Prelude for a Lord

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RANDOM RETRO READ DAY!

ELLIOT, CAMILLE
PRELUDE FOR A LORD

An awkward young woman. A haunted young man. A forbidden instrument. Can the love of music bring them together...or will it tear them apart?

Bath, England - 1810

At twenty-eight, Alethea Sutherton is past her prime for courtship; but social mores have never been her forte. She might be a lady, but she is first and foremost a musician.

In Regency England, however, the violin is considered an inappropriate instrument for a lady. Ostracized by society for her passion, Alethea practices in secret and waits for her chance to flee to the Continent, where she can play without scandal.

But when a thief's interest in her violin endangers her and her family, Alethea is determined to discover the enigmatic origins of her instrument...with the help of the dark, brooding Lord Dommick.

Scarred by war, Dommick finds solace only in playing his violin. He is persuaded to help Alethea, and discovers an entirely new yearning in his soul.

Alethea finds her reluctant heart drawn to Dommick in the sweetest of duets...just as the thief's desperation builds to a tragic crescendo.

My Review;

published in 2014

This is my second time reading Prelude for a Lord. I was drawn to this book despite my teetering TBR pile because I followed a bibliophile rabbit trail after reading Carrie's (of Reading is my Superpower blog fame) review of a Camy Tang suspense. That led me to checking my library to see if they had a copy of that older novel (they do!) But it also nudged my memory -- Camy Tang has also published Regencies under the pseudonym Camille Elliott! That had me checking her website to see if she had any new Regencies out(she doesn't) and that sent me dashing to my bookshelves to hunt down this book which I remembered with great fondness so, of course, I had to dive in! Such is the crazy maze that is my readerly mind. :-) So here's my review from 2014:

I am in Regency heaven! From the clever title to the gorgeous cover right through to the final word...sheer bliss. The kind of read that makes you giddy with anticipation and has you skipping over pages with glee as the real world fades into oblivion. You're so convinced that you are in Regency England that you ring for the maid to bring you tea and cakes, only when she doesn't show up, you come crashing back to reality with such velocity it hurts. It's that kind of absorbing read. :-)

Alethea is a captivating character. Enough of a maverick to make her interesting without losing those oh-so-proper ladylike qualities a woman of genteel breeding must possess. Dommick is her brooding hero. He's surrounded by a darkness that keeps him alluringly aloof. And then there's the mystery. The danger. A host of amazing secondary characters including a slimeball villain. And the romance! A fainting couch is a necessity for this read -- you'll be swooning that much!

Stunning and brilliant and too good to miss!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Take a Chance On Me, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday September 5 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

The Spinster's Christmas

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ELLIOTT, CAMILLE
THE SPINSTER'S CHRISTMAS

A Regency romantic mystery

Miranda Belmoore has never felt attuned to the rest of society. Her family has never understood her blunt speech and unwillingness to bow to conventional strictures, and so they have always made her feel that there is something wrong with her. Now as a poor relation in her cousin's house, she makes plans to escape a life of drudgery and disdain from her own family members.

Naval Captain Gerard Foremont is having difficulty adjusting to life back on land, frustrated that his career has been cut short by his severely injured knee. Guilt haunts him as he sees the strain his long convalescence has had upon his parents. As they spend Christmastide with the Belmoores, he wants to help fulfill his mother's wish to have her orphaned niece come to stay with them.

However, an enemy has infiltrated the family party, bent on revenge and determined that Twelfth Night will end in someone's death...

My Review:

Squuueallll -- Regency + Mystery + Christmas!!!! I hope I can compose myself long enough to write this review! And there's definitely a Cinderella feel to this story as well. Not sure if it was written with a fairy tale retelling in mind, but I sure caught some similarities that increased my reader euphoria that much more. Eeeep!!!!

Gerard is the perfect tortured hero who matches wits with childhood friend Miranda. She has come upon hard times -- horrendously horrid, actually, as she is treated worse than a servant in her cousin's household. I do so love fuming over literary injustice and heaps are piled upon poor Miranda as she valiantly tries to see her way through.

And there's Gerard -- unexpectedly fighting more than friendly feelings though he's too broken by war to actually think something can come of it...until Miranda's life is threatened. Cue the attentively protective wounded hero who will stop at nothing to ensure the safety of his lady love. Be still my heart!

And if that isn't enough to curl your toes in Regency excitement, Elliott doesn't skimp on Old English Christmas traditions which lend a festive background to all the angst and romance. A spectacular holiday escape read!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Spinster's Christmas, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday September 29 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Prelude for a Lord

Special Double Win Giveaway
I'm celebrating my 1000th blog post this week!
Add the title of another Christian historical fiction book in your comment and if you win the draw you will win both books!

ELLIOT, CAMILLE
PRELUDE TO A LORD

Bath, England 1810

At twenty-eight, Alethea Sutherton is past her prime for courtship; but social mores have never been her forté. She might be a lady, but she is first and foremost a musician.

In Regency England, however, the violin is considered an inappropriate instrument for a lady. Ostracized by society for her passion, Alethea practices in secret and waits for her chance to flee to the Continent, where she can play without scandal.

But when a thief ’s interest in her violin endangers her and her family, Alethea is determined to discover the enigmatic origins of her instrument … with the help of the dark, brooding Lord Dommick.

Scarred by war, Dommick finds solace only in playing his violin. He is persuaded to help Alethea, and discovers an entirely new yearning in his soul.

Alethea finds her reluctant heart drawn to Dommick in the sweetest of duets . . . just as the thief’s desperation builds to a tragic crescendo .

My Review:

I am in Regency Heaven! From the clever title to the gorgeous cover right through to the final word...sheer bliss. The kind of read that makes you giddy with anticipation and has you skipping over pages with glee as the real world fades into oblivion. You're so convinced that you are in Regency England that you ring for the maid to bring you tea and cakes only when she doesn't show you come crashing back to reality with such velocity it hurts. It's that kind of absorbing read.

Alethea is a captivating heroine. Enough of a maverick to make her interesting without losing those oh-so-proper ladylike qualities a woman of genteel breeding must possess. :-) Dommick is her brooding hero. He's surrounded by a darkness that keeps him alluringly aloof. And then there's the mystery. The danger. A host of amazing secondary characters including a slimeball villain. And the romance...a fainting couch is a necessity for this read -- you'll be swooning that much!

Stunning and brilliant and too good to miss.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Prelude for a Lord please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday September 28 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!