Dueling With the Duke (Brotherhood of the Sword #2) by Robyn DeHart

Four Stars

This is my third book by Roby DeHart and just like the other two I read by her, I really enjoyed “Dueling with the Duke.” Just like the previous two books, I enjoyed the hero and the heroine. I also loved the chemistry of the characters and I really enjoyed her storyline!

When the story starts, Lilith Crisp, Lady Thornton is outside on the balcony at a ball. Gabriel Campbell, Duke of Lynford happens to step outside and the two of them strike up a conversation! There is an instant attraction between the two of them but nothing comes up it!

Lilith is a beautiful women and has her pick of men to marry but her father is not going to settle for just any man, he wants someone with heavy pockets. Gabriel is the second son and he knows he is out of Lilith’s league. As luck would have it, Gabriel’s older brother ends up asking her to dance and she accepts. Through a twist of fate Lilith and Gabriel end up being forever connected but neither of them are happy about how this comes about. I think that the little twist in both Gabriel and Lilith’s story is so essential to the story and I don’t want to give it away!

Years later, Lilith is married and she ends up face to face with Gabriel again. Lilith’s marriage was anything but happy but she has learned to survive and she made the best of it. Lilith always used her beauty to get her way. She never let her appearance get in her way and she always knew how to get the men around her to do what she wanted.

The only man who doesn’t seem to fall into her hands is Gabriel. He was nicknamed “the Saint” because of his celibacy. After the events that tied him and Lilith together forever, he turned over a new leaf and joined the Brotherhood of the Sword, a group of men dedicated to protecting Queen Victoria.

So, I really enjoyed both Lilith and Gabriel! I found their story to be so complex and intriguing! I also really enjoyed his allegiance with the Brotherhood! I loved the adventure and mystery that they both had to solve. I also cannot wait to see what DeHart has planned with Isabela and Angel! I could already see their chemistry. Finally, there was a moment in the story where the author just shocked me and I could not believe what I was reading! I had to re-read it! So good! I did not see that coming! Needless to say, this was a fantastic read and I cannot wait to read the next book by DeHart!

**ARC provided by Publisher**

The Dark Lady's Mask: A Novel of Shakespeare's Muse by Mary Sharratt

The Dark Lady's Mask: A Novel of Shakespeare's Muse by Mary Sharratt

Publication Date: April 19, 2016

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Hardcover, eBook, Audio Book; 416 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

READ AN EXCERPT.

Shakespeare in Love meets Shakespeare’s Sister in this novel of England’s first professional woman poet and her collaboration and love affair with William Shakespeare.

London, 1593. Aemilia Bassano Lanier is beautiful and accomplished, but her societal conformity ends there. She frequently cross-dresses to escape her loveless marriage and to gain freedoms only men enjoy, but a chance encounter with a ragged, little-known poet named Shakespeare changes everything.

Aemilia grabs at the chance to pursue her long-held dream of writing and the two outsiders strike up a literary bargain. They leave plague-ridden London for Italy, where they begin secretly writing comedies together and where Will falls in love with the beautiful country — and with Aemilia, his Dark Lady. Their Italian idyll, though, cannot last and their collaborative affair comes to a devastating end. Will gains fame and fortune for their plays back in London and years later publishes the sonnets mocking his former muse. Not one to stand by in humiliation, Aemilia takes up her own pen in her defense and in defense of all women.

The Dark Lady’s Mask gives voice to a real Renaissance woman in every sense of the word.

My Review:

Four Stars

Copy received from Historical Fiction Virtual Book tours for an honest review

I have to confess I find Aemilia Bassano Lanier fascinating!  The idea of learning about Shakespeare’s mistress sounded fun! I thought Sharratt really brought Aemilia to life and created an intimacy with the character. This is the second book I read about this character but I found that Sharratt had her own version of who Aemilia was.  Some of the facts remained the same but the creativity behind creating her was different. The story was filled with passion and emotion as we get to see Aemilia’s life unfold. When Aemilia discovers her own path in life, it was inspiring to see all the obstacle she had to overcome simply because she was a woman. I really enjoyed and highly recommend this well-written story about a character that jumped off the pages and will stay with me. 

Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon (Hardcover) | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble

Advance Praise

“An exquisite portrait of a Renaissance woman pursuing her artistic destiny in England and Italy, who may — or may not — be Shakespeare’s Dark Lady.”
— MARGARET GEORGE, internationally bestselling author of Elizabeth I

“Perfectly chosen details and masterful characterization bring to life this swiftly moving, elegant story. As atmospheric and compelling as it is wise, The Dark Lady’s Mask is a gem not to be missed.”
— LYNN CULLEN, bestselling author of Mrs. Poe and Twain’s End

“Mary Sharratt’s enchanting new novel, The Dark Lady’s Mask, is a richly imagined, intensely romantic and meticulously researched homage to lauded poet, Aemilia Bassano Lanyer, an accomplished woman of letters who many believe to be Shakespeare’s Eternal Muse. Sharratt unfolds a captivating tale, a compelling ‘what if ’ scenario, of a secret union that fed the creative fires of England’s greatest poet and playwright.”
— KATHLEEN KENT, bestselling author of The Heretic’s Daughter

“Mary Sharratt is a magician. This novel transports the reader to Elizabethan England with a tale of the bard and his love that is nothing short of amazing. Absorbing, emotional, historically fascinating. A work of marvelous ingenuity!”
— M.J. ROSE, New York Times bestselling author of The Witch of Painted Sorrows

“I enjoyed this exciting fantasy of Shakespeare’s ‘dark lady.’ There was adventure, betrayal, resilience, and above all, the fun notion that Shakespeare might have had far more than a muse to help him create his wonderful plays.”
—KARLEEN KOEN, bestselling author of Dark Angels and Before Versailles

“Through the story of Aemilia Bassano, a talented musician and poet, Mary Sharratt deftly tackles issues of religious and gender inequality in a time of brutal conformity. The Dark Lady’s Mask beautifully depicts the exhilaration and pitfalls of subterfuge, a gifted woman’s precarious reliance on the desires of powerful men, and the toll paid by unrecognized artistic collaborators. Resonant and moving.”
—MITCHELL JAMES KAPLAN, author of By Fire, By Water

“In The Dark Lady’s Mask, Mary Sharratt seduces us with a most tantalizing scenario —that the bold, cross-dressing poet and feminist writer Aemilia Bassano is Shakespeare’s mysterious muse, the Dark Lady. Romantic, heart-breaking, and rich in vivid historical detail and teeming Elizabethan life, the novel forms an elegant tapestry of the complexities, joys, and sorrows of being both a female and an artist.”
—KAREN ESSEX, author of Leonardo’s Swans and Dracula in Love

“Mary Sharratt has created an enchanting Elizabethan heroine, a musician, the orphaned daughter of a Jewish Italian refugee who must hide her heritage for her safety. Taken up by powerful men for her beauty, Amelia has wit and daring and poetry inside her that will make her a match for young Will Shakespeare himself and yet she must hide behind many masks to survive in a world where women have as much talent as men but little power.”
— STEPHANIE COWELL, author of Claude & Camille: A Novel of Monet

"Prepare to be swept away by Mary Sharratt's latest foray into historical fiction. Inspired by the true story of poet, Aemilia Bassano, THE DARK LADY'S MASK explores her relationship with William Shakespeare. Richly detailed and well researched, this lush tale brings Aemilia out of the shadows of history and let's her emerge as one of the founding mothers of literature. Drama, intrigue, and romance will have readers racing through this brilliant celebration of the muse."
— PAMELA KLINGER-HORN, Sales & Outreach Coordinator, Excelsior Bay Books

About the Author

MARY SHARRATT is an American writer who has lived in the Pendle region of Lancashire, England, for the past seven years. The author of the critically acclaimed novels Summit Avenue, The Real Minerva, and The Vanishing Point, Sharratt is also the co-editor of the subversive fiction anthology Bitch Lit, a celebration of female antiheroes, strong women who break all the rules.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, April 19
Review & Giveaway at Unshelfish
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Wednesday, April 20
Review at A Bookish Affair
Interview at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!
Excerpt & Giveaway at A Literary Vacation

Thursday, April 21
Review at A Book Drunkard
Guest Post at A Bookish Affair
Interview at Books and Benches

Friday, April 22
Review & Giveaway at History Undressed

Monday, April 25
Review at Seize the Words: Books in Review

Tuesday, April 26
Review at With Her Nose Stuck In A Book
Guest Post & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Wednesday, April 27
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Thursday, April 28
Review at Just One More Chapter

Friday, April 29
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Saturday, April 30
Review at Queen of All She Reads

