Monday, May 9, 2016

Book Review & Two Giveaways!



I'm excited to be part of the blog tour for Karen Tuft's new book, The Earl's Betrothal.

The Hargreaves family has been in deep mourning. The heir to the Marquessate, the Earl of Halford, has been killed in a horseback riding accident. His father has had a heart attack over the news. And then the final blow came when the youngest son, Anthony, is declared to be a casualty of war. It seems the family will never truly recover from their misfortunes.

But then, there's a knock on the door, and Anthony is there, returned from the dead. He'd been shot and in the weeks it took to nurse him back to health, he was erroneously reported dead. But now he's back and his family is overjoyed. Anthony is glad to be back with his family, but he is still haunted by what happened to him in the war and he wonders if he could ever be truly happy or feel peace. And then he meets his mother's paid companion, Amelia Clarke.  He's drawn to her, but knows it can never be. Until an unforeseen event forces them together. Can they truly find love? Or will misunderstandings and the gossip-wagging elite of the ton always be between them?

I really enjoyed this author's writing style. This was my first book that I've read of hers and I thought she did a great job with the depth of characters and really giving them layers. The tortured hero, Anthony, was very sympathetic and easy to love and Amelia seemed his perfect match. I loved that they were both insecure at heart, but with each other, found strength even in the most trying of circumstances. The setting was true to the period and allowed the reader to get lost in the societal rules and restrictions of the time while not losing the emotion of the story. There was a little mystery that was solved right at the end that felt rushed and confusing in its explanation (I had to read it twice and I'm still not sure if I actually got it) and the villain didn't receive the punishment I would have wished, but the love story is where the author really shone in her talent and readers will close the book with a sigh of happiness. Karen Tuft books will definitely be on my to-buy list in the future!

Click here to buy your copy!

And be sure to scroll down to enter the giveaway for The Earl's Betrothal blog tour!

(And have you entered my giveaway for a $30 Amazon gift card, a Book Lovers book basket, or a four book set of my Hostage Negotiation books? If not, here's your chance!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway 
  
Here's the back copy for The Earl's Betrothal:

Out of the war and into another, Captain Lord Anthony Hargreaves finds the politics of romance to be as uninviting a battle as the one that nearly cost him his life in Badajoz, Spain.

Wounded both mentally and physically from the Peninsular War in 1812, Anthony returns home to find that his older brother has died, placing Anthony next in line to inherit the estate. But he’s not ready for such responsibilities. And when Anthony’s dying father pleads with him to marry and produce an heir to preserve the family title, it nearly sends Anthony over the edge; nevertheless he dutifully faces a long line of hopeful young ladies who await him. No one grabs his attention, though, like Amelia Clarke, his mother’s stunning companion, who is off-limits for the earl. But when Anthony unwittingly puts Amelia in a compromising situation, he dedicates himself to protecting her reputation.

But the horrors Anthony faced while away from home have left him feeling broken and tormented. And Anthony finds himself drawn to Miss Clarke, the only one who can chase away his demons, but he must overcome the hostility of a society driven by class, a jealous duke bent on revenge, and himself—for could Amelia ever really love a haunted man?


Here is the schedule for the tour:

 *May 9th: http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/, http://www.wishfulendings.com/, http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/, http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/

*May 10th: http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/index.html, http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/, http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/, http://www.rockinbookreviews.com/

*May 11th: http://bonnieharris.blogspot.com/, http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/, http://melsshelves.blogspot.com/

 *May 12th: http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/, http://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, https://atransparentmom.com/

*May 13th: http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/, http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspot.com/, http://thethingsilovemost.com/, http://www.kindleandme.com/

1 comment:

Taunya Butler said...

What I love about Canada - is that some of my favorite people are from there!!! (You!!!)