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Book Review: Kiss of a Duke

July 14, 2020 by Elizabeth Drake

KissofaDuke
Beautiful cover!

Beautiful cover, NYT Best Selling author I had not heard of before, and the book was being offered for $0.99 during COVID. Yep, I snapped it up and finally got around to reading it.

The book is spectacular!

It is the second in the series, but it totally stands alone. Wouldn’t have even known it was the second in a series if it hadn’t said so.

The dialogue is sharp and witty. Seriously. It made me grin and even laugh out loud a few times. The sass, I loved the sass. So well done!

The characters, all of them, are terrific. Real. Quirky. Fun. And no one is too stupid to live. As a matter-of-fact, the heroine is literally brilliant. And it shows. Her friends are brilliant, too.

The plot is standard Regency fare, which is fine and what I was searching for amid the fear of a pandemic and everything else going on. I was not looking for a ride down a waterfall, but a nice float down a river. I more than got it. Best of all, the plot was real all the way through, and without filler.

The research that went into this book is stellar. You can tell the author understood the subject, and loved how the heroine saw the whole world through the eyes of a chemist. It was perfect!

I picked up two more books by this author. That says how much I liked this one.

Filed Under: Book Review, Uncategorized Tagged With: Alchemist, artist, Book Review, Christmas, duke, love, research, Romance Novels, Romance Writer

Short Story: Kane’s First Birthday Party

May 28, 2020 by Elizabeth Drake

The recent Kane shorts spurred a conversation between my husband and me over the character. Kane intrigued him, and he decided to try his hand at a short story featuring Kane.

I am extremely pleased with it, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

acrobats-1934555_640
Acrobats!

Kane’s First Birthday Party

Acrobats. Trained bears. Musicians. And clowns.

Kane was fascinated by the clowns. Not entertained, exactly, there was something about them…

Francis disengaged himself from a group of brightly dressed party guests and sprinted over to the table where Kane was sitting alone, sipping a cup of punch.

“Kane!”  Francis beamed at him. “You came to my birthday party!”

Kane put down the cup and frowned at Francis. He tried to read the other boy for any signs of sarcasm, hidden meanings, or obligatory politeness. None. Francis was genuinely happy to see him. As he always was.

“Baffling,” Kane muttered to himself, still not understanding why. But he sighed, got out of his chair, and allowed Francis to give him a big, joyful hug.  Kane awkwardly hugged the other boy back. Hugs were something Kane was never sure he was doing correctly as Francis was about the only person he ever hugged.

“So this is a birthday party,” Kane said.  “Their Graces, the Duke and Duchess Fullbright, throw you a party just for being born?  And they do so every year, even though you were only born once?”

“And later we’re serving cake!” Francis grinned.

“Francis,” the Duchess Fullbright called.

“Be right there, Mother,” Francis said. “Enjoy the acrobats. They’re quite good. I will be back as soon as I can.”

Kane ignored the acrobats. He struggled to see the point of the entire event. Francis had turned seven years old, but was that really an accomplishment worth celebrating? Did Francis suffer from some grave malady that significantly limited the number of years he had?

It seemed unlikely. Francis was the sole heir to House Fullbright, and if he were ill, Kane would have learned of it.

Retreating to the edge of the gathering so he could watch the other guests, Kane waited for the promised cake. He’d never had it before, and Francis’s excitement over it made him curious.

“Cake” turned out to be a nauseatingly over-sweet bread that made Kane gag.  The texture was nice, but it was topped with an even-more-sugary kind of grease called “frosting”.  To Kane’s disbelief, the other children devoured theirs.  Kane had two bites, managed not to vomit, then discreetly scraped the rest behind some rose bushes in the garden.

“No need to waste good cake,” said a voice.  “If you didn’t want it, you could have given it to someone else.”

Kane’s eyes widened in surprise. He stood up straight, turned to face the voice, and bowed low, holding his plate and fork behind him.

“Your Highness,” Kane said.  “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Prince William’s smile was warm and genuine. “You can relax with all that ‘your highness’ stuff. Only our parents care about it.  Please just call me William.”

