Liviania’s review of Wicked Becomes You by Meredith Duran
Historical romance released by Pocket 27 April 2010

Meredith Duran’s first novel came out around the time I began seriously following romance blogs.  Since I’ve heard a number of good things about her writing, I was eager to read her latest release Wicked Becomes You.  Alex Ramsey is a second son who went into trade despite his brother’s wishes.  Gwen Maudsley, sister of Alex’s dead best friend, has been left at the altar twice and is ready to ignore society’s wishes

Alex protests less than the usual historical romance rake, which is refreshing.  Oh, he tries to keep Gwen out of too much trouble, but he quickly begins goading her to test the bounds of society.  He’s a cool customer, but it is not because he’s hiding his passions.  He simply expresses himself in a smooth way, relying more on actions than words to reveal his emotions.  He’s long been interested in Gwen, so taking her on an unchaperoned cross-country trip to discover why his brother sold one of the family estates tests his loyalty to her dead brother’s expectations.  While Alex prefers to stay far away from England, he does feel loyalty to his sisters (who are less silly than they first seem) and his brother.

Gwen is a different type of female lead than the usual.  She’s a merchant’s orphaned daughter (rather than some sort of nobility or gentry), worth enough money to get away with almost anything.  Instead, she worked on making herself a perfect member of society in order to fulfill her parent’s dream for her – marriage to a man with a title.  She has her own hobbies, including singing and landscaping.  She’s tired of hiding her hobbies and personality behind an amicable mask.  Of course, she’s been so busy being nice she has no real idea how to be bad.  (Her attempts appealed to the naïve geek in me.)

I liked Gwen and Alex well enough and thought they had decent chemistry.  The plot moves slows down at some points, but allows for a number of humorous situations and a nifty escape scene.  But, I didn’t love Wicked Becomes You.  Duran kept me interested, but didn’t make me passionate about any part of the novel.  Wicked Becomes You was perfectly fun to read, but I doubt that I’ll read it again.

I may try to find Duran’s previous novels from the library. The writing was good enough to convince me to try another and hope I connect to it in the way I didn’t with Wicked Becomes You.  Still, I think it was a good enough story that it probably sparks something in other readers that it didn’t in me.

Grade: B-

Summary:
She’s pretty enough to be popular, and Lord knows she’s rich enough for it. But what society loves best about Gwen Maudsley is how very, very nice she is. So when a cad jilts her at the altar—again—an outraged London bays for blood. Only Gwen has a different plan. If nice no longer works for her, then it’s time to learn to be naughty. Happily, she knows the perfect tutor, Alexander Ramsey, her late brother’s best friend and a notorious rogue.

Unbeknownst to Gwen, Alex’s aloof demeanor veils a very personal interest in her. He has no desire to see her change, nor to tempt himself with her presence when his own secrets make any future between them impossible. But amidst the glittering temptations of Parisian nights, Alex’s past and Gwen’s wildness enter a collision course. As their friendship gives way to something hotter, darker, and altogether more dangerous, Gwen must convince Alex that his wickedest intentions are exactly what she needs…
Read an excerpt here.

Yes! Yes! I know I’m behind on our contests. Life keeps getting in the way of the fun stuff. But I have our next winners from our Duck Chat with Meredith Duran.

Hopefully this will keep the restless natives calm for a while! It should while you’re enjoying two great stories by Meredith.

Our winner of a copy of Bound by Your Touch is

*** Maya M (21)

And for a copy of Written on Your Skin our winner is

*** Karenmc (1)

Congrats, ladies! Please send your snail mail address to me at Lighthousetagger (at) gmail (dot) com and I’ll send your books out to you!

By the way, Meredith’s latest book was out in April, Wicked Becomes You. Do you have your copy yet?

Want to do a guest review of WBY for us? Send me a note at the above email addy if you’re interested!

We’d love to hear your opinion on it.

You’re in for a treat today! Welcome to Duck Chat!

Ohmyohmyohmy!  Squeeeeeeeeeeeee!  Kathryn Smith is here!!!!!

As most of you know, Kathryn’s vampire series, Brotherhood of the Blood, is a favorite of fans everywhere, but the really big news lately is that she’s writing straight historicals once again, and Kathryn will be talking about that and so much more today.

