding and sealing which sometimes employed elaborate letterlocking techniques to indicate tampering or prove authenticity. Some of these techniques, which could involve stitching or wax seals, were also employed to secure hand-made envelopes."
- (2021, March 12). Envelope. Wikipedia. Retrieved April 12, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Envelope

Shannon Donnelly explains further:
"The letter itself differed from its modern form. The letter usually comprised a single sheet (sometimes folded once in the middle to make a booklet-like page). This was folded in thirds, then the ends were folded together, with one end tucked inside another. Hot wax dripped onto the joining ends sealed the letter.
- Shannon Donnelly. (2010, May 29). The Regency Post — A Pity We've Lost Letters. Shannon Donnelly's Fresh Ink. Retrieved April 12, 2021, from https://shannondonnelly.com/2010/05/

We can see that it would be unusual for a Regency author to write a scene in which the heroine eagerly rips open an envelope. More li...

2 0

With Love in Their Corner by Sandra Sookoohttps://bit.ly/3QQJjGY

When you want something out of life, you’ll have to fight for it.

Lewis Stapleton, eighth Earl of Lethbridge is a man hovering on the edge of breaking. Between his mother pestering him about finding a bride of high social standing, maintaining his estates and title without enough funding, and worrying over his brothers, he requires an outlet. Anger and grief haven’t been dealt with since his father’s death two years prior, so he works through those emotions while in the boxing ring. His father was a prize fighter so matching his over-large footsteps is difficult, but something must give else he’ll explode.

Miss Cecilia Dawson is tired of being an object of ridicule or allegedly not good enough for anything beyond a quick tryst. With an affinity for numbers, she keeps the books for her father’s shipping company, but is desperate for a way to defend herself against the coarse and crude men she encounters in the office near the docks. The day she steps into the Stapleton Boxing Salon while disguised as a boy rapidly becomes both the best and worst day of her life.

Despite the instant attraction between them, Lewis ignores it in favor of teaching Cecilia how to box for protection. As the summer days slip by filled with an illegal fight or two as well as activities that come far too close to courtship, the attraction spills into forbidden desire that lands them both into scandal. Distracted, they never see danger coming that puts them into a corner of peril.

Only by releasing fears and working together will they come away with a prize more valuable than anything they could imagine.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTLK2R71/

Meet the Author

Sandra Sookoo is a USA Today bestselling author who firmly believes every person deserves acceptance and a happy ending. She’s written for publication since 2008. Most days you can find her creating scandal and mischief in the Regency-era, serendipity and happenstance in Victorian era romances, or historical romantic suspense complete with mystery and intrigue. Reading is a lot like eating fine chocolates—you can’t just have one. Good thing book...

1 0

Open

With Love in Their Corner by Sandra Sookoohttps://bit.ly/3QQJjGY

When you want something out of life, you’ll have to fight for it.

Lewis Stapleton, eighth Earl of Lethbridge is a man hovering on the edge of breaking. Between his mother pestering him about finding a bride of high social standing, maintaining his estates and title without enough funding, and worrying over his brothers, he requires an outlet. Anger and grief haven’t been dealt with since his father’s death two years prior, so he works through those emotions while in the boxing ring. His father was a prize fighter so matching his over-large footsteps is difficult, but something must give else he’ll explode.

Miss Cecilia Dawson is tired of being an object of ridicule or allegedly not good enough for anything beyond a quick tryst. With an affinity for numbers, she keeps the books for her father’s shipping company, but is desperate for a way to defend herself against the coarse and crude men she encounters in the office near the docks. The day she steps into the Stapleton Boxing Salon while disguised as a boy rapidly becomes both the best and worst day of her life.

Despite the instant attraction between them, Lewis ignores it in favor of teaching Cecilia how to box for protection. As the summer days slip by filled with an illegal fight or two as well as activities that come far too close to courtship, the attraction spills into forbidden desire that lands them both into scandal. Distracted, they never see danger coming that puts them into a corner of peril.

