Home / Vivienne Lorret
Showing posts with label Vivienne Lorret. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vivienne Lorret. Show all posts

Monday, October 10, 2016

Blog Tour Excerpt and Giveaway: When a Marquess Loves a Woman by Vivienne Lorret


Welcome to the blog tour for When a Marquess Loves a Woman! I am thrilled to share an excerpt of this book today. Check it out!

The Debutante is Mine | This Earl is on Fire


About the Book:


When a Marquess Loves a Woman by Vivienne Lorret
Book Three of the Season's Original series
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Publication Date: October 4, 2016

Official Summary:

As a young, penniless gentleman, Maxwell Harwick knew he had little to offer Juliet White—the most beautiful debutante of the season—except his love, and one thoroughly scandalous kiss. But when they were discovered in a compromising position, a nearly ruined Juliet fled into the arms of a rich, older lord... taking Max’s heart with her.

Now a widow, Lady Juliet Granworth intends to use the fortune she inherited from her odious husband to build a new life in London. Five years have passed, but she’s never forgotten Max… or his soul-searing kiss. Yet it’s clear the newly-minted Marquess of Thayne has not forgiven her—after all, the infuriating man can barely stand the sight of her. But Juliet has endured far too much to give up without a fight and if it’s a battle of wills he wants, it’s a battle he’ll get.

He hates her for breaking his heart. She detests him for destroying her future. But beneath all the loathing, simmers an intoxicating passion that neither can ignore… and the harder they resist, the harder they will inevitably fall.



About the Author:


USA Today bestselling author, VIVIENNE LORRET loves romance novels, her pink laptop, her husband, and her two sons (not necessarily in that order … but there are days). Transforming copious amounts of tea into words, she is an Avon Impulse author of works including: Tempting Mr. Weatherstone, The Wallflower Wedding Series, The Rakes of Fallow Hall Series, The Duke’s Christmas Wish, and the Season’s Original Series.



The Excerpt:

Then, without warning, he crushed his mouth to hers.

 The shock of it made her grow still, her eyes still open, even as his closed and a groan tore from his throat.  The sound of it woke her, startling her into a new awareness. Max was kissing her, his lips firm and familiar, his tongue bold and commanding, daring her to retaliate. 

And she did, slanting her mouth beneath his, parrying with his tongue while clutching handfuls of his shirt in her fists. He groaned again, and the vibration of it had the strangest effect on her eyelids, for they drifted closed. Her head tilted, lips parting, allowing him deeper. She wasn’t sure if this was part of a battle or a strange sort of truce. 

Then again, weren’t truces civilized affairs between warring factions with cooler heads? That was certainly nothing like her and Max and this heated skirmish of mouths and hands. 

She didn’t know what possessed her, but she pulled the hem of his shirt free of his trousers, and now her palms were pressed against the hard plane of his abdomen, her fingertips grazing a soft dusting of hair. It seemed the sensible thing to do—explore the terrain of her opponent’s territory—and she refused to overthink her actions. 

The clasp of her cloak slipped free from her neck, the garment falling away as Max’s hands skimmed over her back, down the row of buttons descending to her derriere, then swept upward past the scalloped lace and to the bare flesh between her shoulder blades. His touch sent a shiver down her body, making her arch like a bow against him, poised to strike. Every inch of her skin suddenly felt taut, her breasts heavy, tingling. Her stomach dropped lower, weighted, emitting a sweet clenching sensation that seemed to deplete the air in her lungs. 

She broke away from the kiss, turning her head, breathing hard now. Max did not cease his onslaught. He was battle ready, always, and far more skilled in this manner of warfare. 

Even so, Juliet had no intention of surrendering. “You destroyed the walls because you’re afraid that I will win our wager and bring another man here? My, my, Max, that sounds rather like a jealous man.”

His attention shifted to the column of her throat, where his wet, open-mouthed kisses called attention to the steady throb at the apex of her thighs. She wanted to close her legs against it and squeeze tightly, but Max was there, the hard length of him pushing against her, driving her back against the wall. Her hips rocked against his in retaliation—or perhaps because she wanted to feel him once more. Suddenly, she wasn’t sure that a battle was supposed to feel this good. But with Max, it was difficult to tell the difference. Part of her loved fighting with him. Every argument felt like a prelude to something more, something so near and yet still out of reach. 

Her frustration mounted when he did not answer her taunt, and so she slipped her hands free of his shirt, took his face in her hands, and kissed him again. Yes, that would show him that she was in control. This time, her tongue swept into his mouth, and her hips rolled slowly against his. And because she wasn’t finished proving it, she continued, even as he lifted her off the ground, his hands clasped over her hips and lower still, until he was cupping her bottom. 