Monday, May 2
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Review at Cynthia Robertson, writer

Tuesday, May 3
Interview at Flashlight Commentary

Wednesday, May 4
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Thursday, May 5
Excerpt & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More

Friday, May 6
Review at Book Nerd

Monday, May 9
Review at A Dream within a Dream

Tuesday, May 10
Character Interview at Boom Baby Reviews

Wednesday, May 11
Review at Puddletown Reviews

Thursday, May 12
Review & Giveaway at View from the Birdhouse

Friday, May 13
Review at First Impressions Reviews
Excerpt at Layered Pages

Monday, May 16
Review at A Book Geek

Tuesday, May 17
Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, May 18
Review at History From a Woman's Perspective

Thursday, May 19
Review & Giveaway at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

Friday, May 20
Review at Broken Teepee

Gioconda by Lucille Turner

Gioconda: A Novel of Leonardo Da Vinci by Lucille Turner

Publication Date: August 1, 2012

Granta Books

eBook & Paperback; 304 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

In a world where everyone wants to tell you how to think, what do you do when you know that they are wrong?

Anchiano 1452. A boy is born to a father who will never understand him. Unless he finds the power to become what he could be, he will remain what he is, the son of a notary from a hamlet in the hills, nobody. As he grows up out of step with everyone around him, Leonardo must follow his instincts if he is ever to fulfil the vow he makes: to save people from each other — to save them from themselves. But the time will come when he will have to make a choice. Does he share his knowledge and pay the price for it? Or does he do what his hands have always told him to do? Hide it.

He looks at his aching hands. Runs them over his bony face and rough beard. How long before his body gives up, and when it does, what of it? If he stops now, what will happen – will he live more? What is more, more of what?

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | Book Depository | IndieBound

Praise

"Gioconda proposes an elegant solution to the problem of why the portrait of the wife of a silk merchant was never delivered ... Gioconda is a qualified success, scrupulous with its sources, careful with its conclusions." -Financial Times

"An elegant, historical debut novel... cleverly constructed and imagined ... full of vivid characters and well-drawn incidents. Turner's careful research and graceful prose style make Gioconda a pleasure to read." -Tina Jackson, Metro

"Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci's astonishing genius is brought to life in this vividly atmospheric novel. From his solitary childhood to the conception of his iconic masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, this richly imagined life story will inspire you to re-examine his ideas, drawings and paintings." -Easy Living

"Lucille offers a fresh and intimate perspective on da Vinci's life ...From the first page she draws the reader in with such a natural easy style you feel you were observing Leonardo da Vinci as he really was." -Bournemouth Echo

About the Author

Author of Gioconda, a novel about the life of Leonardo Da Vinci, Lucille Turner is an international prize-winning novelist who lives between England and France. She has an MA in Comparative Literature and teaches part-time at university in France.

For more information please visit Lucille Turner's website. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Book Blast Schedule

Monday, May 2
Passages to the Past

Tuesday, May 3
Back Porchervations

Wednesday, May 4
Book Lovers Paradise

Thursday, May 5
Book Nerd

Friday, May 6
Beth's Book Nook Blog

Saturday, May 7
The Book Junkie Reads

Monday, May 9
The Never-Ending Book

Tuesday, May 10
100 Pages a Day

Wednesday, May 11
Broken Teepee

Thursday, May 12
CelticLady's Reviews
With Her Nose Stuck In A Book

Friday, May 13
Eclectic Ramblings of Author Heather Osborne

Giveaway

To enter to win a paperback copy of Gioconda by Lucille Turner please enter the giveaway via the GLEAM form below. Two copies are up for grabs!

Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on May 13th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Gioconda Book Blast

How to Manage A Marquess by Sally Mackenzie

Enter to Win a Print Set of the Spinster House Series Bks 1&2

HOW TO MANAGE A MARQUESS

Spinster House #2

Sally MacKenzie

Releasing April 26th, 2016

Zebra: Kensington Books

In USA
Today bestselling author Sally MacKenzie’s charming Spinster House
series, love is always a welcome guest…

Two possible futures loom before Miss
Anne Davenport. The first option: sharing an unhappy home with her father and
soon-to-be stepmother. The second: a life of independence at the Spinster
House—if only her friend, Cat, would vacate the premises and marry the Duke of
Hart. A well-placed whisper about the pair’s secret tryst might speed the
course of true love. But the duke’s stubborn cousin poses an obstacle. A
ridiculously handsome, very persuasive obstacle…

