Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Review Tour: Of Hope and Anguish by Silvia Violet

Title: Of Hope and Anguish
Author: Silvia Violet
Series: Revolutionaries #2
Genre: M/M Romance, Historical
Release Date: March 6, 2018
Cover Design: Meredith Russell


Summary:
Jack and Eli have been separated for months while Jack gathers intelligence in Philadelphia and Eli spies on British officers in New York. When Jack has to take on the role of spymaster and work behind-the-scenes, Eli offers to insinuate himself in Philadelphia’s loyalist circles, taking Jack’s place.

As Eli works to uncover traitorous negotiations between a high-ranking American officer and the British, he cozies up to British spymaster John Andre. Jack doesn’t like Eli putting himself at risk, nor does he like seeing him fawning over a beautiful, charming man.

As the chances of the American army surviving the winter decline, tensions mount between Jack and Eli, threatening to tear them apart. They will have to rely on their love and trust for one another to make it through these harrowing months.


With their missions keeping them apart, Jack and Eli haven't had much time together but now that Jack has to step in and position of Spymaster, Eli finds himself in Philadelphia taking Jack's place.  Having made an acquaintanceship with British spymaster John Andre while they were both in New York, Eli continues to cozy up to the charming enemy Andre hoping to learn all he can but will the secrets be worth the jealousy and looming possibility of losing Jack for good?

I am going to start right off the bat by saying I forgot just how much I loved Eli and Jack not to mention the lovely determined Constance.  For those who may say well that's just unrealistic that a woman would have been so forthright in the spy ring over 200 years ago, well I say "You don't know your history".  Now back to Eli and Jack, how can you not love these two?  The love they have for each other is pretty obvious but so is their love for freedom.  I won't expand on the plot more than that but I just need to say that Silvia Violet balances the mission and the heart beautifully, I won't say evenly because there is drama that tends to tip the scales one way or the other but she does it realistically.  I truly loved how the author stayed true to the times and yet Of Hope and Anguish is entertaining and not a history lesson, which personally I think is a perfect example that speaks of the author's talent. 

The American Revolution is not a time period that is often used in the M/M genre and I wish we had more so when I find one it pretty much automatically goes on my TBR list.  If it's not an era in historicals that you read often I highly recommend giving Silvia Violet's Revolutionaries a visit and "visit" is exactly what you will be doing.  To say the reader will feel like their living in the time is a bit of an exaggeration but you definitely will walk away with a better understanding of the era and an appreciation for what those who fought for our freedom from British Rule dealt with.  Will you learn a few things about the era? Sure.  Will you walk away entertained? Most certainly!  I hope this isn't the last time we see Eli, Jack, and Constance but if it is then I can safely say that Of Hope and Anguish is just as good and sucked me in as deeply as Revolutionary Temptation and I am already looking forward to re-reading these spies with heart.

RATING: 

Revolutionary Temptation #1
Summary:
1777 New York City

The American colonists are fighting for their independence, but the battlefield is not the only place to wage war. When General Washington’s head of intelligence asks Captain Jack West to spy on the British in New York, Jack agrees, despite reservations about this ungentlemanly pursuit.

Jack’s contact in the city recruits bookshop owner Elias Ashfield, an impeccably dressed sensualist who flaunts his desire for both men and women and seeks a place in high society. Jack longs for a simple life guided by clear principles. Eli is a risk-taker who knows how to get what he wants. And he wants Jack in his bed.

Events in Jack’s past have made him fearful of acting on his secret craving for a man’s touch, but Eli intrigues Jack as much as he infuriates him. As Jack and Eli search for the information the rebel army needs, they realize there’s more between them than mere lust. But finding a way to be together may prove more difficult than defeating the British Empire.

Original Review January 2017:
As a lover of historicals, I can honestly say that I absolutely LOVED Revolutionary Temptation!  The detail to the time really heightened an already great story of drama and love.  Jack is wary of his inclination, with good reason, and Eli is not.  Eli may not flaunt his lifestyle for all to see, it is a dangerous time to be gay afterall, but he also doesn't restrict his wants and he's certainly not as quiet as Jack thinks he should be.  When they find themselves brought together for the cause of freedom from the British, well, lets just say nothing is ever the same for either of them again.  Throw in Constance Sullivan, their boss in the New York spy ring, and you have an intriguing tale of love, espionage, freedom, that adds up to a wonderful read with just the right amount of angst and a little humor thrown in for good measure.  A great addition to my historical library that I'm already looking forward to re-reading.

RATING: 

Author Bio:
Silvia Violet writes fun, sexy stories that will leave you smiling and satisfied. She has a thing for characters who are in need of comfort and enjoys helping them surrender to love even when they doubt it exists. Silvia's stories include sizzling contemporaries, paranormals, and historicals. When she needs a break from listening to the voices in her head, she spends time baking, taking long walks, and curling up with her favorite books. Keep up with her latest ventures by signing up for her newsletter.


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EMAIL: silviaviolet@gmail.com



Of Hope and Anguish #2
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Revolutionary Temptation #1
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March 6 - V's Reads
March 10 - Dog-Eared Daydreams
March 12 - Making It Happen

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Cover Reveal: Victorian Town by Nancy Thorne

Title: Victorian Town
Author: Nancy Thorne
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Mystery, Time-Travel
Expected Release Date: March 28, 2018
Summary:
Abby Parker planned out her whole life: complete her final year of high school, go to college, get a job, move away from her insane family, stay best friends with Jessica.

But, that was before she broke into the nearby tourist attraction and unwittingly answered a call from a centuries-old spirit who dragged her into the 19th century.

