Mary Alice Monroe
The Summer Girls
Gallery Books / June 25, 2013 / $26.00 print, $10.38 digital

Three granddaughters. Three months. One summer house.

Set amid ancient live oaks and palmettos, overlooking the water, historic Sea Breeze is Marietta Muir’s ancestral summer home. Her granddaughters once adored vacations there, but it’s been years since they’ve visited. Mamaw fears once she is gone, the family bonds will fray. The Muir family is one of Charleston’s oldest and the blood of their pirate captain ancestor runs strong, so Marietta drops a subtle promise of loot—pearl necklaces, priceless antique furniture, even the house—to lure her “summer girls” back to the lowcountry.

For years, Carson Muir has drifted, never really settling, certain only that a life without the ocean is a life half lived. Adrift and penniless in California, Carson is the first to return to Sea Breeze, wondering where things went wrong . . . until the sea she loves brings her a minor miracle. Her astonishing bond with a dolphin helps Carson renew her relationships with her sisters and face the haunting memories of her ill-fated father. As the rhythms of the island open her heart, Carson begins to imagine the next steps toward her future.

Mary Alice Monroe is at her best with the first in her new trilogy, The Summer Girls. When she’s at the top of her game, she engages a reader’s emotions and makes intimate places and situations that may be far removed from personal experience. Southern Fiction evokes a laid-back, naturalistic lifestyle that keeps the focus on family and fighting personal demons. Romance is a lovely part of this, but it’s just one component. The most profound type of romance in Southern Fiction relates to its setting, nature, and often with Monroe, animals.

[Let it sweep you away...]

Fathers of the heroes and heroines of historical romance novels come in a variety of flavors. There’s the father who is absent due to death or abandonment, the father who is an ineffective bumbler, and the father who, through indifference or outright malice, harms the protagonist. Even the good father is often nothing more than a paper-doll figure. I’ve long thought that Loretta Chase is an exception to the norm, creating throughout her career some of the most interesting father figures in historical romance fiction, from the scene-stealing Devil Desmond in The Devil’s Delilah (1989) to the solid Lord Lexham in Don’t Tempt Me (2009), but by far the most interesting of Chase’s fictional fathers is the Earl of Hargate.

Hargate is the father of five sons, the heroes of the Carsington Brothers series: Alistair (Miss Wonderful), Rupert (Mr. Impossible), Benedict (Lord Perfect), Darius (Not Quite a Lady), and Geoffrey, who is happily married when the series opens and is never seen, only mentioned occasionally. Hargate is a character for whom the term “lord” is more than recognition of his status as an aristocrat. His sons view him as a godlike figure, omnipotent and omniscient. He sets the hero on his journey in the first, second, and fourth books and serves as the deus ex machina who resolves the hero’s dilemma in the third book.

[Father knows best...]

Robyn DeHart
The Secrets of Mia Danvers
Intermix / June 18, 2013 / $3.99 digital

Since losing her sight in a childhood accident, Mia Danvers has resided in a small cottage on the vast Carrington estate. Thought to be dead, Mia lives a life of virtual seclusion—until one night, while walking home, she happens upon a horrendous crime.

Alex Foster, Eighth Duke of Carrington, lives according to society’s expectations for him. He’s never met the woman who lives in the cottage at the edge of his property. But when she arrives at his door in the pouring rain terrified and claiming she has witnessed a murder, she seizes his attention.

Mia is determined to help the authorities track down the culprit, even though the only person willing to accept her aid is the handsome, arrogant duke. Working closely together proves difficult as Mia’s beauty and independence tempts Alex to ignore convention and follow his desire. But what neither of them know is that this murderer has struck before in Whitechapel, taunting the British press only to vanish—a ruthless killer who knows that Mia is the only living witness to his crime.

Mia Danvers, the heroine of Robyn DeHart's The Secrets of Mia Danvers, was only 16 when her mothers and sisters dropped her off at the little cottage on the edge of the property belonging to the Duke of Carrington. After a riding accident left her without sight, her mother didn’t have time for a damaged daughter who would never find a husband. She had two other girls who needed to find husbands to support the family now that their father was dead. Although her mother intended to leave Mia there alone, her governess and dearest friend Rachel would not abandon her and together the two women made a life in the little cottage that would become a place for Mia to spread her wings.

[At least until her life gets turned upside-down again, huh?...]

This Sunday sees the return of True Blood, with a brand-new showrunner, Brian Buckner, who promises changes: He says that the show will “get back to a little bit of our soap opera roots and remember that romance matters in the midst of all the plot we do.”

Thank you, Brian!

While we wait for Sunday, can we point you to two of our most delicious True Blood posts, both penned by the Vampire Book Lover herself, Chelsea Mueller?

