BLURB:
Beauty and the beast: they were the scandal of the ton. All eyes feasted on the beautiful flame-haired gambler in London
EXCERPT:
"Why did you come here?" he asked.
Gathering her courage, she ventured hesitantly, "If you're not too busy, I thought we might do something today. Together. As man and wife."
He released a bored sigh. "What did you have in mind, a waltz? Ordinarily I'd indulge your whim, but as you can see, the orchestra has temporarily abandoned its post."
"I've missed you."
The statement hung in the air between them. Morgan studied her face for a long moment. "There is a term in fencing for toying with one's opponent."
"Are we opponents?"
"Are you toying?"
"I'm not sure what I'm doing."
"Forgive me if I find that difficult to believe. I've never met a more purposeful woman in my life."
A small smile touched her lips. "Is that good or bad?"
"What do you want, Julia?"
She couldn't remember him ever using her name before. The sound of it rolling off his tongue sent an unexpected rush of pleasure racing through her. Idly wondering if his reaction would be the same if she spoke his name, she said, "I thought it might be nice if we spent a little time together, Morgan."
She saw something flash in his eyes, but the emotion, whatever it was, vanished too quickly for her to properly define. "Ah. So that's it." A small, cynical smile curved his lips. His gaze moved over her body with scorching intensity, as though he were able to see right through to her drawers. He straightened and glanced around the empty room, then back at her. "Interesting timing."
Heat flooded her cheeks. "I didn't mean—"
"Didn't you."
"Certainly not. Must you always be so base?"
"You're the one who came to me."
"With the simple proposition that we attend Lord Attmark's boating party this afternoon," she said, seizing upon the sudden inspiration. "That's all I had in mind."
"Lord Attmark's boating party?"
"I thought it would be quite diverting."
"Floating along a river that smells like rancid sewage in this sweltering heat. That's what you came to see me about."
"Yes."
A knowing smile curved his lips. "Liar."
"I don't know what—"
"Liar," he repeated softy.
This book was absolutely amazing. It was very well-written and I just fell in love with the characters. Victoria Lynne is truly an amazing storyteller.
Morgan used to be a rake in society until a fire changed his life forever. He became a recluse and some might say he hid inside his home. Contrary to what others might think, he was a noble master to his servants. He gave them respect as they deserved and they reciprocated by being loyal to him, even after the tragedy.
Julia was the woman behind the newspaper column "The Tattler". She strove to expose the bad of society and hope that change would happen. She was also indirectly and unknowingly involved with a man named Lazarus - the arsonist that changed Morgan's life.
Morgan and Julia crossed paths and Julia presented Morgan with an odd proposal: a proposal of marriage. Long story short, they ended up being married, but Julia refused her husband on their wedding night. As with any man, this caused frustration. They agreed to wait three months to give each other a chance to get to know each other.
Getting to know each other proved to be enjoyable for me as a reader. The characters had amazing chemistry and when they finally "became lovers" I thought the author told the story in the most romantic of ways. I seriously could not believe how incredibly written the scenes were. My favorite parts were when Morgan would refer to Julia as "princess." It's the most adorable, charming thing to say!
This story is truly a great medicine for all romantics out there. You will not be disappointed.
Check out one of my favorite scenes :)
"Your dismissal was rather abrupt, was it not?"
"It was my understanding that there was a depth to Fike's work, that he was possessed of a singular ability to capture the essence of his subjects. That is why I hired the man. I am not paying him to seduce my wife."
Morgan, jealous? While the idea seemed ludicrous, there was no mistaking the edge to his voice. Even more ridiculous was the distinctly feminine surge of pleasure she felt at learning that she was capable of arousing such an emotion within him. "Actually," she rejoined lightly, "he reminds me of you. Or rather, the man you used to be. The irrepressible rake, out to conquer any female who had the misfortune to cross your path."
" 'You shall put your sister seductresses to shame,' " he mimicked in disgust. "What utter rubbish."
"I seem to recall your saying something in the vein of..." She paused for a moment, thinking. "Now what did I overhear you say in the garden that night? How the glory of moonlight paled in comparison to the radiant luster of the young lady's alabaster skin?"
He winced and pulled her into his arms. "No need to be cruel, princess."
She tilted her head back to study his eyes. "Then give me the credit for having a bit more sense than to take his words to heart. I suspect his only intent was to provoke an expression of smoldering desire on my face."
"Did it work?"
"Yes."
His dark frown instantly returned. "It did?"
"Absolutely," she averred with a smile. "I was thinking of you."