Now she must solve a Victorian mystery without getting herself killed, or worse, spend a lifetime trapped in the past, leaving behind everyone she loves and altering their lives forever.

When she meets gorgeous Benjamin, the future looks a lot like wreckage.


I waited for him to make the next move, to tell me how inappropriate, how forward that was of me. As I struggled to think of how best to offer an explanation, he turned to me. Gently but deliberately, he moved his hand up my arm, stopping at the nape of my neck beneath the ribbon of the bonnet.

The moment he leaned in, I closed my eyes. His lips, soft and full, touched mine with the modest pressure of an indecisive act. A warm energy coursed through my body, but the strangest thing was that everything felt unbelievably familiar, like it had all been rehearsed before that moment. I held onto this profound feeling, not wanting it to leave, until Ben removed his lips from mine.

Even with the whistled melodies from a pair of cardinals outside the church's entrance, the following silence felt awkward. It persisted, and I assumed Ben was already regretting kissing me.

"Miss Abigail−"

I brought up a hand and covered his mouth. "It's okay."

We walked down the hill without saying another word. A lot of activity was happening on Main Street: coaches lined the front of the Royal Hotel as travelers zipped in and out of the main entrance; horse carts delivered goods in dashes of haste; store merchants hurried beyond their open doors; street sellers sold goods out of baskets; helpers swept the boardwalk; ladies could be seen purchasing last minute necessities behind the windows of each shop.

Ben accompanied me up the stairs of Town Hall's entrance and stopped on the landing before we reached the front door. I peered through the window. Martha arranged long-stemmed flowers in a vase on a table at the side of the ballroom. A young man placed a candelabra on a table and then another on top of a piano. Ben had already started back to the street when I turned. He waved. I waved back. Still a chance he'll change his mind.

The gloves were easier to remove now that one was missing its button. I placed them, and the button, on the ledge of the window and took off the ring.

Jess was still sitting on my bed when the haze cleared, but her tapping fingers had moved from her chin, which now rested on her knuckles. It was obvious it had taken longer for me to return this time. It made sense to me right then that the ring held within it a finite amount of energy with which to transport me to the past and back home, like a battery depleting its energy with each use. And, I had no idea how to recharge it.

Author Bio:
Nancy Thorne is an award-winning author of fiction inspired by the romance, courage and struggles of youth.

Born and raised in a suburb of Toronto, she fostered a passion for creating stories in grade school but hid it much too well. Five years ago she stepped away from the pediatric health care field to pursue her lifelong dream of telling them.

When she's not writing books or reading, she's dreaming.

Nancy lives outside of Toronto with her husband, two sons and an incredibly energetic fox-red labrador.

She loves to hear from her readers, even just to say hi.









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Blog Tour: The Island by Sarah M Cradit

Title: The Island
Author: Sarah M Cradit
Series: Vampires of the Merovingi #1
Genre: Historical Fantasy Horror
Release Date: March 12, 2018
Summary:
From the USA Today bestselling fantasy author of the House of Crimson & Clover novels comes a chilling new historical fantasy series, Vampires of the Merovingi. Ancient lore, a vidid historical backdrop, and elusive, tantalizing mythical creatures await readers as they dive into the secretive, ancient, powerful world of The Saga of Crimson & Clover. 

1789. Saint-Domingue. Hispaniola. West Indies. 

Etienne de Blanchefort has seen incredible success as a colonial planter in the Northern Province of Saint-Domingue. Though uprooting his family from France a decade past was a gamble, life in the tropical West Indies has been good to him, his wife, and four children. With France embroiled in their great revolution across the Atlantic, he harbors little doubt he made the right decision for his family’s future.

Until, that is, the arrival of his fiend.

Etienne’s practical nature cannot reconcile what he knows to be true of his world with what he cannot ignore about the abominable creature haunting his family and the island.

Nor can he ignore his wife’s terrifying dreams that slowly steal her vitality.

Or Victorine’s burgeoning free spirit and wariness of their way of life.

Or Nanette’s curious, furtive behavior as she hides in trees.

Or Marius’ secret new friendship with one he cannot name.

Or Flosine’s unsettling drawings of a man from a time long before theirs.

Etienne’s fiend will not stay elusive for long. He has a request. A very particular, very important request, one that will change the lives of Etienne, his family, and his descendants forever.

What Others Are Saying:
“The Island looks to be the start of a riveting series and I look forward to meeting more of the vampires!” - Teri

“I felt driven to reach the end, to uncover the mystery, to really know these characters and the circumstances that helped to mold them.” - Elizabeth Connor

“Another stunning read by Sarah. I can already tell this series is going to one you can escape to time and time again.” - Katy Birch

Author Bio:
USA Today Bestselling Author of the Paranormal Southern Gothic series, The House of Crimson & Clover, born of her combined passion for New Orleans, and the mysterious complexity of human nature. Her work has been described as rich, emotive, and highly dimensional.

An unabashed geek, Sarah enjoys studying obscure subjects like the Plantagenet and Ptolemaic dynasties, and settling debates on provocative Tolkien topics such as why the Great Eagles are not Gandalf's personal taxi service. Passionate about travel, Sarah has visited over twenty countries collecting sparks of inspiration (though New Orleans is where her heart rests). She's a self-professed expert at crafting original songs to sing to her very patient pets, and a seasoned professional at finding ways to humiliate herself (bonus points if it happens in public). When at home in Oregon, her husband and best friend, James, is very kind about indulging her love of fast German cars and expensive lattes.


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