First there's the post where she painstakingly goes through and catalogues every instance of Alexander Skarsgard, as Eric Northman, in the altogether, the True Blood Booty Call post. And then there's her compilation of all the reasons she thinks True Blood will be worth the wait: 20 Reasons We Can't Wait for True Blood Season Six.

Finally, there's Joe Manganiello, who graces this month's issue of Men's Health, and who is also—reportedly—getting naked in the first episode.

Who's in for True Blood Season Six?

Sabrina Jeffries
What the Duke Desires
Pocket / June 18, 2013 / $7.99 print, $6.64 digital

Maximilian Cale, the Duke of Lyons, long ago buried his grief for his missing elder brother, Peter, who was presumed dead after being kidnapped. When a mysterious note arrives from Tristan Bonnaud asserting that the Duke's brother is alive, it leads Max straight to the winsome Lisette Bonnaud, illegitimate daughter of a viscount and Tristan's sister. Soon he and Lisette are traveling to Paris posing as husband and wife, in search of Tristan, who has disappeared. And the longer he spends with Lisette, the easier it is for Max to see that the line between dukedom and desire is easier to cross than he imagined.

What the Duke Desires is the first book in Sabrina Jeffries's new The Duke’s Men series, and although the title indicates that we should be more interested in the duke, this story is much more fascinating in following what Lisette desires.

[And what does Lisette desire, hmm?...]

We’re reading our way across America…one romance at a time.

Oregon: Fionna’s Will by Lana McGraw Boldt

Now we turn to the very novel that inspired the entire Perfect Unions project. Here’s the story (and what a story it is): One day, I was in the basement, cleaning out the cats’ litter box (ah, the thrilling life of the freelance blogger), when my eye fell upon a bookshelf loaded with old paperbacks that hadn’t been touched in years. One of them was Lana McGraw Boldt’s wildly readable Fionna’s Will, and because thinking about this Oregon-set historical epic was considerably more pleasant than thinking about what I was doing at the time, I began to meditate upon the fact that I had absolutely loved it when I first read it back in college. And then, the light bulb: “You know, there really aren’t that many romance novels set in Oregon. Or New Mexico or Nebraska or Delaware…but I’ll bet there are some.”

Anyway, I picked up the book for a re-read, wondering how it would compare with the book I knew and loved back in the day (I was in college, let us say, several years ago). And guess what: It holds up just fine!

[What makes it so readable?...]

Captive Prince by S.U. Pacat

Damen is a warrior hero to his people, and the rightful heir to the throne of Akielos, but when his half brother seizes power, Damen is captured, stripped of his identity, and sent to serve the prince of an enemy nation as a pleasure slave.

Beautiful, manipulative and deadly, his new master Prince Laurent epitomizes the worst of the court at Vere. But in the lethal political web of the Veretian court, nothing is at it seems, and when Damen finds himself caught up in a play for the throne, he must work together with Laurent to survive and save his country.

Forced to hide his identity, Damen finds himself increasingly drawn to the dangerous, charismatic Laurent. But as the fledgling trust between the two men deepens, the truth of secrets from both their pasts is poised to deal them the crowning death blow.

SPOILER ALERT FOR VOLUMES ONE AND TWO OF THE CAPTIVE PRINCE. MANY SPOILERS, INCLUDING DEATHS AND PLOT TWISTS.

(For an introduction to the story, check out Mandi Schreiner's post Captivated by S.U. Pacat's Captive Prince.)

Captive Prince by S.U. Pacat began online, being posted for free, chapter-by-chapter, in the author’s journal. In February 2013, it became two independently-published volumes. In May 2013, rights to publish the existing two volumes and the upcoming Volume Three were purchased by Penguin Berkley. This has both good and less good aspects for longtime fans. The good: the author will attain a wider audience, and the sale might lead to a faster release of Volume Three, which would be a boon because of Volume Two’s cliffhanger ending. The less good: Volume Three won’t be released chapter-by-chapter, so waiting for the completed book might be more difficult for those accustomed to the serialization model.

So, what do we do in the interim? We speculate, of course!

Here are my thoughts on three big events we might expect in Volume Three.

[What do you think might be ahead for Damen and Laurent?...]

Recent headlines have caused people to revisit—and purchase—George Orwell's 1984, published 64 years ago, the “nightmare vision of a totalitarian, bureaucratic world.” At this writing, one edition is at #83 in Amazon's Kindle store, and has the top slot on “Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Science Fiction > Dystopian.”

But since we're romance readers, we want to know what you think is the best romance corrollary to 1984? What's the best dystopian romance novel?

Rachel Caine’s legions of fans were recently delighted to hear that a Kickstarter campaign to make a web series about the Morganville Vampires was in the works, headed up by filmmaker, and local boy (for me at least) Blake Calhoun!

