Click on cover to read FULL INTERVIEW
Some of the juicy tidbits that Courtney spilled during her interview:
1) Her next book in the Turner trilogy will be called Unraveled (featuring Smithe Turner)
2) The heroine of Unraveled will be a wig-maker
3) She is currently working on another new series filled with class tension, and the first book has a heroine who just had an awful first season
DON’T FORGET TO PICK UP UNVEILED IN A STORE NEAR YOU!
Setting: 1838, Victorian
Summary:
In the three years since her husband left her, Lady Kathleen Carhart has managed to forge a fulfilling life for herself. But when Ned Carhart unexpectedly returns, she finds her tranquility uprooted—and her deepest secrets threatened. Though she has no intention of falling for Ned’s charms, Kate can no longer deny the desire that still burns in her heart.
Ned is determined to regain his wife’s trust by using unbridled seduction. But just as Kate surrenders to Ned’s passion, her carefully guarded past threatens to destroy her. Now Kate must place her faith in the only man she’s ever loved, and the only one who has ever betrayed her…
Click on cover for more info
Review:
I LOVED Courtney Milan’s debut novel, Proof by Seduction so of course I had to read her second novel, exp since I was completely intrigued by the hero who was a secondary character in the first book. This book was brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!!!
I’ve always had a thing for the more innocent heroes-I guess because there are far too many ‘experienced’ rakes and rogues out there, so it’s always refreshing to see a more innocent hero. Ned Carhart, our hero, definitely does not disappoint. In the first book, he was awkward, bumbling, with absolute no game whatsoever when it came to girls. In THIS book, he undergoes a dramatic change and becomes quite an amazing hero. At the very start, he leaves for three years and when he comes back, he is a changed man. He’s a complex man, full of strength and gentleness all molded together in one swoon-worthy package 😉 I love how Courtney doesn’t change him essentially, (he’s still quirky and funny) but instead gives me the strength to make him into a brilliant hero! 😀
This is really a story of two people who are so much more than they appear and who have to learn to love each other again. Our heroine, Kate is another great character-strong and vulnerable at the same time. I love it when characters are real like that and Courtney does a great job of making us sympathize with her. Both characters are flaw and yet totally lovable and you can’t help but root for their happily ever after!
All around, the writing in this book is perfect-I felt like I wasn’t reading your regular romance novel, but something deeper and more meaningful. This is a story of love healing old wounds and becoming the strength for two people. It was romantic, deep, and insightful and so much more than your typical romance novel. I love Courtney’s writing– it flows and you really feel like you know these characters and you feel for them.
There is conflict in the book apart from the hero and heroine’s own personal relationship conflict but that just added to the book and completed it. Overall, this is just a brilliant novel, and downright perfect!
Sensuality Rating: Hot (Love scenes are quite long and explicit)
Verdict: PERFECT and so much more than your usual romance novel 😀
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
What do you get when you pair a courtesan and a virgin hero?
One unique and steamy book! 😀
This is the second in Courtney Milan’s series about the Turner brothers and features a virgin hero ;D Hehe, I don’t know about you but I say we need more virgin heroes out there! Nothing like a bumbling, awkward hero to freshen up a genre where rakes abound and bedroom confidence and arrogance are a must for a hero. Check out the blurb and excerpt and get ready to squeal with anticipation. I know I already am! 😉
Summary:
Handsome, wealthy and respected, Sir Mark Turner is the most sought-after bachelor in all of London—and he’s known far and wide for his irreproachable character. But behind his virtuous reputation lies a passionate nature he keeps carefully in check… until he meets the beautiful Jessica Farleigh, the woman he’s waited for all his life.
But Jessica is a courtesan, not the genteel lady Sir Mark believes. Desperate to win free of a life she despises, she seizes her chance when Mark’s enemies make her an offer she can’t refuse: Seduce Mark and tarnish his good name, and a princely sum will be hers. Yet as she comes to know the man she’s sworn to destroy, Jessica will be forced to choose between the future she needs—and the love she knows is impossible.
Excerpt and more info:
http://www.courtneymilan.com/unc-excerpt.php
DUE OUT OCTOBER 2011
Hey guys,
Sorry about the lack of posting recently-Been pretty busy with uni stuff. Things will get lighter next week so expect more posts then.