Prince William was seven-and-a-half summers, and one of the few people Kane liked and respected.

“I didn’t expect to see you here, either,” Prince William said.  “You’ve never attended any of the other birthday parties. Your parents always said you were too busy.”

Kane didn’t reply.  He had only just learned yesterday that there were such things as birthday parties.  He was still trying to grasp their purpose.

“Your Highne….I mean, William,” Kane said, “have you ever had a birthday party?”

Prince William grinned, appearing more like a boy and less like a prince. “Of course!  But not one like this. Francis’s mother and father want everyone to have a good time.  With my mom and dad, it’s all about security. I was only allowed to come here because…”  William trailed off.

The prince had almost said too much, and Kane could guess what he’d been about to say before he caught himself.

As the clowns juggled, danced, and pulled coins from behind people’s ears, they also watched.

They didn’t watch William, but they watched the people who watched William.  Especially anyone who was near him or moving in his direction.

Knowing this helped Kane relax.  Prince William’s life was both very important and very targeted, and Kane harbored doubts about Francis’s family fully understanding that.  But of course Their Majesties would not have allowed the only royal heir to attend a birthday party without generously supplying some of the entertainment themselves.

William smiled as he surveyed the festivities.

“Francis seems to take after his father.”

Kane had wanted to ask William more about birthday parties, particularly the why of them.  But he let it go for the moment.

“How do you mean, Your High…err…how do you mean?”

William kicked a pebble and looked up at the clouds as he answered.  “Most kids our age, at their own birthday party, want to have as much fun as they can.  Now watch Francis for a moment.”

Kane raised an eyebrow and frowned, but did as William suggested.  Francis was sitting amidst a group of children watching one of the puppeteers.

“He seems to be having an awful lot of fun to me,” Kane said. As he watched, another party guest got nudged by a child chasing after a ball and dropped her ice cream.  Francis got up and left the puppet show, went over to where the ice cream was being served, and pointed to the girl. The server gave him a new cone, and Francis brought it over to her just as she was beginning to cry.

“He’s spending his own party trying to make sure everyone else is having a good time,” said Kane.  He remembered Francis talking to him earlier and telling him to enjoy the acrobats.  Talking up the cake.  But Kane had been too puzzled by it all to enjoy any of it.

“Is this another birthday thing?” Kane asked. “Is Francis rewarded in some way if he makes enough people happy?”

William smiled. “It’s not a birthday thing. It’s a Francis thing. And I think he does it because, to him, it is the reward.”

            ###

 The cake had been eaten, the games played, and the musicians and animal-trainers were packing up.

Kane still didn’t understand why so much fuss had gone into an anniversary of Francis’s birth, but aside from the cake, he had enjoyed himself. He must have enjoyed himself, he reasoned, or else he wouldn’t be feeling disappointment that it was over.

The adults were finishing up their conversations and saying goodbye to one another.   Soon they would begin rounding up their children for everyone to head home.

Kane found Prince William, still being discreetly guarded by the “clowns”, with several of the other children all saying their goodbyes to each other and to Francis. Many were admiring Francis’s presents.  Kane figured he’d say goodbye to William because he genuinely admired the young prince, and he’d bid Francis farewell because it was his party and politeness demanded it.

To Kane’s surprise, when he got near enough, the other children smiled and cheerfully said how happy they were that he’d been able to come. A few of them even hugged him. Kane stood stiffly as they did so, then realized he should be hugging them back, and made his best attempt.

William didn’t hug him, but gave Kane a warm smile and a respectful nod.  Kane imagined what it would be like when they were grown. He would be the Duke of Erembour, and William would be the king he faithfully served. William would be a good king.  Kane wasn’t sure that he would be a good duke, but was determined to try his best for William.

Francis, of course, did hug him.  He hugged everybody.

            ###

 On the coach ride home with his mother, Kane’s thoughts swirled in a vortex of questions.  He wondered which ones he could ask without upsetting her.

His Highness, Prince William, says that the children of all the other Paragon Houses have parties for their birthdays.

Phrased that way, it wasn’t a question.  But his mother would know that a question was implied.

His Highness, Prince William, came to Francis’ birthday party.  Do you think he would come if we had a party?