I’m sure the collective squees were deafening, and why shouldn’t they be? Morganville sucked me in from the very beginning—despite my being generally hard on YA—and 14 books in is still going strong (the 15th, Daylighters, is due in November).

The novels are narrated by 16 year old Claire Danvers, who is accepted at Texas Prairie University in Morganville (yes, she’s super smart), and of course, Morganville is run by vamps. Her uber braininess comes to the attention of Amelie, Morganville’s founder, and she decides Claire would be a great assistant to alchemist Myrnin, a vamp who is as crazy as he is brilliant. Claire’s roomies at the Glass House are Michael Glass, Shane Collins, and goth girl Eve Rosser. The combo makes for sparks in more ways than one, and the relationships between the roommates is one of the highlights of the series in my opinion, so I’m hoping for some astute casting here, because chemistry is a must!

[And chemistry is only the tip of the Iceberg...]

Several months ago, I read Meant to Be, Terri Osburn's debut novel. As with nearly all the romance novels that make up my keepers, I fell in love with the characters, major and minor. One of the minor characters whom I really hope to see more of in future books is Randy Navarro. Osburn describes Randy as a “gentle giant” with night-dark, curly hair and a “massive breadth of chest and shoulders.” When he later proves to be a protective type with a sense of humor, I knew he deserved to be the hero of his own story. Thinking about this Osburn character made me remember other big heroes whose stories I love. Among them are some of the most memorable heroes in the genre.

First, there was Hugo, or the unknown Ajax as he is christened in Georgette Heyer’s novel by that title. The Unknown Ajax (1959) is one of Heyer’s funniest books with a cast of wonderfully drawn characters from a pair of feuding valets to an aristocratic matron whose hauteur and self-possession are inimitable (though many have tried), but the star of the book is Major Hugh “Hugo” Darracott, the product of a misalliance between the second son of an arrogant peer and a weaver’s daughter. When the lord’s eldest son and his heir drown, Hugo, to the great dismay of his grandfather and most of the Darracott family, becomes the heir. When Hugo arrives at the family estate to meet his paternal relatives for the first time, he realizes they think he is an uneducated bumpkin with little wit and less social poise. Since Hugo’s besetting sin is his “levity,” he cannot resist giving his family what they expect. He speaks in a broad Yorkshire accent that leaves them cringing and assumes the role of a naïve bumbling giant of a man, graceless and limited in intellect.

[Sexy beasts indeed...]

This month, readers will find all manner of digital reissues. First up, Heart of the West, a western historical from Penelope Williams, followed by Patricia Gaffney’s Victorian series, the Wyckerly trilogy, and, finally, a category romance—Against the Rules—from Linda Howard, reissued with digital-only 2010 release from newish author Marie Force.

Penelope Williamson: Heart of the West (First published in 1995, digital reissue June 25, 2013)

Two-time best novel RITA-winning Penelope Williamson wrote large, expansive romances. Heart of the West clocks in at 800 pages, with a time span covering twelve years in late 1800s Montana.

Clementine Kennicutt, the daughter of an abusive New England minister, dreams of a different future, away from the straightjacket of a life she foresees if she stays in Boston. With her mother’s approval, she elopes with cowboy Gus McQueen, wholly unprepared for her new home—a Green Acres type house in the middle of nowhere—and her reaction to his brother Zach. Gus is his family’s golden boy, Zach its black sheep.

[I'm sensing a love triangle and some angst...]

Cecilia Grant
A Woman Entangled
Bantam / June 25, 2013 / $7.99 print & digital

Kate Westbrook has dreams far bigger than romance. Love won’t get her into London’s most consequential parties, nor prevent her sisters from being snubbed and looked down upon—all because their besotted father unadvisedly married an actress. But a noble husband for Kate would deliver a future most suited to the granddaughter of an earl. Armed with ingenuity, breathtaking beauty, and the help of an idle aunt with connections, Kate is poised to make her dreams come true. Unfortunately, a familiar face—albeit a maddeningly handsome one—appears bent on upsetting her scheme.

Implored by Kate’s worried father to fend off the rogues eager to exploit his daughter’s charms, Nick Blackshear has set aside the torch he’s carried for Kate in order to do right by his friend. Anyway, she made quite clear that his feelings were not returned—though policing her won’t abate Nick’s desire. Reckless passion leads to love’s awakening, but time is running out. Kate must see for herself that the charms of high society are nothing compared to the infinite sweet pleasures demanded by the heart.

