Review For WHEN THE SCOUNDREL SINS By Anna Harrington-3*

Title: When the Scoundrel Sins
Series: Capturing the Carlislies #2

Author: Anna Harrington

Genre: Historical Romance

Rating: * * * 

Publishers: Forever

(Aug 29, 2017)

Paperback: 352 pages

ISBN: 978-1455597284

FTC Disclosure: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

A MOST INDECENT PROPOSAL

Annabelle Green needs a husband-and quickly. To inherit the only home she's ever known, she must be married by her twenty-fifth birthday. But finding a suitor has been next to impossible after a reckless rogue named Quinton Carlisle seduced her into a scandalous midnight tryst. Her reputation in ruins, Belle now needs a rather large favor. And she knows just who to turn to . . . 

Quinn can hardly believe that the shy bookish girl he teased as a child has grown into such a brazen beauty. The very idea of marrying Belle to right the wrongs of his past is downright shocking . . . and deliciously tempting. Too bad marriage, convenient or otherwise, is the last thing Quinn wants. He'll help Belle find a husband and be on his way. But if he can't control his attraction to the bride-to-be, this marriage could go up in flames-of wicked desire.

Capturing the Carlisles

1. If the Duke Demands (2017)

2. When the Scoundrel Sins (2017)

3. As the Devil Dares (2018)

While I really like a friends to lovers book, I just never really got Quinton. I liked him, he was funny, honest and loyal. Everything that you could want in a hero but I never really got him. There was just too much stubbornness and angst. It felt a bit over the top and began to get old. The story failed to pull me in and get me involved. It was very easy to lay aside and I had to struggle a bit to finish it.
That said, I loved Annabelle and the setting for the story. I throughly enjoyed that it didn't take place in London and loved the country setting. I'm not sure if this would have been more enjoyable if I'd read the first book in the series. I do have it and will read it before reading book three.

Release Day Blitz For WHEN THE SCOUNDREL SINS By Anna Harrington

Title: When the Scoundrel Sins

Author: Anna Harrington

On Sale: August 29, 2017

Series: Capturing the Carlisles: Book 2

Publisher: Forever

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Price: $7.99 USD

Add to Goodreads

Six years ago, a childish prank perpetrated by the reckless Quinton Carlisle ruined Annabelle Greene's reputation and any chance she had at securing a successful marriage.  Incensed, she moved to her beloved estate on the Scottish border and has reveled in the solitude...until now when the contents of a family will are revealed.  Suddenly, Belle's single status may cost her the only home she's ever known.  Now, with her only marital prospect a horribly greedy and completely undesirable man, Belle knows just the person to rescue her-the one person who owes her for his bad behavior...

There's nothing Quinn Carlisle wants more than to get out from his older brother's shadow and make a name for himself abroad. So when a mysterious letter arrives, promising adventure, he rushes to the Scottish border...only to find that Belle laid a trap for him.  The awkward, shy bluestocking whom he so enjoyed tormenting is gone, replaced by a graceful, elegant woman who ignites a desire in him he can't resist.  Can Quinn help her save her home-and win her heart in the process? 

1. If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would you use for the audition of the main characters and why?

-- Tough question! I think I would use the first library scene (Spoiler!) when Belle is forced to propose to Quinn as the only way out of the marriage mess she’s found herself in. That scene is pivotal to everything that comes after it emotionally in the book, and inside that scene lies a riot of things -- desperation, hope, the first stirrings of old attractions that never truly died, and kissing…lots of kissing. It also firmly establishes the conflict between them and how hesitant they both are to open their hearts to love.

2. If you could live in any fantasy world, which one would it be?

-- Perhaps one from a Disney cartoon, like Beauty and the Beast, where everything is brightly colored and beautiful, where people break out into song to share their emotions, and unlike in real life, where the villains are easily recognized for being evil and dispatched in time for a happy ending.

3. What is your favorite hobby when you're not writing?

-- I love working in my garden, especially with my roses. I have 25 rose bushes so far, with plans for more rose beds next year, and more plans to put in a pollinator garden and an old-fashioned kitchen herb garden. In the summer, I’m out there every day working with the plants or taking pictures to share online; in spring and fall, I do all the things that I don’t want to do in the heat of summer; and in the winter, I read through garden books and catalogues, making lists of all the new plants I want to buy. When my yard is full, I’ll have to move so I can start over!