That was just as blatant, but might convince her that he cared about the sort of things she wanted him to care about. There was nothing more important in House Erembour than serving the royal family.

I’d never even heard of birthday parties before, but everyone else seemed to know what they are.

That was another statement that just implied the question.  He could probably state it with enough disinterest to avoid setting off one of her moods, and she might even give him a casual explanation.

Why were you and Father telling everyone I was too busy to visit them? And why aren’t you telling them that anymore? Is it because Father is dead now?

He pressed a hand his chest where he could still feel the raised edge of the scar through his tunic.

No. Kane could imagine her fury if he came right out and asked that.

Kane knew the anniversary of his own birth (his “birthday” as everyone apparently called it) was only a few weeks away.  He’d be turning seven as well.  He wondered if his mother, the Duchess of Erembour, would host a party for him.

He wasn’t sure what he wanted the answer to be.

But he hoped that she would at least ask him.

Filed Under: Short Stories, Uncategorized Tagged With: acrobats, Birthday, Birthday Parties, clowns, duchess, duke, Kane, Prince William, Romance, romance author, Romance Novels, Romance Writer, William

Book Review: The Fairy Tale Bride

March 25, 2020 by Elizabeth Drake

FairyTaleBride
Pretty cover!

Okay, so a pretty cover, a good title, and an enticing blurb lured me into buying the book.

I almost stopped reading it and put it aside no fewer than three times. I convinced myself to finish reading it, not because I cared what happened to the characters (hint: I didn’t), but to make myself at least think about why this didn’t work for me.

I mean, it had *so* much catnip in it for me.

  • The Duke of Watterly is jeeringly referred to as “Saint Simon”. You all know my love of white knights.
  • A heroine who loves literature and fairy tales
  • A chance meeting that leads to a marriage of convenience
  • The ticking clock of the duke going to “die” in six months

Except, the author gives me none of it.

Simon is a saint only because the author tells me he is. He lies to the heroine repeatedly, treats her poorly, and is really just a whiny cabbage. I have no idea why she feels anything for him, and while I get his attraction to her, I am never really sold on it. I need my white knights to show me their shiny armor, not just have an author tell me it’s there. Especially when what they show me is something else entirely.

Yes, the heroine likes literature and fairy tales. Sold.

The chance meeting is…lackluster. This is usually totally catnip for me where I am turning the pages as they spend the night together, even if nothing actually happens. But the anticipation that it could…except it gets interrupted by a small child. And the villain.

Wait, what?

And the villain is so bad, not only does he literally have a handlebar mustache, but he attempts to rape the heroine more than once and is revealed, without laying any prior groundwork, to be insane in the last few chapters. *eye roll*

This is a low heat novel. Not much more than a few kisses and pets. Closed door romance can still have intensity. It didn’t.

This ticking clock is completely contrived and could be made to untick all at the duke’s whim. I get why he is all upset at not being the “legitimate” duke, but for a man so bent on that, he certainly doesn’t seem to care about the people on his lands, his duty, or those that rely on him. There should have been *WAY* more angst over this for a “saint”. Or maybe even some. And, of course, his saintly ways didn’t include denying himself the woman he loved even though he knew having her would break her heart. Yeah, real saint, this one.

The ending was so anticlimactic, I actually played some video games before finally getting around to finishing the book.

All in, it felt like the author took some of my favorite tropes, mixed them together, and forgot to turn on the oven.

 

 

Filed Under: Book Review, Uncategorized Tagged With: duke, reviews, romance author, Romance Novels, Romance Writer, Victorian

Short Story – Ice Queen’s Ball

February 26, 2020 by Elizabeth Drake

For those curious, yes, this is the same Callen and Daniella from Seducing the Ice Queen. They were haunting my thoughts again, so I decided to let them tell a little more of their story. This short story takes place before the events of the book.

 

Ice Queen’s Ball

Lady Daniella glided across the ballroom, pausing to touch fingertips and exchange pleasantries with some of the most distinguished ladies in the realm.