She found purchase on a demilune console, Max between her thighs, his position edging her skirts upward. But now the muslin was bunched between them. Parting her knees did nothing to bring him back to where he was a moment ago, to ease that insistent pulse. It was just like Max to give her a taste of something, only to leave her without. But she wasn’t going to let him do that to her again. So just like in many battles, she took him prisoner, locking her legs around him. 

Max set his hands over her wrists and slowly drew them down from his face, his gaze fierce. “I am not going to be the one to stop this, Juliet. Do you understand? It will be you, like always.” He shook his head, pressing his forehead to hers. “I have reached my limit, and this game of ours must conclude, one way or the other.”

Her first impulse was to challenge him in return, but when she read his expression, she couldn’t. The edgy mockery she typically saw was no longer there. He searched her gaze, his dark eyes seeming vulnerable, and the furrows between his brows no longer angry but pained. He was open and exposed, revealing a raw desire so potent that it almost frightened her. Mostly because she felt it too.

She realized this was no longer about the house or any of their arguments. In fact, she wasn’t sure if it ever was. No, this was about something more, that tangible thing between them that she couldn’t shake loose. 

If she chose to leave, she sensed that things would never be the same between them again. And if she stayed . . . things would never be the same between them again. 

But she’d come this far, and running away was not an option. She’d had five years to think about Max’s kiss. Five years of wondering what it might have been like if she’d made a different choice.

“I haven’t once looked at the door, Max.” And then she tipped her chin and pressed her mouth to his. 


The Giveaway:

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Review: This Earl is on Fire by Vivienne Lorret


This Earl is on Fire by Vivienne Lorret
Book Two of the Season's Original series
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Publication Date: August 2, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss

***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***

Summary (from Goodreads):

The sheltered daughter of a country baron, Miss Adeline Pimm comes to London looking for adventure… and finds it in the form of a bloody, unconscious man slumped in the doorway of her family’s rented townhouse. Though his identity is a mystery, Adeline is inexplicably drawn to the handsome, injured man and vows to nurse him back to health. 

Liam Cavanaugh, the scandalous Earl of Wolford, is startled when he awakens in an unfamiliar bed, wrapped in bandages that hinder his eyesight, with no memory of why he was beaten half to death. Although he can’t see the witty young woman who tends to his wounds, her alluring voice—and a single stolen kiss from her soft lips—helps soothe his pain. But when he is fully healed, Liam is not ready to let go of the one woman who stirs his deepest longings.

Liam will do whatever it takes to see Adeline again, even if it means giving up his rakish ways. But his disreputable past is not so easily forgotten and his secrets are far more dangerous than he—or Adeline—ever imagined.

What I Liked:

While I liked The Debutante is Mine more, this sequel was enjoyable and satisfying! This series in general is very fun and charming, and I'm glad I decided to read The Debutante is Mine on a whim. Jack and Lilah were a lovely pair to follow, but I did like Liam and Adeline together as well.

Adeline Pimm lives in the country with her parents, the baron and baroness of Boswick. She's always been sheltered, partly because of her limp, caused by a deformity in her leg. They've come to London for the first time for Adeline's season as a debutante. But they come to their rented London home to find a gentleman at their doorstep, bloody and unconscious. The Pimms are very kind and softhearted, and take care of the gentleman at the house. Liam Cavanaugh can't remember how he ended up where he is, or why or how he was beaten up. But as he is lying in bed, bandaged and bruised and unable to see for the time being (due to a bandaged head), he finds himself allured by the woman who won't leave his bedside. Adeline begins to care for Liam long before she actually seems him and knows who he is. What happens when two people who refuse to marry anyone fall in love? This is the sweet story of Liam and Adeline finding their way to each other.

What a cute story! We have Adeline, who is a bit naive and sheltered and believes that many marriages are based on true love, and love at first sight. When they find Liam on their doorstep, Adeline feels... something, in her heart. It isn't quite lust because she can't see him under all the blood. Could this be her soulmate? Time will tell.

Adeline is brave and strong and fearless, braving the ton with her limp. A deformity is frowned upon, and Adeline is talked about because of it. The Pimm family also takes a hit because they took in the notorious rake, the Earl of Wolford, and no one believes that he was actually beaten up until weeks later when he leaves the Pimm residence and he's still bruised. During that time, Adeline begins to care about Liam, and is sad to see him go. 

