MY WICKED LITTLE LIES BOOK REVIEW and GIVEAWAY!

by Victoria Alexander

Publisher: Zebra (Kensington)

Published: January 31, 2012

Format: Paperback (352 pages)

ISBN: 9781420117066

Series: Sinful Family Secrets

Origin: Publisher

***Though the publisher provides the free book, I offer the opinion.***

My Look:

Even during Victorian times, intrigue ran through rich, hollow facades with dangerous escapades, mysterious alliances, and sinful secrets.

Evelyn Hadley-Attwater knows the true goal of the department; she’s worked there. However, that life was far behind her now.  She is and has been The Countess of Waterston and a happily married woman these two years, but Evelyn has been summoned to her old headquarters and worries why.

At first, she politely turns down the job. However, Evelyn is then literally blackmailed into it. Her old supervisor, with good reason, is forcing her to partake.  

Sir Maxwell Osgood is trying to protect the names of operatives and their lives; although, it does seem that he lost this file with many names by someone’s hand, and that hand has Maxwell in his grasp too. 

All told, it does seem to be a simple assignment.  

She must attend a party to which she and the Earl had already been invited and responded to in a favorable fashion. However, they really were not planning to attend.  No matter, she’d attend. 

Adrian Hadley-Attwater senses his wife is distracted or maybe preoccupied.  Now, it is known that some married spouses, after a time, desire someone else. Although their time has been just two years, Adrian begins wondering about what is on her mind.  He was never the jealous cad, but his Evie could make any man take leave of his senses, he well knew.

Talking himself out of those thoughts, for a short time, Adrian does decide to follow her.

Much to his dismay, Evie left out a trip to the museum from her itinerary, not that actually means anything.   However, he does remember meeting with her at that place.  Commonsense reigns, as he begins to imagine scenarios of her spotting him trailing her.  What would she do? How would she react to his distrust, when she’s never given him any reason for such a thing?  

Before Evelyn exits the building, he leaves.  

However, soon, she is insisting on actually attending the event they had decided to skip. Maybe someone’s attending that she is to see.  

When another calls him away from his wife, at the event, Adrian cannot help but feel it was a choreographed interruption, but the brief interruption is over much quicker than was supposed. As a result, he finds his wife sneaking away.  

Why?  He just has to know the answer to that question.  Could his instincts have been right all along?  Is there someone else?

Adrian follows Evie, only to find his wife rifling through the manly desk in the library.  

My Take:

Victoria Alexander’s MY WICKED LITTLE LIES is a fun read with an enticing premise and an ending you’ll just love! 

Evelyn Hadley-Attwater isn’t at all stuffy. She’s confident and knows how not to be a lady, while her husband, Adrian Hadley-Attwater, is a reformed—by circumstance—former bad boy who can’t seem to keep his adventurous side tame.  However, these two together are the perfect match in more ways than you will imagine.

In MY WICKED LITTLE LIES, Victoria Alexander creates a believable but not a boring, married couple romance and laces it with spies, mystery, and humor.

This is a standalone novel, but you will certainly want to read the first book of the Sinful Family Secrets series titled, HIS MISTRESS BY CHRISTMAS (September 2011).  

NOW, HERE’S THE GIVEAWAY NEWS!

For readers of this blog, throughout the United States and Canada, you can enter a random drawing for a free physical book of MY WICKED LITTLE LIES just by leaving a comment!  

The comment form will require an email address.  However, your email address will not be published.

I will announce the winner on a future blog post.

So, you stay tuned and check back often!  I just may have more giveaways coming to you in the future.

SMITTEN

by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Published: December 20, 2011

Format: Paperback (432 pages)

ISBN: 9781401684945

Origin: Publisher though netGalley (eGalley)

***Though the publisher provides the free ebook, I offer the opinion.***

My Look:

Any company going out of business should not bring a town’s whole economy to a halt, but the mill is the main employer in the town of  SMITTEN, Vermont.    

Four women, all friends, endeavor to remake the town’s image and revitalize it through tourism, of sorts.  They envision their town as a  ”Smitten is for lovers” destination to play off the town’s cute attribute, its name.  However, to convince an entire milling town to change their course is a tall order, but these four friends each have a story to make of their own life too.

In addition, for one reason or another, each of these women will have their tales begin and end in Smitten.  

Throughout the seasons, Natalie, Julia, Shelby, and Reese tackle this new challenge, revamp a town, change the minds of the townsfolk, and face their own life’s challenges along the way. Nevertheless, it is two children demonstrating what true faith is all about.    

My Take:

Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter cross-stitch a cohesive story together but apart from each other because each one writes the story of a main character. In reality, SMITTEN is different novellas sewn into an entire book without the reader ever seeing the individual treads.  

You’ll find friends, faith, laughs, tears, and trouble in SMITTEN with  some quirky and cute characters too.  

This read is an escape to where romance is always in season, just like growth, opportunity, and God’s favor. The next book in this series, SECRETLY SMITTEN, will release in December 2012, but in the meantime, you’ll want to visit http://www.smittenvermont.com/ and meet the authors, enter sweepstakes, or find more recipes! 

THE PERFECT MISTRESS eBOOK SALE TODAY ONLY! AND A GIVEAWAY OF HIS MISTRESS BY CHRISTMAS

by Victoria Alexander

Publisher: Zebra (Kensington)

Published: February 11, 2011

Format: eBOOK

Series: Mistress

My Look:

Courtesy of Kensington Books, I have pasted this first page snippet for your reading pleasure:

Chapter One

London, 1885

“. . . and I would therefore be most delighted to publish your great-grandmother’s memoirs.” Benjamin Cadwallender’s voice rang in Lady Julia Winterset’s small parlor as if he were offering eternal salvation and choirs of celestial angels would appear at any moment to accompany his words.

She raised a brow. Eternal salvation was not what she sought from Cadwallender and Sons, Publishers but rather rescue of a more down-to-earth nature. Financial salvation as it were. “I must confess I am surprised, Mr. Cadwallender, that you would make such an offer on the basis of what little I allowed you to read. No more than a chapter if I recall.”

“Yet what a chapter it was.” He chuckled. “If the rest is even a fraction as interesting as what I have already read, The Perfect Mistress, the Memoirs of Lady Hermione Middlebury, shall be a rousing success.”

Julia considered him. “Do you really think so?”

“Oh, I do indeed.” He nodded vigorously. “I have mentioned this project, in a most discreet manner, mind you, to a few trusted colleagues and they concur. Do not underestimate the appetite of the public for works of this nature, especially if they are factual.”

“By ‘this nature’ do you mean scandalous?” . . .

My Take:

It’s Cyber Monday!  And nothing can get a book-shopping reader moving like a limited time offer or a one day sale with a bargain price.  I mean . . . I cannot be the only one who moves like a cheetah chasing prey in pursuit of a great buy, right?  Well, in case other book bargain hunters exist, I am blogging a special price bulletin to spread the word about a great deal for you and me.

On Monday, November 28, 2011, THE PERFECT MISTRESS (Zebra January 2011) is featured as the Daily Find at the Barnes and Noble NOOK BOOKSTORE for $1.99! And it’s on sale for the Kindle too!

And there’s more good news!

For readers of this blog, throughout the United States and Canada, you can enter a random drawing for a free physical book of HIS MISTRESS BY CHRISTMAS (Kensington September 2011)  just by leaving a comment (one comment only.  If you comment on my Publishers Marketplace page, please do not comment here).  The comment form will require an email address but this will not be published.

I will announce the winner on a future blog post.  So, you stay tuned and check back often!  I just may have more special price posts coming in the future.