Only by releasing fears and working together will they come away with a prize more valuable than anything they could imagine.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTLK2R71/

Meet the Author

Sandra Sookoo is a USA Today bestselling author who firmly believes every person deserves acceptance and a happy ending. She’s written for publication since 2008. Most days you can find her creating scandal and mischief in the Regency-era, serendipity and happenstance in Victorian era romances, or historical romantic suspense complete with mystery and intrigue. Reading is a lot like eating fine chocolates—you can’t just have one. Good thing book...

1 0

Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybournhttps://bit.ly/3DgiWY6

Four women assassins, senior in status—and in age—sharpen their knives for another bloody good adventure in this riotous follow-up to the New York Times bestselling sensation Killers of a Certain Age.

After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action. They have enjoyed their time off, but the lack of excitement is starting to chafe: a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions without itching to strangle someone...literally. When they receive a summons from the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready tackle the greatest challenge of their careers.

Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster with an iron fist, some serious criminal ambition, and a tendency to kill first and ask questions later. This new nemesis is murdering agents who got in the way of their power hungry plans and the aging quartet of killers is next.

Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum’s mole and hunting down the gangster who seems to know their next move before they make it. Their enemy is unlike any they’ve faced before, and it will take all their killer experience to get out of this mission alive.

Amazon

0 0

Open

Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybournhttps://bit.ly/3DgiWY6

Four women assassins, senior in status—and in age—sharpen their knives for another bloody good adventure in this riotous follow-up to the New York Times bestselling sensation Killers of a Certain Age.

After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action. They have enjoyed their time off, but the lack of excitement is starting to chafe: a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions without itching to strangle someone...literally. When they receive a summons from the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready tackle the greatest challenge of their careers.

Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster with an iron fist, some serious criminal ambition, and a tendency to kill first and ask questions later. This new nemesis is murdering agents who got in the way of their power hungry plans and the aging quartet of killers is next.

Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum’s mole and hunting down the gangster who seems to know their next move before they make it. Their enemy is unlike any they’ve faced before, and it will take all their killer experience to get out of this mission alive.

Amazon

0 0

The Love Simulation by Etta Easton
https://bit.ly/4btSDuf

Brianna Rogers has been told a time (or six) she needs to stop jumping into things head first. But when the principal rescinds his approval for a library upgrade, deciding to spend the money on a football field instead, she sees red. Literally. Brianna throws her hat in the ring and joins a team of teachers who will spend their summer in a Mars simulation. As the sister of an astronaut, this should be easy, right? What she didn`t count on was the last-minute addition to the team—Roman Major: science teacher, son of the principal, and too handsome for his own good.

Roman and Brianna have been hot and cold all year, and living in close quarters intensifies their animosity and attraction. Brianna is sure he`s been sent by his father to sabotage them, foiling their chance at prize money that will cover all of the school`s actual needs. But each day, Roman proves himself to be a dedicated teammate—and Brianna finds herself falling harder and harder. While it`s clear the feeling is mutual, she can`t shake the sense that he`s hiding something. As the simulation nears its end, Brianna realizes she may have to make an impossible choice, between the school she`s dedicated herself to, and the man who has won his way into her heart.

Excerpt:
© Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter One

What is it called when you know someone is playing in your face but you still manage to sit there and maintain your composure?

Etiquette? The height of professionalism? I`ve got it-a superpower.

When I took on the role of vice principal at Juanita Craft Middle School nine months ago, I knew I`d have my hands full with rowdy students and entitled parents. The years I spent as a guidance counselor prepared me for that part of the job. It`s taken a while, however, to get used to the teachers trying to butter me up whenever they want something they know I can`t give, and Angie`s been the main one out to test my patience.

Angie, Angie, Angie. Out here trying to get me to break school policy. Again.

I push my braids behind my back and suppress a sigh. "It`s true. In the grand scheme of things, one chair won`t ...

2 0

Open

The Love Simulation by Etta Easton
https://bit.ly/4btSDuf

Brianna Rogers has been told a time (or six) she needs to stop jumping into things head first. But when the principal rescinds his approval for a library upgrade, deciding to spend the money on a football field instead, she sees red. Literally. Brianna throws her hat in the ring and joins a team of teachers who will spend their summer in a Mars simulation. As the sister of an astronaut, this should be easy, right? What she didn't count on was the last-minute addition to the team—Roman Major: science teacher, son of the principal, and too handsome for his own good.