"Ah." He let out a satisfied sigh and tightened his embrace. "Very nice. Very nice, indeed." He captured her lips with his own, bestowing a kiss of heated passion and infinite longing, a kiss that warmed her to the very soles of her red satin slippers. At last, with a display of obvious reluctance, he pulled back.
Julia studied him through a haze of unfulfilled lust, struggling to reclaim her wits and say something intelligent. At last recalling what he had said when he had interrupted the painting session, she remarked, "I wasn't aware we had an engagement this afternoon."
"No?" Morgan regarded her with a puzzled frown. "I'm certain we did. In fact, I had my secretary make a note on my calendar, lest I forget. It's a new addition to my schedule, but one of which I hope you'll approve."
"You're already so busy as it is," she said. "What with fencing lessons, daily business affairs, morning rides, the House of Lords..."
"True. But I'm confident I can make room for this latest task."
"Oh?"
"Every Thursday afternoon: make love to Julia."
She arched one delicate auburn brow. "Just Thursday afternoons?"
"As it happens, I find that marriage has made me remarkably more flexible in regards to my time. I also have Thursday nights available, as well as Friday mornings, Friday afternoons, Saturdays. ..."
"My, my. You certainly are accommodating, aren't you?"
With a rakish smile he reached for her hand and placed it on the straining bulge between his legs. "Unfortunately, princess, the same can't be said for my trousers." He bent down and lifted her into his arms in one smooth, effortless motion. "Shall we?"
Morgan carried her through the main floor and to the upper level, blithely ignoring the shocked gasps and knowing smiles of the servants they passed. Although a deep blush heated her cheeks at the brazen, blatant manner with which he proceeded through the house, Julia didn't object. Nor did she object as he kicked the door to his bedchamber shut behind them and gently deposited her in the center of his bed.
All things considered, it was a rather pleasant way to pass a Thursday afternoon.
BUY LINKS:
Amazon (Kindle Edition): http://www.amazon.com/With-This-Kiss-ebook/dp/product-description/B003UV98E0
Amazon (Paperback): http://www.amazon.com/this-Kiss-Victoria-Lynne/dp/0440223342
Barnes & Noble (Paperback): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/with-this-kiss-victoria-lynne/1103540410
Smashwords (All Formats): http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/68828
READER REVIEWS:
READER REVIEWS:
“Ms. Lynne weaves her magic to bring the reader a bit of poignancy along with a sexually charged romance in this very satisfying historical romantic suspense. Find a place for this one on your special shelf.” —Romantic Times
Nominated for Romantic Times “Best Historical Romance”
“A smoldering Victorian era romance.” —Booklist
“The unexpected twists in Ms. Lynne’s newest historical entertain and satisfy.” —Publisher’s Weekly
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“…Trust me: A fun read for lovers of romance, and CERTAINLY for lovers of the Beauty/Beast type story (which I am). This is the only book of Ms. Lynne’s that I’ve read, but based on my enjoyment, I shall surely seek more.”
“An excellent read—I loved it! I have never read Victoria Lynne before this book. You can bet I will from now on. This book was excellent and I couldn’t put it down… If you like Jude Deveraux or Kathleen Woodiwiss, pick up this book!”
“This book is as great as the reviews! I am happy to say that it was a pleasure to read a romance that fulfills everything I look for in a novel…This was my first book by this author but I will by all means be looking for more.”
“Surprisingly good! I received this book from my sister and thought it would prove to be just another trite formula romance. She said it was “really good,” so I gave it a chance. She was right. It does have all of those necessary facets that make it a romance novel, but the writing is crisp and talented, the characters sizzle with a never flagging sexual tension, and the plot never sinks to feeling contrived or phoney. I enjoyed every page!”
“I loved this. I could write a long review of this book, but I won’t. I will sum it up in as few words as possible. This story contained two extremely likeable characters. The dialogue between them was so entertaining and well-worded. I loved every encounter between them. Everything about this novel was real. I loved it, and I can truly say it is one of my favorite novels.”
“Fabulous! With This Kiss had everything I look for in a romance—a tender hero, touching love scenes, a strong heroine, and even a mystery to solve. I will be hunting down this author’s backlist.”
“Fresh and rewarding…definitely get you hands on this book.”
“This was an extremely well-written book, with believable characters and an interesting plot…”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Victoria Lynne is the author of five historical romance novels. She’s received two RITA Award nominations, and has consistently earned Romantic Times’ “Top Pick” award. Called “A Fabulous Storyteller!” by Rendezvous Magazine, her work consistently draws rave reviews and continues to attract new readers. Her books have been translated into German, Italian, and Spanish, and are currently available online through Kindle and Nook. Ms. Lynne lives in Vermont
Visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Victoria-Lynne/343823838961510?sk=wall
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