So no more lollygagging! Let’s chat!

DUCK CHAT: Kathryn, of course, the big news, the happy news for your fans is that you’ve returned to writing historical romance. Was it just time? Did something specific happen to prompt you to write that next one?

KATHRYN SMITH: The simplest answer is that yes, it was just time. I’d been writing a lot of paranormal, and even though most of it was historical, it wore on me. I loved my vamps, but they couldn’t go out in the sun! Actually, the sad truth is that historical paranormal just does not sell like contemporary paranormal and while I had some success, the move didn’t really help my career. It was upsetting to say the least, but historical was always my first love and it took me back with welcome arms.

DC: If you could retire any question and never, ever have it asked again, what would it be? Feel free to answer it.

KS: Where do you get your ideas from? Only because I never know how to answer it. It’s not like I have a magic hat or anything! My ideas can come from anywhere.

DC: And fans will not get just one new historical from you, but an entire series. Lots of happy dancin’ is going on out there! Tell us about the new series, please.

KS: Thank you! I’ve dubbed the new series a ‘Victorian Soap Opera.’ I’m introducing lots of recurring characters that will appear in some or all of the books, and there will be secrets and intrigue afoot. There’s even a gathering place – a hub – where all the characters go to be social, much like Ruby’s on General Hospital. I even have a ‘love to hate’ character that I hope readers will embrace. It’s going to be difficult keeping track of everyone, but I think I’m up for the task.  The series begins with a trilogy, and after that I’m treating it as a world rather than a series. That way I don’t feel locked in to write books about specific characters. Anyone could have a book! And just like on soaps, a new character could arrive on the scene at any time.

DC: I’ve heard writers often say their stories take them in surprising directions, or dialogue flows from some unknown place. Is it the same with you? Do your characters surprise you sometimes?

KS: Yes! I’m mostly a plotter, but I like to leave room for my characters to express themselves. That sounds slightly psychotic I’m sure, but once you’re in their heads, writing from their POV, you start to understand what they’re all about. That’s when they surprise you.

DC: Do you ever argue with your characters while you’re writing? Who usually wins?

KS: No. I trust them to do the right thing. LOL. I let them do what they will and if it doesn’t work, I do it my way. There’s no arguing because either way I win.

DC: The first book of your new series is When Seducing a Duke and it will be released later this month. Would you tell our readers about Grey and Rose and how their story came about?

KS: Grey and Rose are a little bit Phantom of the Opera and a little bit Luke and Laura. He’s a little older, jaded and a little tortured. He’s had an awful past that haunts him still, and he doesn’t want the taint of that to touch her, but it’s going to just by association. He promised her father he’d look after her and to him that means NOT giving in to his feelings for her. Rose on the other hand is determined and slightly naïve. Part of her is convinced that if she can make Grey confront the attraction between them everything will magically be wonderful.

I have no idea now where the idea for them came from! I’ve always loved the kind of hero who has been ‘rode hard and put away wet.’ Grey is definitely one those. He feels awful for his past, but he also knows he’d still be the same if not for the event that changed his life. He didn’t change willingly, and he’s not sure what kind of man he is anymore. I think Rose is a little bit like me – she thinks if she wants something bad enough and works at it hard enough, she’ll get it. That doesn’t always work out for the best! It’s a ‘be careful what you wish for’ situation.

DC: What is sure to distract you from sitting down and working/writing?

KS: Email. Phone calls. iTunes. YouTube. Twitter. Cats. Shiny things.

DC: How’s work coming on the second book in your Victorian series? May we have a little sneak peek?

KS: Currently I’m working on revisions for When Marrying a Scoundrel, the second book in the series. It’s about Jack Friday and Sadie Moon. He’s a self-made man with a secret and she’s a tea leaf reader – with a secret. The secret is that they married when they were very young, but then Fate tore them apart. Now, the two of them are reunited and neither one of them is very happy about it.

DC: What has been your favorite book cover from all of your releases and why?