She maintained her poise despite the whispers and speculation circulating around the room. Most predicted a wedding announcement was coming. Her father was the Duke of Calloway, and he was far too wealthy, too well-connected, and too powerful for his only child and heir not to be sought after.

Even if she was an ice queen.

A mask she wore out of necessity as so many watched and waited for her to make a mistake. A mask she hoped she could stop hiding behind once she was married and the gossips turned their gaze elsewhere.

Lady Daniella inclined her head to a mother and her daughter. While Daniella was the same age as the other girl, she felt so much older. Perhaps because the weight of the Calloway duchy had already been on her shoulders for more than a decade.

Her father always said that which didn’t break under pressure grew stronger.

If that were true, Lady Daniella should be stronger than tempered steel.

She swept her gaze across the room again. Henry, the Duke of Westlake’s eldest son, and the man she’d been engaged to earlier that week, still hadn’t arrived. And they had planned to announce their engagement that evening.

Odd he hadn’t arrived yet. Stranger still, her own father had disappeared from the ballroom. Had something happened? Had Henry decided to withdraw his offer?

Relief flooded her, and Daniella was ashamed by her reaction. It was an excellent match, one that would bring stability and prosperity to her lands and the Westlake lands. And with the royal family in such disarray, it made the match even more desirable.

That she didn’t love Henry was of no consequence. They would be partners.

As Daniella scanned the crowd again, she startled as a pair of strong hands brushed over her shoulders. Turning, she found herself trapped in Lord Callen Westlake’s golden gaze.

Words escaped her as the heat of him sunk through her dress.

“I understand congratulations are in order,” he murmured, his voice too soft for anyone else in the crowded ballroom to hear.

“Nothing is official.”

“Then my brother is a fool. I didn’t think you abided fools.” Mischief twinkled in Lord Callen’s tawny eyes.

“I must or I would’ve sent you away already.”

His grin widened. “As you haven’t, perhaps I can convince you to share this next dance with me.”

She knew she should tell him no and escape to the ladies’ sitting room until her father returned. But she didn’t want to escape to the ladies’ sitting room. She wanted to dance with Lord Callen. Just this once.

She arched a haughty brow, an expression she had been practicing. “Are you going to offer me your arm and escort me to the dancefloor, or perhaps you were going to remove a frog from your pocket instead?”

Surprise then delight passed over his face. He bowed to her then offered his arm.

Daniella accepted, and he swept her out onto the dance floor. While she’d had numerous dance partners during the balls she’d attended, none of them compared to his graceful elegance or the way he focused on her so completely it was like there was no one else in the room but her.

Lord Callen was warm and strong beside her, surrounding her as he guided her through the steps. The scent of him reminded her of sunlit afternoons, stolen cookies, and laughter.

She wanted the dance to last forever.

But nothing good ever lasted, a bitter lesson she’d learned all too well.

As the final chords drifted to an end, Lord Callen smiled down at her. “Would you…go for a walk in the gardens with me? They’re well lit, lots of chaperones, but…I…wanted to ask you something.”

She had never seen Callen blush before, never seen him so uncertain of himself. In an uncharacteristic expression of friendship, she touched his hand. “Of course. Is something troubling you?”

“No…well, maybe…Let’s walk.”

She inclined her head and laid her hand on his sleeve. As he turned to lead her out into the gardens, Daniella glimpsed her father striding towards her. He no more than inclined his head to the myriad of people that whispered something to him as he passed.

Lady Daniella forced her face to remain impassive even as her stomach tightened. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

Perhaps the Duke of Westlake had called off the engagement.

Her stomach unclenched, and a whisper of hope bloomed in her chest. That would free her, allow her to… Allow her to what? Be sold off to the next promising young man?

She glanced up at Callen tall and strong beside her. Unless…

Lord Callen bowed to the Duke of Calloway. “Your Grace.”

“Thank you for protecting my daughter. The wolves are out tonight.”

Lord Callen stiffened under her fingers, though his ready smile never faltered. “My pleasure, Your Grace.”

“If you will pardon us, I need to speak with my daughter a moment.”

“Of course, Your Grace.” Lord Callen bowed to the duke then placed Lady Daniella’s hand on her father’s sleeve.