Nate, Marquess of Haywood, has spent
his life looking out for the duke, hoping to stave off a family curse. The only
way to keep his cousin alive is to keep him single. That means convincing the
intriguing Miss Davenport that her lovely lips could be put to far better use
than gossiping. Kissing, for instance. In fact, Nate is beginning to hope that
Miss Davenport’s destiny lies not in the Spinster House at all, but with him …

BUY NOW

Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

A native of Washington, DC, Sally MacKenzie still
lives in suburban Maryland with her transplanted upstate New Yorker husband.
She’s written federal regulations, school newsletters, auction programs, class
plays, and swim league guidance, but it wasn’t until the first of her four sons
headed off to college that she tried her hand at romance. She can be reached by
e-mail at sally@sallymackenzie.net. Please visit her home in cyberspace at
sallymackenzie.net.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ARC Review: Dueling With the Duke by Robyn DeHart

This is my third book by Roby DeHart and just like the other two I read by her, I really enjoyed “Dueling with the Duke.” Just like the previous two books, I enjoyed the hero and the heroine. I also loved the chemistry of the characters and I really enjoyed her storyline!

When the story starts, Lilith Crisp, Lady Thornton is outside on the balcony at a ball. Gabriel Campbell, Duke of Lynford happens to step outside and the two of them strike up a conversation! There is an instant attraction between the two of them but nothing comes up it!

Lilith is a beautiful women and has her pick of men to marry but her father is not going to settle for just any man, he wants someone with heavy pockets. Gabriel is the second son and he knows he is out of Lilith’s league. As luck would have it, Gabriel’s older brother ends up asking her to dance and she accepts. Through a twist of fate Lilith and Gabriel end up being forever connected but neither of them are happy about how this comes about. I think that the little twist in both Gabriel and Lilith’s story is so essential to the story and I don’t want to give it away!

Years later, Lilith is married and she ends up face to face with Gabriel again. Lilith’s marriage was anything but happy but she has learned to survive and she made the best of it. Lilith always used her beauty to get her way. She never let her appearance get in her way and she always knew how to get the men around her to do what she wanted.

The only man who doesn’t seem to fall into her hands is Gabriel. He was nicknamed “the Saint” because of his celibacy. After the events that tied him and Lilith together forever, he turned over a new leaf and joined the Brotherhood of the Sword, a group of men dedicated to protecting Queen Victoria.

So, I really enjoyed both Lilith and Gabriel! I found their story to be so complex and intriguing! I also really enjoyed his allegiance with the Brotherhood! I loved the adventure and mystery that they both had to solve. I also cannot wait to see what DeHart has planned with Isabela and Angel! I could already see their chemistry. Finally, there was a moment in the story where the author just shocked me and I could not believe what I was reading! I had to re-read it! So good! I did not see that coming! Needless to say, this was a fantastic read and I cannot wait to read the next book by DeHart!

**ARC provided by Publisher**

The Railwayman's Wife by Ashley Hay

The Railwayman's Wife by Ashley Hay

Publication Date: April 5, 2016

Atria Books

Hardcover, eBook, & AudioBook; 288 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction/Literary

Amidst the strange, silent aftermath of World War II, a widow, a poet, and a doctor search for lasting peace and fresh beginnings in this internationally acclaimed, award-winning novel.

When Anikka Lachlan’s husband, Mac, is killed in a railway accident, she is offered—and accepts—a job at the Railway Institute’s library and searches there for some solace in her unexpectedly new life. But in Thirroul, in 1948, she’s not the only person trying to chase dreams through books. There’s Roy McKinnon, who found poetry in the mess of war, but who has now lost his words and his hope. There’s Frank Draper, trapped by the guilt of those his medical treatment and care failed on their first day of freedom. All three struggle to find their own peace, and their own new story.

But along with the firming of this triangle of friendship and a sense of lives inching towards renewal come other extremities—and misunderstandings. In the end, love and freedom can have unexpected ways of expressing themselves.

The Railwayman’s Wife explores the power of beginnings and endings, and how hard it can sometimes be to tell them apart. Most of all, it celebrates love in all its forms, and the beauty of discovering that loving someone can be as extraordinary as being loved yourself.