Roman and Brianna have been hot and cold all year, and living in close quarters intensifies their animosity and attraction. Brianna is sure he's been sent by his father to sabotage them, foiling their chance at prize money that will cover all of the school's actual needs. But each day, Roman proves himself to be a dedicated teammate—and Brianna finds herself falling harder and harder. While it's clear the feeling is mutual, she can't shake the sense that he's hiding something. As the simulation nears its end, Brianna realizes she may have to make an impossible choice, between the school she's dedicated herself to, and the man who has won his way into her heart.

Excerpt:
© Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter One

What is it called when you know someone is playing in your face but you still manage to sit there and maintain your composure?

Etiquette? The height of professionalism? I've got it-a superpower.

When I took on the role of vice principal at Juanita Craft Middle School nine months ago, I knew I'd have my hands full with rowdy students and entitled parents. The years I spent as a guidance counselor prepared me for that part of the job. It's taken a while, however, to get used to the teachers trying to butter me up whenever they want something they know I can't give, and Angie's been the main one out to test my patience.

Angie, Angie, Angie. Out here trying to get me to break school policy. Again.

I push my braids behind my back and suppress a sigh. "It's true. In the grand scheme of things, one chair won't ...

2 0

Mysteries & Thrillers Hitting Stores This Marchhttps://bit.ly/3Dfox0O

Mysteries & Thrillers Hitting Stores This March

March Madness is here but make it mysteries and thrillers. Here`s our round up of some new releases we can`t wait for.

Every Michael Connelly Book Adapted into a TV Series

Michael Connelly’s crime novels have been the inspiration for some of the best TV adaptations in recent years, bringing his complex characters and intense storylines to life.

...

1 0

Open

Mysteries & Thrillers Hitting Stores This Marchhttps://bit.ly/3Dfox0O

Mysteries & Thrillers Hitting Stores This March

March Madness is here but make it mysteries and thrillers. Here's our round up of some new releases we can't wait for.

Every Michael Connelly Book Adapted into a TV Series

Michael Connelly’s crime novels have been the inspiration for some of the best TV adaptations in recent years, bringing his complex characters and intense storylines to life.

...

1 0

Marriage and Murder by Stephanie Laurens
https://bit.ly/41Hs0Pc

When a middle-aged spinster is found strangled in her country cottage and scurrilous gossip implicates Henry, Lord Glossup, he appeals to Barnaby and Penelope Adair along with Inspector Stokes to unravel the mystery of who killed Viola Huntingdon.

Henry, Lord Glossup, arrives on Barnaby and Penelope Adairs` doorstep and begs their aid-and that of Stokes-in identifying the murderer of Viola Huntingdon, a middle-aged spinster who lived a largely blameless life in a country cottage in a tiny village close to Henry`s home. As Stokes has already been tapped to take the case, the investigators travel to Salisbury and thence to Ashmore village and throw themselves into the case.

While initially Henry was touted as a suspect, he is quickly eliminated, and with the help of the victim`s sister, Madeline, the investigators set out to discover all they can about the victim and who might have wished her ill. In such a small village, with a commensurately small population, the list of possible suspects is short, but the existence of Viola`s `secret admirer, H` has everyone stumped. First, how could Viola, living in such a small community, have had a secret visitor, a man no one saw except at a distance? And who on earth is he, this H?

As the investigators piece together the clues of missing jewelry and sightings of H and follow the leads generated by opportunistic thieves, dodgy jewelers, and local moneylenders, a picture emerges that points to only one conclusion. But in small villages, things are rarely as they seem. Have the investigators got the right man in their sights, or have they been led astray?