Cecilia Grant’s third novel, A Woman Entangled, once again features a couple with substantial and believable obstacles in the way of their having a life together. The story is told with Grant’s trademark complex characterization and snappy dialogue, with some literary references for added spice. The various conflicts, most relating to marriage and its effects upon one’s family, expand upon ideas put forth in Pride and Prejudice, which Kate is borrowing from the lending library in the first chapter. There are later references to Emma and the titular character’s relationship with Mr. Knightley. Kate approves of marriages made for sensible reasons, and feels that marrying an unsuitable person, merely for love, is not only a selfish act but can cause great harm to others.

[Yet somehow she ended up in a romance novel of her own...]

We've featured many Squick! posts, the most recent of which is Squick Me Out, Part 4: Return of the Moist, where we've shared the words used in romance novels that make us shudder.

But there are some words that aren't entirely shudder-inducing, but are awkward. Case in point? Panties.

Does anyone say panties? Say it aloud, and see if it doesn't sound goofy (hint: it does!). The alternatives, underwear and underpants, don't sound any better.

What other undergarments euphemisms have you seen? Which is your preference?

Here we are, already two weeks into the summer season, and there are yet more television series premieres coming our way... ahead, the highly anticipated premiere of Camp, the welcome returns of Necessary Roughness and Magic City and...well, I guess True Blood, for those of you who like your vampires with a side of ick. Among much else.

For a look at the shows already in progress, see Summer Lovin’: Summer TV Premieres, May/June 2013, Part 1.

But in this week’s news:

Camp
NBC
Series Premiere: Monday, June 10

Come spend the summer at Little Otter Family Camp, where the staff are zany, the campers are troublesome and the scent of pine is only eclipsed by that of rampaging teenage pheromones.

[Pheromones=Love, so where's the romance!...]

Ever wondered how the art for your favorite romances is chosen, or wished you could be part of the process? Here's your chance! H&H is excited to offer readers the opportunity to have a major say in the cover for Manda Collins's forthcoming novel Why Earls Fall In Love, the second book in the Wicked Widows series, released in January 2014.

The deal:
From now until Thursday at 5 p.m. ET on the H&H Facebook page, you can cast your vote for 1 of 3 possible poses for the hero and heroine by “liking” your favorite pose: The image/pose with the most “likes” on Facebook* after 5 p.m. ET that day is the pose that will end up on the final cover!

Remember the art/cover** is not yet final—you’re picking the pose of the hero and heroine, which the art department will then include in the cover design.

Once the Why Earls Fall In Love cover is finished, look for a reveal of the final Why Earls Fall in Love cover on HeroesandHeartbreakers.com!

Head on over to Facebook now to check out the images and to cast your vote for your favorite pose!

*YOU MUST “LIKE” THE PICTURE of your choice—comments here or on the Facebook post are fantastic and you can certainly use the comments to lobby for your favorite pose, but comments WILL NOT count as a vote. The image with the most Facebook Likes will win.

**The art for all 3 poses, including the image used at the top of this post, is courtesy of Steve Gardner, www.shootpw.com.

Please join us in welcoming author Cassie Alexander to Heroes and Heartbreakers. Cassie's most recent book, Shapeshifted, is the third in the urban fantasy Edie Spence series. Edie is a nurse who treats paranormal creatures, and in her real life, Cassie is a nurse as well. Today she's here to talk about how normal some paranormal stuff actually is. Thanks, Cassie!

Since my books deal with supernatural creatures in the hospital, I’ve had to look around for a lot of plausible reasons to put them there, and have discovered that there’s more overlap between our world and ‘theirs’ than the casual reader might think.

In the 1970s a medical theory was floated for all the vampire legends – the blood disease of porphyric hemophilia. You may have seen people suffering from this on the TV show House. One of the symptoms of porphyria is painful photosensitivity, with burning and itching rashes under exposure to light, and in one episode they almost cut a girl’s arm off because of her reaction to the operating room lights. (Contracting porphyric hemophilia is also the way you become a vampire in the video game Oblivion, which I find hugely amusing.) While people still debate as to if this actual disease is the cause of the mythology, it’s easy to imagine people who had to hide indoors in olden days because of intense reactions to light being labeled as vampires.

[Putting it all in perspective...]

You read romance, that's a given, because you're here. But chances are you read in other genres, as well, making people you discuss your reading choices with cock an eyebrow when you say you love _________ or _________.

Are you a romance fan, but also love science fiction/fantasy? Maybe you have a weakness for reading tell-all memoirs? Or you are a fan of an author who writes outside the genre?

What's your most unexpectedly favorite genre or author?

*****MAJOR, MAJOR SPOILERS for The Borgias's series finale—3.10, “The Prince”—below.*****

Seriously, DO NOT READ until you've seen the episode for yourself.

While the series finale hasn't yet aired on U.S. television, this morning Showtime posted the final episode of The Borgias online for subscribers at ShowtimeAnytime, and it is a wild ride.

[How does it all end?...]