Romance and Me: Historical Romances – The Foreign Edition

Hey Everyone!

We have discussed different aspects of historical romances: our favourite eras, what we like the most about this genre, why we read HR novels, we have even discussed gladiators, HR pet peeves and erotic historical romances but there is something we haven’t talked about yet, and that is foreign or exotic historical romances.

About 99% of historical romance novels are set in England, in smaller part France or Scotland, a couple are even set in North America (and one or two in Ancient Egypt), but historical romances set outside of these usual locations are few and far and between. Can you think of any which take place in South America? Africa? Asia? Australia? Oceania? Or we don’t even have to go that far, any historical romances set in other European countries …

Review: An Illicit Temptation by Jeannie Lin

Format read: ebook
Release Date: 1 September 2012
Series: Book #3.5 in the Tang Dynasty series (Sequel to My Fair Concubine)
Number of pages: 52 pages
Publisher: Harlequin
Formats available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s Website, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Read an excerpt

Blurb:

Dao is a house servant masquerading as a princess on her way to marry a powerful chieftain. As a lowly commoner with no prospects, she is content to be an alliance bride until an encounter with Kwan-Li, her enigmatic escort, tempts her with the promise of forbidden love. On their adventure through the wild Khitan steppe, Dao discovers Kwan-Li has secrets of his own…

My Thoughts: You might remember how much I enjoyed My Fair Concubine, the 3rd book in Jeannie Lin’s Tang Dynasty series (though no need to worry if you haven’t read the previous books, …

Guest post by C.C. Humphreys + Giveaway

Today we’re here to welcome historical novelist C.C. Humphreys to Book Lovers Inc. His guest post is on a topic that has always fascinated me, the line between realistic historical fiction and something I guess you might call historical fantasy. Not totally made up history, but history where magic sometimes happens, alongside verifiable historic events.

As it does in C.C. Humphreys’ story of war with a little magic, A Place Called Armageddon. It’s about the 1453 siege of Constantinople, a place that has always been more than a bit magical, all by itself. 

Fantasy? In historical fiction?
by C.C. Humphreys

Interesting questions. It is something I have considered. And I think it comes down to what I call ‘a hammock moment’.

I was lying in my hammock – a rare and so especially wonderful laziness – and this sentence popped into my head:

“Magic happens to people who believe in magic.”

I think that is absolutely …

Review: The Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfors

Format Read: print ARC from the author
Number of Pages: 416 pages
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Publisher: Walker & Company
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Young Adult
Formats Available: Hardcover, ebook
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Book Depository US | Book Depository (UK) | Author’s website | Publisher’s website | Goodreads

Book Blurb:

Emmeline Thistle, a dirt-scratcher’s daughter, has escaped death twice-first, on the night she was born, and second, on the day her entire village was swept away by flood. Left with nothing and no one, Emmeline discovers her rare and mysterious ability-she can churn milk into chocolate, a delicacy more precious than gold.

Suddenly, the most unwanted girl in Anglund finds herself desired by all. But Emmeline only wants one-Owen Oak, a dairyman’s son, whose slow smiles and lingering glances …

Guest post by Suzanne Selfors + Giveaway

Today we are very excited to welcome Suzanne Selfors to Book Lovers Inc! Of course we’re excited, we’re all hyped up on lots of yummy chocolate after reading her delightfully delicious chocolate-covered fairy tale, The Sweetest Spell (review later today). But before the review, Suzanne is here to share with us how her desperate search for a midnight chocolate fix (can’t we all relate?) led to this scrumptious story.

And if you’re craving a little chocolate fairy tale of your own, just answer Suzanne’s question for a chance at to win your very own copy of The Sweetest Spell!

Love + Chocolate = The Sweetest Spell

By Suzanne Selfors

How to take the fairy-tale formula of peasant girl meets prince and make it even more romantic? In my opinion, you add chocolate.

There are few things in life that stir such passion as a square of dark chocolate. I crave it. I LOVE it.

I’d …

ARC Review: Gold Digger by Aleksandr Voinov

Format Read: e-book provided by publisher through NetGalley
Length: 127 Pages
Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance
Release Date: September 17th 2012
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Formats Available: Ebook
Purchasing Info:  Author’s Website, Goodreads, Riptide Publishing

Book Blurb:
Not all that glitters is gold.