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Murder-Stephanie-Laurens-ebook/dp/B0DPLKVGZ1?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zknRS9xIgVuIRuP7ec7xgbYyRLJSMer5eKZghDJuGfM2KcfBbUOy4EglYBf9SZTHRABwpfYJ0WQSyc-QSOgsfXPvEV8W5rhDGHii9PyzAhvjIYmL8C0H6BmviCfY_MsxVyh070ufQnS94tp07z7k8uYbRDz7vWiMGsEojamFesCL0X79uT3dxkbWq5BdDxLliinziiKJhw-YqJS5uwqdRfUhx08TLXc3B2T8l-KpPyT0xSjB402FdLCwfNJFSc5GzhfTRxpcGOXfuH41mLazOha8ug1-lcIfZyx3hj2Qql1sz35F00VnTIkLldRJ625kgaWolL9WEK9HhU1W5-Gj5nKZgf-XEIM5wAhfft4Sq8dVIpRoPo66STfuO...

1 0

Open

Marriage and Murder by Stephanie Laurens
https://bit.ly/41Hs0Pc

When a middle-aged spinster is found strangled in her country cottage and scurrilous gossip implicates Henry, Lord Glossup, he appeals to Barnaby and Penelope Adair along with Inspector Stokes to unravel the mystery of who killed Viola Huntingdon.

Henry, Lord Glossup, arrives on Barnaby and Penelope Adairs' doorstep and begs their aid-and that of Stokes-in identifying the murderer of Viola Huntingdon, a middle-aged spinster who lived a largely blameless life in a country cottage in a tiny village close to Henry's home. As Stokes has already been tapped to take the case, the investigators travel to Salisbury and thence to Ashmore village and throw themselves into the case.

While initially Henry was touted as a suspect, he is quickly eliminated, and with the help of the victim's sister, Madeline, the investigators set out to discover all they can about the victim and who might have wished her ill. In such a small village, with a commensurately small population, the list of possible suspects is short, but the existence of Viola's 'secret admirer, H' has everyone stumped. First, how could Viola, living in such a small community, have had a secret visitor, a man no one saw except at a distance? And who on earth is he, this H?

As the investigators piece together the clues of missing jewelry and sightings of H and follow the leads generated by opportunistic thieves, dodgy jewelers, and local moneylenders, a picture emerges that points to only one conclusion. But in small villages, things are rarely as they seem. Have the investigators got the right man in their sights, or have they been led astray?

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Murder-Stephanie-Laurens-ebook/dp/B0DPLKVGZ1?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zknRS9xIgVuIRuP7ec7xgbYyRLJSMer5eKZghDJuGfM2KcfBbUOy4EglYBf9SZTHRABwpfYJ0WQSyc-QSOgsfXPvEV8W5rhDGHii9PyzAhvjIYmL8C0H6BmviCfY_MsxVyh070ufQnS94tp07z7k8uYbRDz7vWiMGsEojamFesCL0X79uT3dxkbWq5BdDxLliinziiKJhw-YqJS5uwqdRfUhx08TLXc3B2T8l-KpPyT0xSjB402FdLCwfNJFSc5GzhfTRxpcGOXfuH41mLazOha8ug1-lcIfZyx3hj2Qql1sz35F00VnTIkLldRJ625kgaWolL9WEK9HhU1W5-Gj5nKZgf-XEIM5wAhfft4Sq8dVIpRoPo66STfuO...

1 0

Hazardous to a Duke`s Heart by Sabrina Jeffries
https://bit.ly/3XrkMMK

Napoleon’s war has ended, and English captives detained for years in a French fortress are finally released. Returning to a London he no longer recognizes, and facing astonishing changes in his own family, Lord Jonathan Leighton learns he has inherited a dukedom. But the new nobleman carries the guilt of having wronged his late mentor. Now, he vows to fulfill his promise to find a suitable match for the man’s daughter, Victoria—even if it takes offering a nonexistent dowry to spark her interest in matrimony. . .

Sharp-witted Victoria would just as soon sculpt the Greek god who has come to take charge of her future. In fact, she has her sights set on founding a school for women artists. As Jonathan matches wits with the talented beauty, revelations from his past—and their connection to her father’s demise—threaten to unveil both of their closely held secrets and thrust them into a danger they can only escape together

Read an Excerpt

Amazon

4 0

Open

Hazardous to a Duke's Heart by Sabrina Jeffries
https://bit.ly/3XrkMMK

Napoleon’s war has ended, and English captives detained for years in a French fortress are finally released. Returning to a London he no longer recognizes, and facing astonishing changes in his own family, Lord Jonathan Leighton learns he has inherited a dukedom. But the new nobleman carries the guilt of having wronged his late mentor. Now, he vows to fulfill his promise to find a suitable match for the man’s daughter, Victoria—even if it takes offering a nonexistent dowry to spark her interest in matrimony. . .