KS: Wow, what a difficult question. The lovely man who runs the Avon Art Dept is one of my favorite people in the entire world. He’s been so very generous with me over the last few years. I’ve always loved the cover for Into Temptation painted by Diane Sivavec. More recently I think the cover for Dark Side of Dawn, which comes out in December – but that might just be because of the gorgeous nekked man on the cover!  Of the Brotherhood covers I think Let the Night Begin is my favorite. I love the golden color of it and the fact that she’s going for his neck.

DC: How about your least favorite cover? Why?

KS: Wow. I’ve never had a cover I hated. I’ve been very lucky. Although if I had to choose it would be In Your Arms Again. I’m not a fan of the pose where the hero is behind the heroine and she has her skirt hauled up. Not sure why. And then, if you don’t look closely it looks like the hero isn’t wearing pants – just a belt and boots. His trousers are almost the same color he is. Still, I’ve seen much worse.

DC: How do you feel your male or female characters have evolved over your career? Do you think you write them differently now than you did when you started?

KS: Oh yeah! I think my heroines have gotten more realistic. They’re not entirely good little girls. Nothing interesting in that. My heroes have changed as well. I used to think I had to write Alpha guys, but I’m not good at that. I like guys who can be both tough and sweet. Real people have uncharitable thoughts, absurd thoughts, insecurities and vanities. That’s what I’m interested in writing now.

DC: Your Nightmare Chronicles is also a fairly new urban fantasy series, one book out last year and the second due out in November. Would you tell us about the series over all and and then we’ll talk about each book.

KS: Dawn Riley is the half-mortal daughter of Morpheus, God of Dreams. That’s the crux of it. Dawn is able to walk between both worlds, something no one else can do. It makes people fear her. The veil between the dream realm and our world is thinning, strange things are happening. And no one is sure if Dawn is the solution to the problem, or the cause of it.

DC: First in the series was Before I Wake, which was out last year, and next month Dark Side of Dawn is being released. Would you give a look inside each book, please?

KS: In Before I Wake, Dawn has repressed who she is. She’s working in a sleep center and crushing on one of her ‘clients,’ Noah Drake. One night Noah is attacked in his dreams and somehow Dawn gets pulled into that very dream. She becomes the target of a Night Terror and the only way to stop it is to accept what she is and use her abilities. This means reconciling with Morpheus and her mother. It also means telling Noah the truth about who and what she is.

In Dark Side of Dawn, Dawn is working on honing her abilities and dating Noah. But then someone close to Noah is attacked and Dawn has to use both her professional skills as a psychologist, and her skills as a Nightmare to help. But this puts her in the path of another monster – an earthbound one this time. She’s also in trouble with the Nightmare Council for something she did in book 1. Dawn just can’t catch a break, and if she doesn’t do something fast, she might not live to stand trial in the Dreaming!

DC: Is there a genre you haven’t tackled but would like to try?

KS: Hmm. Young Adult. Historical. Paranormal. Urban Fantasy. I think I’ve written everything I’ve wanted! Actually, I would love to write mysteries, but I don’t think I’d be very good at it. I really want to do more Young Adult. I had two historical YAs out in 2001-2002, and I’ve wanted to do more ever since. So, while there’s not a genre I would like to try, there certainly is one I’d like to do more in.

DC: What advice would you give to your younger self?

KS: Don’t date him. LOL. Actually, I think everything we’ve done has led to where we are, so I don’t think I’d encourage myself to do anything differently. I might, however, tell myself to have more confidence and not take quite so much attitude from other people.

DC: If you were a book, what would your blurb be?

KS: She’s a big girl with a big mouth and an even bigger heart, but does she have what it takes to make the big time?

LOL. That’s so corny, but it’s the best I can do without sounding totally bollocks.

DC: What would be your “voice’s” tagline?

KS: Realistic characters. Fantastic passion. I’d actually have a ‘wink’ after that too. I have a hard time talking myself up.

DC: Your vampire series, The Brotherhood of the Blood, is a favorite with readers. There’s five books in the series so far, with Night After Night being released earlier this year. First would tell those one or two people who aren’t familiar with the series what it’s about?

KS: The Brotherhood was originally six mercenaries who found what they thought was the Holy Grail, but it was actually the Blood Grail, made from the silver paid to Judas, infused with the essence of Lilith. When they drank from it they were turned vampire. 6 centuries later the group who originally had the Blood Grail wants it back – and they want the Brotherhood as well.