Who knew university life could be so tough! And I’m only in my first semester, first year so loads more ‘fun’ coming up hehe… Working on getting more reviews up here for you guys-I have a huge TBR pile and it torments and tempts me daily.
Some of the books to be reviewed in the near future:
Wicked Becomes You by Meredith Duran
A Kiss At Midnight by Eloisa James
Last Night’s Scandal by Loretta Chase
Surrender to a Rogue by Cara Elliott
Too Wicked to Kiss by Erica Ridley
I’ll admit I haven’t been entirely studying hehe-Found some interesting posts on the net that you may want to look at-
Funny interview about Miranda Neville’s new novel and signed giveaways!
http://bordersblog.com/trueromance/2010/10/12/guest-author-miranda-neville-giveaway/
Courtney Milan understands her readers sometimes get embarrassed by romance novel covers so she created these two fake, totally BORING covers to help fix that problem, Go check them, they’re a real laugh!
Courtney Milan unveils ‘Unveiled’!
Alright guys, I know it’s a little too early to start thinking about buying Courtney’s new book when her last one (Trial by Desire) was only JUST released but I couldn’t help myself! Just looking at that stunning cover is getting me all worked up already! Seriously, I WANT HER BLUE CORSET.
Too bad we’ll have to wait till next year to get the book but for now we can enjoy the blurb and the excerpt!
Unveiled-coming January 25th, 2011
Ash Turner has waited a lifetime to seek revenge on the man who ruined his family, and at last the time for justice has arrived. At Parford Manor, he intends to take his place as the rightful heir to the dukedom, and settle an old score with the current duke once and for all. But when he arrives, he finds himself drawn to a tempting beauty who has the power to undo all his dreams of vengeance.
Lady Margaret knows she should despise the man who’s stolen her fortune and her father’s legacy—the man she—s been ordered to spy on in the guise of a nurse. Yet the more she learns about the new duke, the less she can resist his smoldering appeal. Soon Margaret and Ash find themselves torn between old loyalties—and the tantalizing promise of passion….
Read the exciting excerpt here-
http://www.courtneymilan.com/unv-excerpt.php?top
Now isn’t that exciting?! 😀 Next January just looked a little brighter!
Oh and as a point of interest, if you haven’t read her current novel Trial by Desire (Lord knows why you haven’t unless you’re like me and can’t get hold of a copy, darn) than here are ten good reasons why you shouldn’t buy the book that Courtney herself wrote for Sarah MacLean’s website-
1. You need to save all your money to buy at least two copies of Ten Ways to be Adored when Landing a Lord.
2. Speaking of which, if this book had a rhyming, numbered title, it would be Three Things that kind of Rankle when You’re Breaking your Ankle, which you have to admit is not nearly cool enough. Nor sufficiently high in numerosity.
3. The book starts off with a horse (of course), whose name is either Meat or Champion–depending on who you ask. It runs through a sheep dog by the name of Dobbin, and doesn’t stop with a rooster named Kevin. Do you really want to read about animals with ridiculous names? Or is that, ridiculous animals with names? I can’t even tell which one it should be, and I wrote the book.
4. Let’s go back to that horse. Everyone knows that when the hero picks up a wounded, abused horse in the beginning of the book, by the end of the book he will turn into a fine racing animal who will save the day by winning enough money in the Royal Horse Tournament Cup Ascot to pay off the mortgage on the family cottage. But Champion (or Meat) doesn’t ever race. There is no Royal Horse Tournament Cup Ascot. And Ned, my hero, doesn’t have a family cottage–he has an entire manor–and he doesn’t need money. Seriously. What kind of book is this?
5. Then there’s my heroine. You might think you want to read about her–Lady Kathleen is shy, demure, and she loves to shop. Except, wait a second. Maybe she’s not so shy–she has rescued six women from abusive husbands by the start of the book. And maybe she’s not so demure: when her husband returns from China after three years’ absence, she’s the one who agitates for, ahem, marital relations to resume. But she does love to shop.
6. And what does she shop for? Nightwear. Everyone knows that heroines of the time period usually wore demure, linen nightrails to bed. But my heroine, Kate, purposefully departs from that norm. Twice. TWO TIMES, she chooses to garb herself in something other than the typical linen night rail. Why, why, why would she do that kind of thing? It is almost as if she wants someone to notice her. And do something about it. Shocking, scandalous girl!