Sharp-witted Victoria would just as soon sculpt the Greek god who has come to take charge of her future. In fact, she has her sights set on founding a school for women artists. As Jonathan matches wits with the talented beauty, revelations from his past—and their connection to her father’s demise—threaten to unveil both of their closely held secrets and thrust them into a danger they can only escape together

Read an Excerpt

Amazon

4 0

Cathy Maxwell - Historical Romance Author
https://bit.ly/4ipifuw
Love and peril collide when the aristocratic Gwendolyn Lanscarr takes on the dangerously alluring Beckett Steele!
From the moment the enigmatic Mr. Steele “almost” kissed her on a Dublin street, her world was forever altered. He commands the respect of rogues and nobles alike . . . and Gwendolyn owes him a favor. She believes he owes her a kiss.
Beckett is a lone wolf. However, he needs Gwendolyn to discover the secrets of his past. He has no choice but to seek her help—even though she threatens the walls he has carefully erected around his heart.
He doesn’t need a woman in his life; she knows he can’t live without her.
Together, they must navigate a world of deception, where love defies the odds and secrets threaten to unravel everything they hold dear. Will they find a future together, or will the past tear them apart?
Read an Excerpt
Amazon

1 0

Open

Cathy Maxwell - Historical Romance Author
https://bit.ly/4ipifuw
Love and peril collide when the aristocratic Gwendolyn Lanscarr takes on the dangerously alluring Beckett Steele!
From the moment the enigmatic Mr. Steele “almost” kissed her on a Dublin street, her world was forever altered. He commands the respect of rogues and nobles alike . . . and Gwendolyn owes him a favor. She believes he owes her a kiss.
Beckett is a lone wolf. However, he needs Gwendolyn to discover the secrets of his past. He has no choice but to seek her help—even though she threatens the walls he has carefully erected around his heart.
He doesn’t need a woman in his life; she knows he can’t live without her.
Together, they must navigate a world of deception, where love defies the odds and secrets threaten to unravel everything they hold dear. Will they find a future together, or will the past tear them apart?
Read an Excerpt
Amazon

1 0

O Little Town of Bethlehem by Elizabeth Boyle
https://bit.ly/3QFkDkW

A heartwarming, magical story of a woman lost in time, who must assist two others in untangling the lies surrounding their lives if she wants to return to her own.

One wish could change everything. At least it did for Madeline Drake.

When a snowy accident topples her through a slip in time, she wakes to find herself in tiny, turn of the century, Bethlehem, Wyoming, far from her hectic modern existence. And as much as it is a shock to her, her arrival upends the tenaciously rooted lives of the town’s odd collection of lost souls.

But the rules are clear—she has to stay until Christmas before the door home will open. Having never been much for rules, Madeline begins an out-of-control campaign to return sooner rather than later, but finds her arrivals as unwittingly upended the lives of the town’s proper postmistress, Ninny Minch, and that of a grieving widow, Savannah Clarke, who has been hiding behind a wall of grief and guilt for decades.

Now Madeline’s got to fix those broken threads. While helping anyone other than herself doesn’t come easily to her—and despite her best efforts to avoid entanglements—fragile bonds of friendship form with Ninny and Savannah. Madeline discovers—much to her surprise—that trust and acceptance once given, may be strong enough to untangle even the most closely woven secrets.

Including a few of her own.

As Christmas draws near and time runs out, Madeline finds herself even more entwined in Bethlehem’s currency of wishes and hope, until she starts to question if this small town might actually hold the keys to a life of purpose and empowerment she’d never imagined.

1 0

Open

O Little Town of Bethlehem by Elizabeth Boyle
https://bit.ly/3QFkDkW

A heartwarming, magical story of a woman lost in time, who must assist two others in untangling the lies surrounding their lives if she wants to return to her own.

One wish could change everything. At least it did for Madeline Drake.