DC: Is the series evolving as your originally envisioned it?

KS: Yes. It played out exactly as I’d planned book-wise. I had an arc and I followed it. Success wise, I have to be honest and say that I was much higher hopes for it. Maybe someday paranormal historical will become what I’d hoped it would be and I can give fans of the series some new books.

DC: Please tell everyone about Night After Night.

KS: Night After Night was Temple’s story. He was the leader of the Brotherhood of the Blood once upon a time. In Be Mine Tonight, you discover he’s gone missing, and throughout the series the mystery of what happened to Temple runs through every story. This is also the book that reunites the Brotherhood. It is a romance, however. Temple meets Vivian, who is far more than she seems – more than she even knows. And she’s part of the group that would see the Brotherhood destroyed. That’s conflict, huh?

DC: Are there more books planned in the series? What can we expect next?

KS: As of right now, there are no more books planned for that series. That story line ended with Night After Night. If I do anything in the future, it will be with a new group of vampires or other supernatural creatures.

DC: If you had never become an author, what do you think you would be doing right now?

KS: I’d be a rock star. Actually, I once wanted to be a makeup artist. I love makeup.

DC: Who’s your favorite author(s)?

KS: I have so many. I love Julia Quinn, Laura Lee Guhrke, Connie Brockway. Sherry Thomas and Meredith Duran are two new authors that I do not feel worthy of when I read them! Lorraine Heath is another favorite, along with Jenna Petersen, Sophie Jordan, Sabrina Jeffries, Loretta Chase, and Liz Carlyle.

DC: How about a favorite book or two?

KS: Stranger in My Arms by Lisa Kleypas. Love that book. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase. Secret Desires of a Gentleman by Laura Lee Guhrke is a current fave, as well as When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn. Those are the first that come to mind.

DC: What else is on the horizon for Kathryn Smith?

KS: More Victorian soap opera books. I’m currently outlining the third, which I’ve tentatively titled When Tempting a Rogue, but that will probably change to better suit the story. I’m hoping to perhaps continue on with the Nightmare Chronicles, and I do have a little something else I’m working on, but I’m keeping mum until I see what happens. That makes me a tease, doesn’t it? Sorry!

Lightning Round:

- dark or milk chocolate?     – milk
- smooth or chunky peanut butter?     – chunky
- heels or flats?      – heels
- coffee or tea?      – both
- summer or winter?      – Actually, autumn
- mountains or beach?      – beach
- mustard or mayonnaise?     – mayo
- flowers or candy?      – flowers
- pockets or purse?      – Purse – anyone who knows me is laughing at this, because they know I collect purses.
- Pepsi or Coke?     – Coke
- ebook or print?     – Print – but I want to try an e-reader.

And because folks still like seeing the answers:

1. What is your favorite word?    – friend
2. What is your least favorite word?     – nourishing
3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?     – nature
4. What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally?      – willful ignorance
5. What sound or noise do you love?      – the sound of Steve’s voice
6. What sound or noise do you hate?      – a cat coughing up hair balls.
7. What is your favorite curse word?     – I don’t curse! Right. I say fuck a lot, but I’d like to use the word twat more. I can’t believe I just admitted to that.
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?     – makeup artistry. Maybe teaching.
9. What profession would you not like to do?      – anything where I’d have to put my hand in another person.
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?     – “I’ve read all your books.”

DC: Kathryn, it was such a pleasure to have you here today! Thank you so much!

Welcome once again to Duck Chat!

Today is going to be a very fun day. We have Meredith Duran in the house!

Besides being a romance author, Meredith is a doctoral student in anthropology, loves doing field work in such places as India and browsing through library travelogues written by Nineteenth Century Englishwomen. British history is a favorite of hers and she talks about that with us today. When she needs a fix, some of her favorite historical authors are: Laura Kinsale, Judith Ivory, Loretta Chase, Sherry Thomas, Connie Brockway, Joanna Bourne, Marsha Canham, and Jo Goodman

Her books have become fan favorites, and if you haven’t read any of Meredith’s stories yet, do read on and learn all about them. She even gives us a sneak peek of her new book that’s being released next year. Be sure to leave a meaningful question or comment for Meredith because she’s going to be giving away a copy of Bound by Your Touch and Written on Your Skin. Now let’s chat!