Nikolai Krasnorada leads the life of a corporate nomad. Working for a gold explorations company, he’s never put down roots, and he likes it that way. Roots can be dangerous, as everyone from his “man-hating” sister to his manipulative mother to his war-traumatized father has proven.

But when his CEO sends him to Toronto to strike a deal with LeBeau Mining, Nikolai meets Henri LeBeau, crown prince to the resources conglomerate and inveterate flirt. Sparks fly immediately, despite the business deal that threatens to go sour and Nikolai’s own reluctance to give Henri false hope about him being Mr. Right. He’s barely come to terms with his bisexuality, and getting involved with Henri would …

Dual Review: The Last Victim by Karen Robards

The Last Victim by Karen Robards

Format Read: e-book provided by NetGalley courtesy of Publisher for Review
Length: 336 Pages
Genre: Paranormal Romantic Thriller
Release Date: August 7, 2012
Publisher: Random House
Formats Available: Hardcover, Nook, Kindle
Purchasing Info: Publisher, Author’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Nook, IndieBound, Kindle

Book Blurb:

Dr. Charlotte Stone sees what others do not.

A sought-after expert in criminal pathology, Charlie regularly sits face-to-face with madmen. Obsessed with learning what makes human monsters commit terrible crimes, Charlie desires little else from life—no doubt because when she was sixteen, she herself survived a serial killer’s bloodbath: A man butchered the family of Charlie’s best friend, Holly, then left the girl’s body on a seaside boardwalk one week later.

Because of the information Charlie gave police, the Boardwalk Killer went underground. She kept to herself her eerie postmortem visions of …

Dual Review: The Oil Tycoon and Her Sexy Sheikh by Ros Clarke

Format read: eARC provided by publisher
Release Date: 14 July 2012
Number of pages: 131 pages
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Formats available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s Website, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Read an excerpt

Blurb:

His duty, her dreams, undone by their desire…

In the male-dominated oil industry, executive Olivia McInnes plays a careful game – she’s cold, uncompromising, and ambitious as hell. Once she seals the deal to drill in the clear waters of Saqat, she’ll finally prove herself worthy to take the reins of her father’s oil company. Her only obstacle is marine biologist – and Saqat’s royal heir – Sheikh Khaled Ibm Saqat al Mayim, who’s determined to protect both his people and his country from environmental devastation…

It’s not long before Olivia’s icy cool exterior is shattered by the intelligent and wickedly hot sheikh, and business is surpassed by sweet, stolen pleasures. But outside the bedroom, there’s …

Guest post by Melissa Bourbon Ramirez + Giveaway

Today we are happy to welcome back to Book Lovers Inc Melissa Bourbon Ramirez whose latest release is a sexy paranormal romance Deceiving the Witch Next Door, which debuted Entangled Publishing’s new Covet line! Melissa stops by today  while surfing the blogosphere with her virtual blog tour, please give her a warm welcome and answer her question for a chance to win a copy of Deceiving the Witch Next Door!

Photo by Maylett

My husband and I are trying (desperately) to buy a 1900 Victorian home just off the square in a neighboring town. I don’t think the deal will go through, unfortunately, but I’m hopeful that it will. I’m hopeful that in a few short months, we’ll be patching up walls and cleaning hundred year old floors and sleeping in a creaky house with double hung windows. When I walk in that house, I feel the history and …

Review: The Theory of Attraction by Delphine Dryden

Format Read:ebook provided by publisher through NetGalley
Number of Pages:136 pages
Release Date:July 9th 2012
Publisher:Carina Press
Formats Available: ebook, Kindle Edition
Purchasing Info:  Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Author’s Website | Goodreads | Publisher’s Website

Book Blurb:

Camilla can set her watch by her hunky rocket-scientist neighbor who jogs past her window each day. She relishes each glimpse of his shirtless abs, and is dying to see more. But it’s hard to connect with a man who doesn’t seem to know she exists…

Ivan feels at home in the lab, not in social situations. When he finally approaches his attractive neighbor, it’s not for a date—he wants tutoring in how to behave at an important fundraiser. Ivan doesn’t expect the chemistry between them to be quite so explosive, and is surprised when Cami actually accepts his proposal to embark on …