When a snowy accident topples her through a slip in time, she wakes to find herself in tiny, turn of the century, Bethlehem, Wyoming, far from her hectic modern existence. And as much as it is a shock to her, her arrival upends the tenaciously rooted lives of the town’s odd collection of lost souls.

But the rules are clear—she has to stay until Christmas before the door home will open. Having never been much for rules, Madeline begins an out-of-control campaign to return sooner rather than later, but finds her arrivals as unwittingly upended the lives of the town’s proper postmistress, Ninny Minch, and that of a grieving widow, Savannah Clarke, who has been hiding behind a wall of grief and guilt for decades.

Now Madeline’s got to fix those broken threads. While helping anyone other than herself doesn’t come easily to her—and despite her best efforts to avoid entanglements—fragile bonds of friendship form with Ninny and Savannah. Madeline discovers—much to her surprise—that trust and acceptance once given, may be strong enough to untangle even the most closely woven secrets.

Including a few of her own.

As Christmas draws near and time runs out, Madeline finds herself even more entwined in Bethlehem’s currency of wishes and hope, until she starts to question if this small town might actually hold the keys to a life of purpose and empowerment she’d never imagined.

1 0

The Brides are coming to the Highlands
https://bit.ly/41p0ftl
Hi Readers! I have a new book series coming out in 2025! Highland Vows & Vengeance. The first book released in January and if you missed it, here`s your chance to get it for 99 cents. Don`t miss this highly rated Highland historical steamy romance.
Will these Highland vows and vengeance hold the promise of love and redemption for Declan and Isabella?
Laird Declan MacKendrick, falsely imprisoned in King Alexander’s dungeon, is offered his freedom with one stipulation―that he marry a border baron’s daughter. Accused of murdering his neighbor, a Campbell, Declan means to prove his innocence and find his enemy. If he must marry to do so, then so be it. But Declan doesn’t expect his new bride to be as beautiful or beguiling as Lady Isabella.
Isabella Forrester isn’t pleased by the king’s edict that she marry a man of his choosing. She doesn’t believe in marriage for love and always knew she’d marry a man for political alliance. Marriage to a Highlander means that not only must she adjust to a husband, but a whole new way of life amongst people who won’t trust her for her Sassenach ways. Then she meets Declan MacKendrick who introduces her to a life she never could have imagined as a wife to a laird.
Her days are spent in loneliness and isolation, but the nights in his sultry embraces might win her heart’s surrender. She cannot help but be won over by the noble, seductive Scot. Isabella meets her new husband’s son, a lad of tender years who cannot hear. The poor lad is ignored by all in the clan, even his father. Isabella makes it her responsibility to see to his caring and hopes the clan eventually accepts them both.
Declan wants nothing more than to find his accuser to enact his vengeance. He suspects the Campbells are behind the claims that induced his imprisonment. Someone wants to destroy and weaken his clan. But could his enemy be closer than he thinks? When Isabella’s life is threatened, Declan must confront a trusted ally to carry out his vengeance.

Amazon

Dragonblade Pub

Historical Romance Blog -...

2 0

Open

The Brides are coming to the Highlands
https://bit.ly/41p0ftl
Hi Readers! I have a new book series coming out in 2025! Highland Vows & Vengeance. The first book released in January and if you missed it, here's your chance to get it for 99 cents. Don't miss this highly rated Highland historical steamy romance.
Will these Highland vows and vengeance hold the promise of love and redemption for Declan and Isabella?
Laird Declan MacKendrick, falsely imprisoned in King Alexander’s dungeon, is offered his freedom with one stipulation―that he marry a border baron’s daughter. Accused of murdering his neighbor, a Campbell, Declan means to prove his innocence and find his enemy. If he must marry to do so, then so be it. But Declan doesn’t expect his new bride to be as beautiful or beguiling as Lady Isabella.
Isabella Forrester isn’t pleased by the king’s edict that she marry a man of his choosing. She doesn’t believe in marriage for love and always knew she’d marry a man for political alliance. Marriage to a Highlander means that not only must she adjust to a husband, but a whole new way of life amongst people who won’t trust her for her Sassenach ways. Then she meets Declan MacKendrick who introduces her to a life she never could have imagined as a wife to a laird.
Her days are spent in loneliness and isolation, but the nights in his sultry embraces might win her heart’s surrender. She cannot help but be won over by the noble, seductive Scot. Isabella meets her new husband’s son, a lad of tender years who cannot hear. The poor lad is ignored by all in the clan, even his father. Isabella makes it her responsibility to see to his caring and hopes the clan eventually accepts them both.
Declan wants nothing more than to find his accuser to enact his vengeance. He suspects the Campbells are behind the claims that induced his imprisonment. Someone wants to destroy and weaken his clan. But could his enemy be closer than he thinks? When Isabella’s life is threatened, Declan must confront a trusted ally to carry out his vengeance.