DUCK CHAT: Meredith, I’m curious – it says on your website that you grew up enamored of British history and one of your life’s goals was to go to London to see Holbein’s portrait of Anne Boleyn. What was it that first captured your interest in British history? Have you attained that goal of seeing the Holbein?

MEREDITH DURAN: Good question! It was Shakespeare that got me hooked into my obsession with English history. I’d always been a very, er, dramatic child, so when I was about eight or nine, my parents decided to take me to a Shakespeare festival. I believe it was Richard III that we saw, since I can still recall the precise way the actor hissed the line, “You…try…my…patience!” The play was over my head, but the costumes fascinated me (I decided then and there that I was going to become a Shakespearean actor when I grew up – heh, what a great way to make a living!). The fate of the little princes also haunted me, so when we got home from the festival, I decided to ransack the local library for more information about them. This led to an interest in the Plantagenets (I had a VHS copy of Lion in Winter that wore out, I watched it so much), which yielded in high school to a fixation on the Tudors. (I made color Xeroxes of Henry VIII’s wives and plastered my dorm room wall with them. And, yes, my friends did think this was a little weird.)

DC: If you could retire any question and never, ever have it asked again, what would it be? Feel free to answer it.

MD: Ha! This question right here is a work of evil genius – asking me to admit my least favorite question, and then to answer it! I think this question is the one I’d like to see retired.

DC: One of my questions sometimes of authors is if they have an old WIP under the bed, back of the closet, shoved to the back of a drawer that they might pull out and rework. The answer is usually no. In your case, that’s exactly what happened with The Duke of Shadows, your debut book. When you were in the process of reworking it, was there ever a point when you nearly chucked the whole thing, thinking it would never work? What kept you going?

MD: Actually, I didn’t rework the manuscript until it had won the Gather/Simon & Schuster contest. Since I only had five weeks to revise it, I had no time to entertain doubts. What kept me going? The willingness of my friends to let me disappear for five weeks. Also, the utter heady thrill of knowing that the words I was placing on the page would be read by my fellow romance readers. Actually, those five weeks were the happiest of my life to date – one long, exhilarated marathon of creativity.

DC: Any other works hidden away like The Duke of Shadows that we might see some day?

MD: Most of my shelved manuscripts are the work of adolescent enthusiasm – a few fantasy manuscripts, a paranormal romance (I was ahead of the curve! Blame it on a childhood filled with LJ Smith, Christopher Pike, and Lois Lowry), nothing I would inflict on the world. However, I actually had another book pulled from beneath the bed recently –a women’s fiction novel that was agented in NY, but never sold. It’s a coming-of-age story about an Anglo-American girl whose obsession with Hindi cinema begins to warp her view of reality; in short, she starts to lead her life as though she were a heroine in a Bollywood film. (If you’ve ever watched one of these films, you can see how this might cause farcical results.)

After realizing it was never going to sell, I sort of forgot about it, until one day I mentioned it to a friend who lives in Delhi. He wanted to read it. I gave him a PDF copy. Three years on, he happened to befriend someone in publishing there; he mentioned it to her, she asked for a look, and lo and behold: it’s being published in India this fall! What a surreal and happy ending. I loved writing that book – it’s a work of pure affection, by a huge fan of Hindi films – so I’m so glad it will get an audience.

DC: While we’re talking about TDoS, tell our readers a little about the story and its characters, please.

MD: The Duke of Shadows tells the story of two star-crossed lovers who meet in India in 1857. Each of them is an outcast, Emma because her reputation is in tatters, Julian because his birth – as a ducal heir whose grandmother was Indian – offends the sensibilities of a society in which racial divisions are becoming increasingly stark. When war breaks out, they have no choice but to trust each other in their fight to survive, and in the process, they fall in love.

But war has a way of destroying happy-ever-afters. They are separated, and by the time they find each other again in London, the darkness of their pasts, and the cost of their own survival, may prove too great for their love to overcome.