7. It’s even worse than the nighttime garb. Ladies in Victorian times don’t speak about politics. Ladies don’t speak about gentleman’s wagers. And ladies don’t speak about a gentleman’s vegetables. Yet despite these well-known demands of etiquette, Lady Kathleen Carhart speaks about politics, wagers, and, most importantly, vegetables. She should be ashamed of herself. She isn’t. Oh, Kate.
8. And while we’re talking about shame, how about the scene where Kate walks in on Ned while he is… actually, I can’t even make myself say it. He should totally be ashamed of himself, too! He isn’t. Oh, Ned.
9. Also, peppermints. (Full disclosure: I am allergic to peppermints. They make me sneeze, which as you can imagine means I have to pick my brand of toothpaste Very Carefully.) My hero uses peppermints as an incentive. My heroine uses peppermints as a weapon. It’s just not believable that two people, so utterly different, could come together and find love.
10. And finally, there’s the title. Trial by Desire. It’s misleading and inappropriate. The only trial in this book is conducted by Magistrate Fang, and so I’m just not sure what on earth I was thinking when I named the book. Trial by Fang has a much better ring to it, doesn’t it?
I hope I have convinced you not to go to the store, not to take this book off the shelf, and to definitely not plunk your hard-earned money down for it. Do not buy this book–not unless you want to be accosted by peppermints, horses, and a heroine who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to wear a nightrail to get it.
Haha, I hope you all laughed as much as I did when reading this! If you haven’t read it, what are you waiting for?
Hey guys,
Thanks for voting on my poll! So far, it looks like Sarah’s in the lead. If you haven’t voted yet, please do! The poll will be open until the end of October!
Dear readers,
Are you as excited as I am for the following month in romance novel releases? Plenty of exciting releases from new authors as well as old ones, as well as eagerly awaited sequels. Without further ado, I present the list of upcoming romances!
1) My Lord Scandal by Emma Wildes
Alexander St. James may be a thief of hearts, but he is no burglar. Nevertheless, he must recover and item belonging to his family to avoid a scandal, and so he has stolen into the home of Lord Hathaway, only to come upon the beguiling and chaste Lady Amelia in her bedroom, wearing little but a look of surprise. Alexander leaves Amelia breathless-but is it from fear or excitement? Captivated by her beauty and charmed by her intellect, he ignores the scandalous whispers as he sets out to seduce the woman of his dreams…
**This is book one in the Notorious Bachelors series**
Out September 7, 2010
Order at:
2) Trial by Desire by Courtney Milan
In the three years since her husband left her, Lady Kathleen Carhart has managed to forge a fulfilling life for herself. But when Ned Carhart unexpectedly returns, she finds her tranquility uprooted—and her deepest secrets threatened. Though she has no intention of falling for Ned’s charms, Kate can no longer deny the desire that still burns in her heart.
Ned is determined to regain his wife’s trust by using unbridled seduction. But just as Kate surrenders to Ned’s passion, her carefully guarded past threatens to destroy her. Now Kate must place her faith in the only man she’s ever loved, and the only one who has ever betrayed her…
**This is the sequel to Proof by Seduction**
Out September 28, 2010
Order at:
3) The Dangerous Viscount by Miranda Neville
Lady Diana Fanshawe’s impeccable bloodline doesn’t stop society from laughing at the antics of her eccentric family. She knows a proper marriage is her one chance to make her way in the world—which is precisely why she will marry Lord Blakeney, though she’s certain she’ll never love him. But then she’s kissed by the brilliant and unconventional Sebastian, Viscount Iverley . . . and her well-laid plans tumble into disarray.
Sebastian wants absolutely nothing to do with love or marriage. But when he arrives at his hated cousin Blakeney’s house party, Sebastian is smitten by the tantalizing Diana. But Diana is “the marrying kind,” and Sebastian has no wish to risk his freedom—though the passion between them is hard to resist. Should the lady follow her heart in an attempt to win Iverley’s, though it seems hardened against her—or should she sacrifice her love for respectability?
**This is a sequel to The Wild Marquis**
Out September 28, 2010
Order at:
4) Scoundrel In My Dreams by Celeste Bradley
The child is his: Jack, or rather, Lord John Redgrave knows it the instant he glimpses the blue-eyed girl who was abandoned on the steps of his gentleman’s club. Her mother came to his room one dark night more than three years ago—and spurned his proposal the very next day. But when Jack visits Amaryllis Clarke to demand an explanation, he receives the shock of his life. For it wasn’t proud, worldly Amaryllis with whom he spent that soul-stirring night. It was her infatuated younger sister, Laurel.
