WINNER!!!

And the WINNER is.....

Mercedes Cauffman!!!

Congratulations Mercedes!!!

Thank you to everyone who participated!!

The Light in Summer by Mary McNear

The Light in Summer

by

Mary McNear

Blurb:

"For the lovely Billy Harper, Butternut Lake is the only place she feels most at home, even though lately she believes the only one listening to her is Murphy...her faithful Labrador Retriever. Her teenage son, Luke, has gone from precious to precocious practically overnight. Her friends are wrapped up in their own lives, and Luke's father, Wesley, disappeared before his son was even born. No wonder she prefers to spend time with a good book, especially ones in which everything ends in perfection. But Billy is about to learn that anything is possible during the heady days of summer. Coming to terms with her past--the death of her father; the arrival of Cal Cooper, a complicated man with a definite interest in Billy; even the return of Wesley--will force her to have a little bit of faith in herself and others...and realize that happiness doesn't always mean perfection."

My Review:

I haven't related to a character this much in a long time! Billy and I could be best friends! She is a librarian in a small town, and she loves to read as much as I do. At night she takes her beloved Jane Austen novels out onto her back patio and reads until bedtime. Although I can't do that at my house without a LOT of mosquito spray, I would love to. That sounds like the perfect ending to a day! The characters that surround Billy are also well written, realistic, and feel like they could be your neighbors. I love the voice in this book. It's well written, has the perfect amount of description, and is a fun and entertaining read. Although the kids are back at school (sad!), it's still technically summer, right? So this book is the perfect read to close out the summer. It has everything you need: a hot guy driving a porsche 911 GT2 RS, Jane Austen quotes, a little teenage rebellion, a past that suddenly collides with the future, and a budding romance. It is a bit predictable, but I still enjoyed the ride. This is one of my favorite passages from the book (Because it's totally me; I do this exact same thing!):

  

"Well, you'll definitely want to take enough reading material for the flight," Billy said. "But"--and here she glanced at the books in the stack--"seven books? Do you really think you can read that many? "Probably not," Mara said. "Except, what if I don't like one of them? Or even two of them? Or what if I read them really fast?" Billy smiled and, resting her elbows on the desk, leaned forward and asked confidentially, "Mara, do you have a fear of being without a book?" Mara nodded her head vigorously. Billy smiled. "I have that fear, too. It's why I keep at least three books in my shoulder bag at all times. In case I finish one and I don't like another. I also keep a book in the glove compartment of my car, and a couple more of them in the trunk. Just for good measure. Because you never know when you're going to need a book."

Rating: R (This book is not appropriate for younger readers. There isn't a lot of profanity, but there is some. There isn't any violence, but there are a few "intimacy" scenes, and discussions about "intimacy." Some of the scenes are more detailed than others.)

Recommendation: Adult

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Proper Romance Give-away!!!

In celebration of August being 

Romance Awareness Month, 

I have a HUGE give-away!!

I have copies of five proper romances to give away! 

It's a winner-take-all celebration!

If you win, you receive a copy of:

The Lady of the Lakes by Josi S. Kilpack

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

The Vicar's Daughter by Josi S. Kilpack

The Sheriffs of Savage Wells by Sarah M. Eden

Forever and Forever by Josi S. Kilpack

There are only two requirements for this give-away!

#1 Like the Proper Romance Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/ProperRomanceSeries/)

#2 Comment below with your name and email address (These will be private, and I will not add your email address to any lists or anything, it's just so I can notify you if you win.)

That's it!!! I will announce the winner on August 31st!!!

Good luck!!!

The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson

The Almost Sisters

by

Joshilyn Jackson

Blurb:

"Superheroes have always been Leia Birch Brigg's weakness. One tequila-soaked night at a comic-book convention, the usually level-headed graphic novel artist is swept off her barstool by a handsome and anonymous Batman. She remembers he was tall, black, and an excellent French-kisser--but not much else. It turns out the Caped Crusader has left her with more than just a fond, fuzzy memory. That pink plus sign on the stick isn't wrong; she's having a baby--an unexpected but not unhappy development. She always wanted to fall in love and have a child, but as a young woman, she learned exactly what betrayal felt like. Now she's thirty-eight and dead single, having walked--no, run--away from every man she might have married, trying to avoid more loss, more regrets. Before Leia can break the news of her impending single-motherhood (including the fact that her baby is biracial) to her conventional lily-white southern family, her perfect stepsister Rachel's marriage implodes. Leia wants to help, but Rachel is married to the very man who broke her heart all those years ago. Worse, she learns her beloved ninety-year-old grandmother, Birchie, has been hiding her rapidly progressing dementia with the help of her lifelong best friend, Wattie. Birchie is Leia's only living paternal relative, a proper yet fierce woman who has long lived by her own rules in Birchville, Alabama, the small town her family founded generations back. Now this grande dame has started a row at the church fish fry that has set every tongue wagging, pitted neighbor against neighbor, and made it plain to Leia that her grandmother needs some serious looking after. Heading seven hundred miles south, Leia plans to put Birchie's affairs in order, clean out the big Victorian that has been in the Birch family for generations, and break the news of her blessed event. Yet just when Leia thinks she's got it all under control, she learns that illness is not the only thing Birchie's been hiding. Tucked away in a trunk in the attic is a dangerous secret with roots that reach all the way back to the Civil War. Its exposure threatens the family's freedom and future, and will change everything about how Leia sees herself and her sister, her unborn son and the possibilities of his absent father, and the warm and friendly--yet deeply flawed and contradictory--world she thinks she knows."

My Review:

I loved the characters in this book! They are all so full of life, well developed, and realistic. Each of the characters has a great voice; I loved that there was some spontaneity, a few flaws, a bunch of secrets, and lots of love to go around. Leia is probably the character that I relate to the least; graphic novels are definitely not my forte. The great thing is that it didn't really matter because she has such a great voice that I found myself caring about her and the sudden drama surrounding her family. And there's drama. Definite drama. Birchie is hilarious and yet so complex all at the same time, and her friend Wattie is such a great side-kick character. Rachel and Lavender both add to the story as well. The plot of this book is full of twists and turns, and is a great ride. It's definitely a page-turner! The relationship between Birchie and Wattie is so sweet, yet so sneaky. I loved the two of them together. I could just picture them plotting to take over the world while rocking in their rocking chairs on their Southern front porch. Birchville is the perfect setting for the book; the town square with the church and the shops comes alive with Ms. Jackson's excellent descriptions. I couldn't put this book down. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Rating: R (This book is not appropriate for younger readers. There is some profanity, including a few "f" words, and there is some minor violence. There are a couple of "intimacy" scenes, and lots of talk about "intimacy" and body parts are named as well. 

Recommendation: Adult

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Secret of the India Orchid by Nancy Campbell Allen

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The Secret of the India Orchid

by

Nancy Campbell Allen

Blurb:

"Anthony Blake, the Earl of Wilshire, is in love with his best friend's sister, Sophia Elliot. But his plans to court her are put on hold when he is forced to resume his role as an undercover shy for the Crown. A secret document listing the names of the entire network of British spies--including his own--has been stolen. To protect Sophia, Anthony cuts off all ties to her and exchanges his life as an honorable earl for the facade of a flirtatious playboy. Heartbroken and confused, Sophia travels to India, hoping to find healing in one of the most distant regions of the British Empire. But the exotic land isn't as restful as she had hoped. Instead, she finds herself embroiled in a mystery of a missing sea captain, a possible murder, and a plot that could involve the prince of India. And when Anthony appears at the British Residency, asking questions and keeping his distance from her, she is stunned. She still loves him, and, in her heart, she knows he loves her too. But how can she rebuild her relationship with him if he won't confide in her? Does she dare offer her heart to him a second time, or will their love be lost under the India sun?"

My Review:

Wow! Although this is a proper romance, it could very well fit into the mystery section as well! This proper romance isn't all flowers and love notes; it has it's fair share of romance, for sure, but it's so much more! There's murder, betrayal, kidnapping, and lots of secret keeping. Sophia is a strong female character. She holds her own against the men who sometimes desire her to look pretty and do nothing else. I liked her spunk, independence, and compassion. Anthony is also a good, strong character. He may have a soft side underneath all that military/spy persona, and it kinda peaks out every once in awhile. Predictability aside, I enjoyed this book. It has everything you want in a proper romance: a few stolen kisses, a little bit of cheese, some great "Awwwww"s, and a mystery to boot! What could be better?? It's definitely the most edgy proper romance I've read (more violent-not more racy), and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked the mystery, the secrets, the search for the culprit, and that it took the book past just cheesy romance, and elevated it. I recommend this book.

Rating: PG-13 (There isn't any "intimacy," except for a few brief kisses, and there isn't any profanity-to my recollection. There is a murder, but you don't read about it as it happens, you find out after it has occurred. There are a couple of scenes where characters die, some in kind of graphic ways.)

Recommendation: YA (13+) and Adult

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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