DC: I’ve heard writers often say their stories take them in surprising directions, or dialogue flows from some unknown place. Is it the same with you? Do your characters surprise you sometimes?

MD: Yes, I know I’m in the zone when my writing and characters surprise me.

DC: Do you ever argue with your characters while you’re writing? Who usually wins?

MD: Nope, I never argue with them. When the writing isn’t coming easily, I like to argue with myself, though. (“Your plot is weak! What the hell were you thinking, Duran?” LOL.)

DC: What is sure to distract you from sitting down and working/writing?

MD: The internet is a terrible temptation. Good books also furnish endless distraction, but I don’t feel so guilty about that; reading seems to replenish my “well,” as it were.

DC: Your second book is Bound by Your Touch. First, are your books related in any way? Would you tell us about Viscount Sanburne and Lydia Boyce?

MD: The Duke of Shadows has no relation to any of my other books. Bound by Your Touch is related to Written on Your Skin insofar as certain characters (and part of the timeline) overlap, but each of the books stands alone, as a separate and contained story that does not require knowledge of the other.

As far as Sanburne and Lydia go – well, BBYT is an opposites-attract story, the key twist being that they’re not nearly so opposite as they might believe (and wish) themselves to be. At the beginning of the book, Lydia would tell you that Sanburne is a useless, handsome scoundrel whose only employment in life lies in breaking the rules, preferably in as spectacular a fashion as possible. Sanburne would tell you that Lydia is a self-important, overly serious bluestocking, who no doubt would be horrified to learn that her prickly façade practically begs a man to breach and dismantle it.

To Lydia’s horror and Sanburne’s amusement, these two actually end up having far more in common than they suspect.

To Sanburne’s horror and Lydia’s amusement, she has a peculiar talent for breaching and dismantling *his* façade.

Fireworks result!

DC: What has been your favorite book cover from your releases so far and why?

MD: The Duke of Shadows still reigns supreme in my heart: that minaret, the late light of sunset slanting in through the window, and the black spine made it really distinctive. Although WOYS is such a gorgeous red… Grr, it’s hard to decide.

DC: I’m going to guess that you really don’t have a least favorite cover. True? LOL, the cover gods have been mighty nice to you!

MD: True! I’ve lucked out.

DC: How do you feel your male or female characters have evolved over your career? Do you think you write them differently now than you did when you started?

MD: The Duke of Shadows was mostly Emma’s story – Julian was a swoon-worthy hero, no doubt, but he has made his peace with his own childhood traumas; the only thing that haunts him is his past with Emma. Hence the second half of that book is really about his effort to rescue her from the darkness into which she has locked herself.

On the other hand, the heroes in Bound by Your Touch and Written on Your Skin are classically “tortured” insofar as their inner conflicts are no less sizeable than that of their heroines. They’ve got to do a lot of growing before they can win their happy-ever-safter. So, if anything, I’d say that I’m growing crueler and crueler toward my heroes. Ha!

DC: Your latest release is Written on Your Skin. I love that title, by the way. We meet Phin and Mina in this book. Can you tell us about them and their story?

MD: Phin is a world-weary former spy. He was pushed into the game against his will. It stripped away all his idealism, and he is determined, for the sake of his soul, never to return to it. So when Mina Masters comes to him for help – help that would require he reenter the game – he resists with all his might. Problem is: she saved his life once. He’s indebted to her, and ultimately has no choice but to help her.

Mina is something of a femme fatale, who has learned the hard way how to use her looks and her wits to protect herself. But her fierce independence masks a serious fear of making herself vulnerable to anyone. It chafes her that she requires Phin’s help. It burns her to have to trust him. But she hasn’t any choice in it.

What ensues is a battle of wills between two very smart people who are very good at lying to themselves and others. But in each other, they have met their match.