Before she could say another word to him, Callen disappeared into the crush of the ballroom. She turned back to her father. “What’s happened?”

“Not here.” The Duke of Calloway laid his other hand over hers and led her out of the ballroom.

Few tried to engage the duke in even the merest of pleasantries as he escorted her to a small room deep in the house. The music of the ball was a distant echo, and she could hear the croak of the frogs. The sound almost coaxed a smile from her.

Despite his years, her father was still tall and broad. His hair, as pale as hers, showed no grey or white, but the softening at his middle and the lines around his eyes belied his years. He’d never looked as old as he did when he turned to face.

Burying her fear, Daniella kept her voice neutral. “Father, what’s happened?”

“You will not be marrying Lord Henry, next Duke of Westlake.”

Daniella didn’t allow her relief to show. “We may not have suited all that well anyway. Perhaps-”

“Not because he called it off.”

She paused, the dread in her stomach blooming and threatening to choke her. “Then why, Father?”

“Prince Eli Dracasan has offered for you.”

Her eyes widened. “No!” The word escaped her before she could stop it, and Daniella pressed her trembling fingers to her lips.

“I cannot refuse.”

Daniella sank to a chair, the world spinning around her. This couldn’t be happening.

Prince Eli.

Cold. Ruthless. Amoral Prince Eli.

He would trample anyone beneath his boot in his quest for the throne, including the gods themselves. Every day with him would be a battle. And she would have to…produce an heir with him. She pressed a hand to her stomach.

“I am sorry, Daniella.”

She thought of her dance with Callen, of her promise to walk with him in the gardens. It nearly brought her to tears. But tears solved nothing. She was a Calloway. She would do her duty to her family, to the people that depended on her, and to Tamryn.

Even if it meant marrying Prince Eli.

Standing, she straightened her spine. “I’m certain you will negotiate the best possible marriage contract. We should make our rounds through the ballroom, then I would like to retire. I’m certain His Highness will have his own plans to announce our marriage.”

Her father looked relieved. “Thank you for understanding.”

“Of course.” Lady Daniella rose with cool grace, her ice queen mask never wavering even though she wanted to cry, to scream, to weep.

How she wished her mother were still alive or her sister, someone who would hug her and share her pain. But she was alone, as she had always been.

As she would always be.

 

 

Filed Under: Short Stories Tagged With: Callen and Daniella, duchess, duke, Ice Queen, romance author, Romance Novels, Romance Writer, Royalty, Seducing the Ice Queen

Micro Fiction -Prelude to an Ice Queen 8

February 25, 2020 by Elizabeth Drake

Daniella8

Daniella looked resplendent in her pale blue silk with the blue diamonds her father had given her hanging from her ears.

An early wedding present.

They would announce her marriage to Henry, the Duke of Westlake’s oldest son and heir that night.

Every young lady would envy her.

Every young lady but Daniella.

 

For those curious, yes, this is the same Callen and Daniella from Seducing the Ice Queen. They were haunting my thoughts again, so I decided to let them tell a little more of their story. SmilyEmoji

 

Filed Under: Micro Fiction, Uncategorized Tagged With: Callen and Daniella, duchess, duke, Ice Queen, romance author, Romance Novels, Romance Writer, Royalty, Seducing the Ice Queen

Micro Fiction -Prelude to an Ice Queen 7

February 24, 2020 by Elizabeth Drake

Daniella7

It was a good marriage offer. A very good one.

She’d be a fool to refuse it. Henry was a decent man, and while she wasn’t attracted to him, arrangements at her station were about power, wealth and influence.

Daniella dreamed of… It didn’t matter.

She would be practical, as she always was. She had no mother or sister to ask for guidance anyway.

She would rely on herself, as she always did.

 

For those curious, yes, this is the same Callen and Daniella from Seducing the Ice Queen. They were haunting my thoughts again, so I decided to let them tell a little more of their story. SmilyEmoji

 

Filed Under: Micro Fiction, Uncategorized Tagged With: Callen and Daniella, duchess, duke, Ice Queen, romance author, Romance Novels, Romance Writer, Royalty, Seducing the Ice Queen

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