4. What's a book that you've read recently that you would recommend to your readers?

-- His Ballerina Bride by Teri Wilson. The way she unfolds the characters’ motivations and emotions was so skilled that I devoured the book in one night—then promptly reread it so that I could study how she wove in the emotion and character subtleties. Solid conflict and well-developed characters with their own desires and lives. Marvelous!

5. What would you say is your superpower?

-- The ability to find good parking spots. It’s as if the fates said, “We’re going to give you all kinds of problems in every other aspect of your life, but you’re always going to get good parking.” I know, I know -- as superpowers go, it’s a small one, but isn’t it the little things we should celebrate more in our day-to-day lives?  (And anyone who’s ever lived in New York or Chicago will certainly envy this power.)

My review HERE

BUY THE BOOK

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

Anna Harrington fell in love with historical romances--and all those dashing Regency heroes--while living in London, where she studied literature and theatre. She loves to travel, fly airplanes, and hike, and when she isn't busy writing her next novel, she loves fussing over her roses in her garden.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

FOLLOW FOREVER

Website ½ Facebook ½ Twitter ½ Instagram ½ Pinterest

RAFFLECOPTER

We’re giving away 10 copies of IF THE DUKE DEMANDS!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Day Blitz & Giveaway For IF THE DUKE DEMANDS By Anna Harrington

 

Title: If the Duke Demands

Author: Anna Harrington

On Sale: Feb 28, 2017

Series: Capturing the Carlisles: Book 1

Publisher: Forever

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Price: $7.99 USD

Add to Goodreads

A LESSON IN SEDUCTION . . .

Miranda Hodgkins has only ever wanted one thing: to marry Robert Carlisle. And she simply can't wait a moment longer. During the Carlisle family masquerade ball, Miranda boldly sneaks into his bedchamber with seduction on her mind. Soon she's swept into rock-hard arms for the most breathtaking kiss of her life. But when the masks come off, she's horrified to find herself face-to-face with Sebastian, the Duke of Trent-Robert's formidable older brother.

Shocked to find Miranda in his bed, Sebastian quickly offers her a deal to avoid scandal: He'll help her win his brother's heart if she'll find him the perfect wife. But what begins as a simple negotiation soon spirals out of control. For the longer this reformed rake tries to make a match for Miranda, the more he wants to keep her all to himself.

BUY THE BOOK

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

Anna Harrington fell in love with historical romances--and all those dashing Regency heroes--while living in London, where she studied literature and theatre. She loves to travel, fly airplanes, and hike, and when she isn't busy writing her next novel, she loves fussing over her roses in her garden.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Extra author goodies:

Anna will be hosting a release party on Facebook, there will be giveaways, contests and guest posts from romance authors in addition to a special sneak peek at the end of the night.

If you can’t attend the Facebook party, or are just interested in learning behind the scenes information about Anna’s books, be sure to visit the “extras” page on her website for deleted scenes, insider info, and bonus shorts.

FOLLOW FOREVER

Website ½ Facebook ½ Twitter ½ Instagram ½ Pinterest

EXCERPT

Her eyes narrowed as she took in that bit of dubious advice and contemplated what he asked of her, with a curious look of deep study and concentration. For a moment, her expression was damnably disconcerting as she tried to think up a compliment to give him, as if she had never truly noticed him before as a man. Which inexplicably irked him to no end. How could she have not noticed him before as someone other than the Duke of Trent, other than just a friend?

“What you’re asking of me is impossible.” She shook her head with a soft sigh of defeat. “Every man in this room knows the rank you hold, the power and influence you’re gaining in Parliament. As for the ladies, you should have seen the way they all watched you when you crossed the room to ask me to dance.” She shrugged. “What could I possibly add to what everyone has already told you about how wonderful you are?”

He stared at her, momentarily stunned speechless. What she’d just said was exactly the kind of compliment a man wanted to hear from a beautiful woman . . .

And he didn’t believe a word of it. When he saw her lips twitch with amusement, his eyes narrowed. “You are incorrigible.”

She laughed happily. “Perhaps.” Her eyes shined, and for a brief moment, she shifted closer, somehow rising up on tiptoes as she danced to bring her mouth close to his ear. “But it is all true, you know.”

Then she pulled back into her original position and looked at him shyly through lowered lashes even as the tip of her tongue darted out to wet her lips. The paradoxical effect of innocent seduction was mesmerizing, and for a moment, he forgot they were dancing in the middle of a crowded ballroom. For a moment, there was only Miranda. And the pull of her was undeniable.