Laurel was only seventeen when she gave her innocence to Jack—and paid a steep price. She might be overjoyed about her reunion with little Melody, but Laurel won’t surrender to her desires again. Jack, meanwhile, has no wish to give up the daughter he never knew he had. Nor will he part with the sensual woman who makes him feel alive with longing. He intends to use any means possible to convince Laurel to stay. After all, all’s fair in matters of seduction—especially to a scoundrel in love…
**This is the final book in the Runaway Brides series**
Out September 28, 2010
Order at:
James Tremont, the ninth Duke of Parkerton, is astonished by the freedom and anonymity he’s gained simply by donning his brother’s ill-fitting jacket, especially when an exquisite, peer-hunting beauty mistakes him for a solicitor… Now he finds himself tangled up by more than her legal woes. For until he can undo the straight-laced yet delectable Elinor, his identity must remain a mystery—because by not having revealed it immediately, this dedicated bachelor may have already sabotaged his one chance for the madness of finding his one true love.
**This is the second book in the Standon Widows series**
Out September 28, 2010
Order at:
A dark-eyed Lucifer, Ruthveyn guards his secrets carefully. His shadowed past as the Queen’s most trusted agent in India is the stuff of whispered rumor, as is his mixed ancestry. Deeply moved by her plight—and haunted by her beauty—Ruthveyn is determined to save Grace by unmasking a killer. But his growing passion for her soon places his own heart at risk and threatens to expose his dark gifts—and his dark society—to the world….
**This is the first book in the Fraternitas Aureae Crucis trilogy**
Out September 28, 2010
Order at:
***
I don’t know about you but seems like an awful lot of brilliant romances to look forward to!
Setting: 1838, Victorian Period
Summary:
She was his last chance for a future of happiness…
A gifted fortune-teller from a humble background, Jenny can make even the most sophisticated skeptic believe her predictions simply by batting her smoky eyelashes. Until she meets her match in Gareth Carhart, the Marquess of Blakely, a sworn bachelor and scientist.
He just didn’t know it yet
Broodingly handsome, Gareth is scandalized to discover his cousin has fallen under the spell of “Madame Esmerelda,” and vows to prove Jenny a fraud. But his unexpected attraction to the fiery enchantress defies logic. Jenny disrupts every facet of Gareth’s calculated plan—until he can’t decide whether to seduce her or ruin her. Now, as they engage in a passionate battle of wills, two lonely souls must choose between everything they know…and the boundless possibilities of love.
Click cover for more info
Review:
I was so happy when my copy of this book finanlly came through. I had to wait a whole 3 weeks before getting it and the anticiaption nearly killed me!
What did I think of the book? I loved it! It had me hooked from the first chapter and I spent nights staying up just to read it, completely shunning my homework. Towrds the middle of the book, I developed a hatred for it as it was such a distraction! Everytime I finished a chapter I had to start the new one and then that turned into another one… Needless to say that when I finanlly finished it, I breathed a sigh of relief. Now life can return to normal.
I love the heroine of this book! She was smart, savvy and independent. She didn’t let anything get her down. The hero was a great match for her and he reminded me so much of Mr. Darcy. He was cold and distant at the beginning and I loved reading how Jenny managed to thaw him up slowly. The scenes between the two were hot with tension which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Plot-wise, the book had a unique premise that was well pulled off. I laughed during the first half the book as Jenny and Gareth fought each other on fortune-telling matters. Courtney’s writing is great and really flowed.
My only problem with the book was that it slightly dragged on towards the end, making it easier for me to put it down (Perhaps that isn’t such a bad thing after all?:P). The book started off with a bang, dragged a little towards the end but then managed to end beautifully.
It was very romantic, very steamy, very funny and very wise. Courtney understands people and their emotions so well, and the characters and their feelings were so well portrayed, I felt like I knew them.
I also enjoyed the glimpse of her next book and can’t wait to read it when it comes out later this year!
Sensuality Level: Very SPICY (Long and very detailed love scenes)
Final Verdict-A must read! You will read it, laugh, stay up all night to try and finish, learn to hate it because it is distracting and then love it again when it’s over. Don’t miss it.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Historical Romance Addicts 