Amazon

Dragonblade Pub

Historical Romance Blog -...

2 0

To Tempt A Troubled Earl by Fearne Hill
https://bit.ly/41nN1wM

A devil’s bargain, an uneasy alliance.

A chancer and a rogue, Kit Angel is down on his luck. Presenting himself at Rossingley Hall in the dead of night, he begs an audience with the eleventh earl, the most enigmatic nobleman in Regency England.

The visit has purpose. Kit, hungry to ruin the lord who ruined his sister, believes Rossingley is the only man who can help him.

Lando Duchamps-Avery, eleventh earl of Rossingley, doesn’t trust the sinfully handsome stranger one bit. He does not care for the tales he spins, his hot temper, or his thick, ebony curls. And, most definitely, he is not in thrall to the delicious golden hoop dangling from Kit Angel’s left ear. Lando has his own motivations to ruin the same lord, and the two men form an uneasy alliance.

As the dangerous plot they hatch unfurls, the suspicious earl and the shady scoundrel are increasingly thrown together. Whilst the wily earl gradually surrenders to his growing attraction, Kit can’t make up his mind if he wants to swive him, declare undying love for him, or throttle him.

Bit by bit, as mutual desire swells between them, Kit wins over the earl’s body, his passion, and his trust.

But in order to win the earl’s elusive heart? The scoundrel must risk losing everything.

https://books2read.com/troubled-earl (Non-Amazon)

https://mybook.to/TTATE. (Amazon)

Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Historical Romance Blog - Fearne Hillfearne

2 0

Open

To Tempt A Troubled Earl by Fearne Hill
https://bit.ly/41nN1wM

A devil’s bargain, an uneasy alliance.

A chancer and a rogue, Kit Angel is down on his luck. Presenting himself at Rossingley Hall in the dead of night, he begs an audience with the eleventh earl, the most enigmatic nobleman in Regency England.

The visit has purpose. Kit, hungry to ruin the lord who ruined his sister, believes Rossingley is the only man who can help him.

Lando Duchamps-Avery, eleventh earl of Rossingley, doesn’t trust the sinfully handsome stranger one bit. He does not care for the tales he spins, his hot temper, or his thick, ebony curls. And, most definitely, he is not in thrall to the delicious golden hoop dangling from Kit Angel’s left ear. Lando has his own motivations to ruin the same lord, and the two men form an uneasy alliance.

As the dangerous plot they hatch unfurls, the suspicious earl and the shady scoundrel are increasingly thrown together. Whilst the wily earl gradually surrenders to his growing attraction, Kit can’t make up his mind if he wants to swive him, declare undying love for him, or throttle him.

Bit by bit, as mutual desire swells between them, Kit wins over the earl’s body, his passion, and his trust.

But in order to win the earl’s elusive heart? The scoundrel must risk losing everything.

https://books2read.com/troubled-earl (Non-Amazon)

https://mybook.to/TTATE. (Amazon)

Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Historical Romance Blog - Fearne Hillfearne

2 0

Load More Follow on Instagram

Excerpt: Gambling with Love – Kaye Spencer

Kaye Spencer

0 COMMENTS

Cherokee

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Join Our Newsletter

Follow Me on Instagram

ctrstaffer

Authors-
JOIN US TODAY!

Share & Earn Points for Prizes

Let Readers know

« A game for the day

Quick Note re PC »

You May Also Like

Kaye Spencer

0 COMMENTS

Cherokee

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Join Our Newsletter

Follow Me on Instagram

ctrstaffer