Praise

“Hay immerses the reader in Mac and Ani’s relationship, splicing flashbacks to happier times into the central narrative. Hay’s poetic gifts are evident in her descriptions of the wild coastal landscape and Roy’s measured verse. This poignant, elegant novel delves into the depth of tragedy, the shaky ground of recovery, and the bittersweet memories of lost love. Fans of Jodi Daynard and Susanna Kearsley will adore this.” -Booklist

“Hay has lovingly crafted a poignant, character-driven novel filled with heartache and hope, which is transferred to the reader through lyrical prose, poetic dialogue and stunning imagery.” -RT Book Reviews

“Hay is both cerebral and emotional in portraying life's catastrophes and the way people cope. As if her message is too raw to lay out in blazing color, she camouflages it in poetry and half-seen images—and it works. The message is clear, and the shocks are softened but no less there. Multilayered, graceful, couched in poetry, supremely honest, gentle yet jarring, Hay's thought-provoking novel pulls you along slowly, like a deep river that is deceptively calm but full of hidden rapids. Much to ponder.” -Kirkus

“Exquisitely written and deeply felt…a true book of wonders.” –Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Secret Chord

“An absorbing and uplifting read.” –M.L. Stedman, author of The Light Between Oceans

“This is a book in which grief and love are so entwined they make a new and wonderful kind of sense.” –Fiona McFarlane, author of The Night Guest

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

About the Author

Ashley Hay is the internationally acclaimed author of four nonfiction books, including The Secret: The Strange Marriage of Annabella Milbanke and Lord Byron, and the novels The Body in the Clouds and The Railwayman’s Wife, which was honored with the Colin Roderick Award by the Foundation for Australian Literary Studies and longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award, the most prestigious literary prize in Australia, among numerous other accolades. She lives in Brisbane, Australia.

For more information please visit Ashley Hay's website.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, April 18
Review at #redhead.with.book

Tuesday, April 19
Spotlight & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More

Wednesday, April 20
Review & Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary

Thursday, April 21
Interview & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Monday, April 25
Review & Giveaway at Poof Books

Tuesday, April 26
Interview & Giveaway at A Literary Vacation

Thursday, April 28
Review at A Silver Twig

Monday, May 2
Review & Giveaway at The Maiden's Court

Tuesday, May 3
Review at Book Nerd
Review at Queen of All She Reads

Thursday, May 5
Review & Giveaway at Bibliotica

Friday, May 6
Review at Back Porchervations

Tuesday, May 10
Review at CelticLady's Reviews

Monday, May 23
Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Daring Masquerade by Margaret Tanner

Daring Masquerade by Margaret Tanner

Publication Date: May 7, 2012

Books We Love Ltd.

Paperback & eBook; 404 Pages

Genre: Historical Romance

In Margaret Tanner's Daring Masquerade, published by Books We Love, by the time Ross Calvert discovers Harry Martin is in fact Harriet Martin she has fallen in love with him. Realizing she has failed in her final effort to protect her shell-shocked brother, she puts a desperate proposition to Ross. Marry her and she will give him an heir.

Ross accepts. However, he is tormented by the betrayal of his former fiancée Virginia. On his honeymoon he meets her again and is still infatuated. With the army recalling him to the trenches of France, he faces a terrible dilemma. Taste Virginia’s passion before he marches off to war, or keep his marriage vows to Harry.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Margaret Tanner is an award winning multi-published Australian author. She loves delving into the pages of history as she carries out research for her historical romance novels, and prides herself on being historically correct. No book is too old or tattered for her to trawl through, no museum too dusty. Many of her novels have been inspired by true events, with one being written around the hardships and triumphs of her pioneering ancestors in frontier Australia. She once spent a couple of hours in an old goal cell so she could feel the chilling cold and fear

Her favorite historical period is the 1st World War, and she has visited the battlefields of Gallipoli, France and Belgium, a truly poignant experience.

Margaret is married and has three grown up sons, and two gorgeous little granddaughters.

For more information please visit Margaret Tanner's website. You can also find her on Facebook and Goodreads.

Book Blast Schedule

Monday, April 25
Passages to the Past

Wednesday, April 27
The Never-Ending Book
Eclectic Ramblings of Author Heather Osborne

Thursday, April 28
The Book Junkie Reads

Saturday, April 30
Book Nerd

Tuesday, May 3
CelticLady's Reviews

Giveaway

To win an eBook of Daring Masquerade by Margaret Tanner please enter the giveaway via the GLEAM form below.

Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on May 6th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Daring Masquerade