And then we have Liam, who isn't as rakish as we're led to believe. Sure, he's a flirt, and he's charming. But he hides behind walls of loneliness and sadness. He doesn't want to marry until he's sixty and needs an heir. He likes to buy and collect antique archaeological finds, and he has many, many houses full of them. Including the house next to the Pimms' residence! Which is how he ended up on their doorstep, bloodied and beaten. He had been on his way to one of his houses.

I liked reading from Liam's POV more so than Adeline's, because Liam had more depth and more sadness to him. This book isn't angsty or anything, and Liam's "dark past" isn't so terrible, but Liam has had to lead a life of mistrust and caution, when it comes to people. He hides behind his rakish reputation because he doesn't trust people. I wanted to give the poor guy a hug at so many points in the book! But then he's also a huge flirt, and he's funny.

The chemistry between these two is fairly sizzling! There is only one sex scene in this book, but all of the foreplay/"almost" scenes are pretty hot. I've noticed that Avon Impulse books are very low on the steamy radar, so I expected this. If I were giving this a steamy radar rating, it would be maybe two out of five. Which is not necessarily a bad thing!

The romance itself was cute to watch unfold. Adeline clearly falls for Liam, as much as she doesn't want to admit it. Liam falls for Adeline but realizes it slower. Both of them don't want to marry (Adeline, ever, and Liam, only when he's sixty). Liam tries to avoid Adeline because he thinks she'll marry and he doesn't want to ruin her. But they both fall for each other, and while Adeline might be a naive country girl, she still goes after what she wants.

I liked seeing Adeline's character growth in this story. She goes from naive country girl to assertive country girl turned noblewoman. And Liam grows even more than Adeline does; he learns how to be less reclusive and lonely, and he reassesses what he wants in life, and shifts his priorities. 

The mystery of Liam's attack was solved at the very end, and I personally didn't see it coming until just before it was revealed. It's an interesting twist! We also learn the full secrets of Liam's "dark past", which was sad. So I'm glad that the author tied everything back together.

This book was a solid sequel overall! I think I liked Jack and Lilah's story better, but I enjoyed Liam and Adeline's. I'm excited for Max and Juliet's!

What I Did Not Like:

More steamy scenes would be good! This book only had one sex scene, which really doesn't seem like enough in a historical romance novel. But Avon Impulse's books seem to be less steamy (which could be good or bad). I vote more steamy, please!

I don't have many complaints, but this book isn't a new favorite, so it's only getting four stars from me! I'm very stingy with my five-star ratings, and this book definitely did not feel like a five-star novel. It was good though!

Would I Recommend It:

I'd probably recommend The Debutante is Mine more than this one, but this book was also great! The series is a cute one, but not a must-read series. I like the idea of the Originals, so the connection between the stories and characters is cool. If you're an HR fan, these books are not too shabby - and they're fairly cheap!

Rating:

4 stars. I'm excited about When a Marquess Loves a Woman! I feel like this series has been leading up to Max and Juliet's collision. Here's hoping it'll be good!


Was this review helpful? Please let me know in the comments section!

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Review: The Debutante is Mine by Vivienne Lorret


The Debutante is Mine by Vivienne Lorret
Book One of the Season's Original series
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Publication Date: April 12, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Copy sent by the publisher

***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***

Summary (from Goodreads):

From the Season Standard: “A true Season’s Original embodies the class, grace, and style of the ton. Such an honor ensures the recipient her pick of eligible suitors…”

Lilah Appleton’s prospects are looking dim. With one last chance to find a titled husband before she’s forced to wed her wretched cousin, she must make this Season count. Plain, forgettable Lilah must become the Season’s Original. Desperate, she seeks help from the devilishly charming, untitled, and thoroughly unsuitable Jack Marlowe. All she must do now is resist the tempting rogue…

Bastard son and self-made man, Jack Marlowe loathes the aristocracy. When he meets Lilah, he expects her to be like all the other greedy husband-hunters. But she’s far more dangerous. Her alluring smiles and sharp tongue intrigue him. Before he knows it, he agrees to help her find a husband, revealing tricks to ensnare any man. The only problem is, his plan works too well—on him.

When Lilah becomes the belle of the ball, Jack realizes he may lose her forever—unless he can take a chance on love and claim his debutante...

What I Liked:

I received a copy of this book via the Avon Addicts program, sponsored by the publisher! In no way did this affect my opinion of the book. 

I've not read a book by Lorret! I've seen her historical romance novels around, and some very positive reviews for her books. I knew that eventually, being the HR lover that I am, I would read one of her books. This one was an excellent start! I adored this sweet, enjoyable novel.