RAFFLECOPTER

We’re giving away 10 copies of IF THE DUKE DEMANDS!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Day Blitz/ Q & A For IF THE DUKE DEMANDS by Anna Harrington

Title: If The Duke Demands

Series: Capturing The Carlisles

Author: Anna Harrington

Genre: Regency Romance

Rating: 

Publishers: Forever

(Feb 28, 2017)

Paperback: 368 pages

ISBN: 978-1455597253

FTC Disclosure: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

A LESSON IN SEDUCTION . . .

Miranda Hodgkins has only ever wanted one thing: to marry Robert Carlisle. And she simply can't wait a moment longer. During the Carlisle family masquerade ball, Miranda boldly sneaks into his bedchamber with seduction on her mind. Soon she's swept into rock-hard arms for the most breathtaking kiss of her life. But when the masks come off, she's horrified to find herself face-to-face with Sebastian, the Duke of Trent-Robert's formidable older brother.
Shocked to find Miranda in his bed, Sebastian quickly offers her a deal to avoid scandal: He'll help her win his brother's heart if she'll find him the perfect wife. But what begins as a simple negotiation soon spirals out of control. For the longer this reformed rake tries to make a match for Miranda, the more he wants to keep her all to himself.

QUICK FIRE INTERVIEW:

• Twitter or Facebook? 

Facebook

• Favorite Superhero?

Spiderman (I’m old school)

• Favorite TV show? 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

• Sweet or Salty? 

Sweet! Preferably involving chocolate

• Coke or Pepsi? 

Coke

• Any Phobias? 

None (thank goodness!)

• Song you can’t get enough of right now? 

Hey Louis Prima by Brian Setzer

• Who is your ultimate Book Boyfriend? 

George Knightley from Emma

• What are you reading right now or what’s on your TBR? 

Lisa Kleypas’s Again the Magic

• 2017 Movie you’re most looking forward to? 

 Beauty and the Beast

(me too!) 

Was there anything you wanted to add or had to eliminate from the story? What was it and why? 

I originally had a chapter in IF THE DUKE DEMANDS in which Miranda falls into a duck pond in Hyde Park and Sebastian rescues her…only to end up soaked in two feet of water with a reed sticking off his head! They antagonize each other for the rest of the scene, all the way back to the townhouse, where he accidentally glimpses her undressing. It was removed in the rewrites because it didn’t fit the rising action and was too much physical attraction and not enough emotional attraction. But I love the rapid back and forth in that chapter, how they know exactly how to get under each other’s skin, and the simmering sexual tension underlying all of it.

What is the heartbeat of your new novel?

That love sneaks up on us when—and with whom—we least expect it. Miranda has always been in love with Robert Carlisle and somewhat terrified of his imposing older brother Sebastian, Duke of Trent. But when she gets to know the man beneath the title, she realizes that she’s been in love with the wrong Carlisle brother all along. But in order to save her heart, she has to make him realize that he’s more than a duke, that he’s simply a man worthy of her love.

If you found a genie, what would be your three wishes?

To find my true love, to be able to move to England and have a cute little flat in Mayfair, and to never run out of ideas for new novels.

What do you hope readers will take away from reading this book?

I only hope they have fun. I fell in love with Sebastian while writing this book, and Miranda is a part of every woman who wants to live life to the fullest and find her true love in her best friend. I hope readers enjoy the humor and the sense of energy, the special family relationships that the Carlisles all share, and the slow unfolding of love as the two move from bewilderment, to wonderment, and finally to acceptance of love. (And that they laugh over my shamelessly dirty joke about Mozart’s opera and a very uncomfortable conversation Sebastian has with his mother about how he and his siblings arrived in the world.)

Tell us seven things we may not know about your writing life...

1. I keep a notebook and pen beside my bed in case I wake up in the middle of the night with a good idea. (I’ll never remember it when I fall back asleep.)
2. I’ve worn out one computer per year for the last three years…the keys keep falling off, starting with the backspace key.
3. My favorite part of writing is revising (I am such a nerd!)
4. Whenever I think of an idea for a new book, I start by envisioning the house where the story is set, then create the characters and plot from there. I’m a would-be architect and house historian, deeply affected by a sense of place.
5. I cannot write without a cup of coffee at my fingertips and jazz music in the background.
6. I write in my sunroom, from where I can watch the squirrels shamelessly raiding the bird feeder and yell at the neighbor’s cat when it sneaks into my rose garden.
7. When I’m in the middle of a project, I go for walks around the neighborhood and talk to myself to work out plot problems. (As an added bonus, it keeps the neighbors away.)