At twenty-three, Lilah Appleton is at her third and most likely final Season. At the end of this Season, if she doesn't land a rich, titled husband, she'll be forced to marry her cousin, in order to keep the family estate/lands/money within the family... as decreed by her controlling, verbally abusive father (who is dead before the beginning of this book). When Lilah meets Jack Marlowe, she knows better than to engage with the likes of him. His reputation is quite known - he likes women, and he makes a lot of money. He's the bastard son of an already rich duke, but he wants nothing to do with his father. What better way to learn how to charm noblemen than to enlist the help of a notorious rake who is estranged from the ton?

Ahhhh! Did I mention that this book was cute? It was! Sweet, cute, adorable, with touches of angst and "real" issues that gave the story and characters depth, but weren't overwhelming. I LOVE that this book is over one hundred pages shorter than your average HR novel. If you're looking for a sweet and steamy HR novel that won't take forever to read, here is one!

On the note of this novel being short - the length of the story did not hinder the development of the story or the characters or the conflict! Lorret does a marvelous job of telling the story and keeping the pacing steady and yet engaging. We know that time passes in this book, even if the book does not have scenes for each day in the hero and heroine's life since meeting. Days and weeks pass in this book, so no need to worry about rushed development!

Lilah is such an adorable protagonist! She is so determined to find a titled gentleman this Season - and with good reason. She has her hopes set on Lord Ellery, who lives close to where her family's estate is (Lilah is currently living with an aunt). But sadly, literally everyone (man or woman) seems to forget Lilah exists, or that they were introduced to Lilah in the past, or that Lilah is in the room too. She thinks of herself as plan and unforgettable. But she has a lot of self-esteem and confidence, and she has a fiery tongue when she isn't stuffing herself behind society rules. I adore her!

But Jack - Jack is easily my favorite character of the book. Oh Jack! He's the only son of a very important and rich duke (who's name and title I've forgotten), and he's the duke's bastard son. The duke married and had eight daughters, all much younger than Jack, and none of which can inherit. For the first ten years of his life, Jack had a very difficult life. His father wouldn't marry his mistress (Jack's mother), so the mistress had to raise her son on her own, until Jack was ten, and she sent him to his father, so that the duke would send Jack to school. And off to Eton Jack went. Jack has held bitterness toward his father for years, even though the duke and duchess want nothing more than for Jack to "come home" and accept his place with them, as heir, and son.

I don't blame Jack! His childhood was rough, and when he left for Eton, he felt terrible for leaving his mother (and he was only ten!). Jack is a charming, wickedly charming young man, and Lilah sees him as a warrior. He is a large guy, and he's a self-made man. He's a curiosity in polite society (as a bastard son), and so he avoids society. Until Lilah, who intrigues him. Suddenly, you can find Jack at all the social events! Which makes for HILARIOUS scenes, trust me.

I love how lighthearted this story is, so funny and cute! Lilah and Jack have a hate-to-love relationship (well, at least on Lilah's side). I liked seeing them dance around each other (so to speak)!

I mentioned Jack's issues with his father - honestly, I loved this "angst" in the story. It's really not that angsty, but I loved it. There were two scenes with Jack and his father that BROKE my heart in pieces - poor Jack! Poor duke! I love how Lorret wrote those scenes. I wanted to give everyone a hug!

You see why I loved Jack, right? He's such a charming alpha, but he has daddy issues. I don't know why that package is so appealing to me, but it is!

The romance is sweet! There is chemistry between Jack and Lilah. Unfortunately there is only one sex scene (booo), but given the length of this novel (less than three hundred pages), that is to be expected, I suppose. Still, there were some subtly steamy scenes in this book! Not many though.

Overall, I really liked this novel. I picked it up on a whim and I regret nothing! 

What I Did Not Like:

Obviously I'm going to mention the lack of sex scenes! Of course I am. It's weird because I liked how this book was shorter than your average HR novel, but I definitely wanted more sexy times!

A note that is more to the publisher than author - the print of this paperback was SO small. Like, even smaller than the text size of your average HR novel. I have great vision but I was totally squinting! 

Would I Recommend It:

I highly recommend this novel, if you're in the mood for HR but don't have the time for one of those four hundred page bad boys! Length of book almost never bothers me; however, I appreciated the fact that this book was short! It was adorable. And the ebook is very cheap!

Rating:

4 stars. My first venture into Lorret books was a success! I definitely want to continue the series. I believe Wolford (who's name is LIAM!) is next, and then Max/Juliet! I am super SUPER excited for Max/Juliet's book. So many secrets between those two. Need!


Was this review helpful? Please let me know in the comments section!
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)