Excerpt from Written on Your Skin:

Delhi, 1857

Julian first noticed her because she looked so bored. Waiting for the Commissioner’s arrival had put him on edge. He stood at the top of the room, half-attending to the feverish chatter around him, his eyes fixed on the door. Rumors in the bazaar daily grew darker, and it was clear to him now that if Calcutta would not act, the local government must. Tonight he meant to exact a promise on that account.
He became aware of the woman gradually. It was her stillness that drew his attention. She was leaning against a wall, not ten feet away. Though several people surrounded her, sipping negligently at their wine and laughing, she seemed somehow apart. Tired of it all. Her eyes, which had been resting vacantly on the space over his shoulder, focused on him. They were a penetrating blue, and gave Julian a start. He saw that she was not bored at all, but unhappy.
She looked away.“Sir,” she said evenly, bobbing a shallow curtsy. Something in her tone indicated she’d overheard the tail end of his argument with Frazer. He opened his mouth to respond—after all, the lady had seemed to be waiting for him—but she had already retreated in a swish of cornflower silk, and he was not in the mood for a chase.
He began to wonder about the coincidence when she drifted after him into the garden. Was she following him? In London he might have felt some faint, predatory stirring of interest—he enjoyed women, particularly those who spared him the trouble of pursuit—but he had a policy of avoiding memsahibs. Their husbands were rarely understanding, and they themselves tended to be so bored by life on a British station that passing love affairs quickly inflated to their entire reason for being. There was also an absurd set of ideas circulating about him in Anglo-Indian circles, variations on the theme of exotic Eastern eroticism, and he’d long since grown weary of it.
But she did not, in fact, seem to know he was there. She paused at the edge of the lawn, one hand coming to her throat, and seemed content to stand there, an abstracted look on her face. A breeze came over the grass, and her fingers loosened, letting the shawl flutter around her shoulders. Fleetingly, her pale lips curved in a smile.
Again, he was struck by the impression that she stood at a great remove from the scene around her. Curious. He studied her more closely, finding nothing of special note. Her hair was an unremarkable color, a curling, sun-faded dun that, in conjunction with her pale skin, made it seem as though all the energy of her being were focused in the brilliance of her deep blue eyes. A very odd sort of beauty, if a beauty at all. He wondered if she had recently been ill.
The thought made him impatient with himself. She was young, no more than twenty-two or –three years, with smooth white skin that bespoke a typical memsahib’s routine. What was there to wonder about her? She would spend her days closeted in a bungalow, reading or at needlepoint. When the monotony began to wear, she would take heart in her zealous belief that the English way of life was the only one of merit in the world.
She muttered something beneath her breath. Despite himself, he leaned forward. He could not quite make it out. Surely she had not said—
With a violent gesture, she splashed her wine into the bushes. “Pig swill,” she said clearly.

The garden was not cool, but it was quiet. Emma turned her face into the sultry breeze and let her eyes drift shut. Had Mrs. Greeley been speaking the truth? Either way, the woman must have been surprised at Emma’s impassive reception of the news. It was unpleasant, of course; one didn’t often learn that one’s betrothed was conducting a torrid affair with a married woman. But the act seemed entirely in keeping with the person Marcus had become since their engagement.
Perhaps it was this land that had changed him so. Emma had only been here a few weeks, but she already sensed that India had taken hold of her: loosening her tongue, widening her eyes. Even now, when her mind should have been racing with the implications of Mrs. Greeley’s words, the gentle swaying of the trees and the parrots twittering in the branches above distracted her from thought. The night air mantled her bare shoulders, thick and warm, so richly perfumed with night-blooming jasmine that she wondered if she would carry the scent back inside with her.
A cow lowed in the distance. She felt a brief stirring of pity, imagining he was confused at the excess of liberty granted him by the native culture. As to why the cows were encouraged to wander through the streets, Marcus had told her that the Hindus believed them to be some sort of deity, but he hadn’t been able to elaborate. Marcus was often impatient with details.
This party, for instance. He should have told her, given her some warning regarding the people she would meet. Within five minutes it had become clear that Delhi society was no friend to her, that news of the shipwreck and her “dishonorable” rescue had tainted local opinion. But instead he’d let her march inside like a lamb to the slaughter, encouraging her to mingle with the sharp-tongued harpies whilst he conferred with the Commissioner.
All this, and then to discover he was having an affair with the hostess!
Well, it was clear that whatever they did when alone together, Marcus had not reviewed Mrs. Eversham’s wine list for her. He was possessed of impeccable taste. With a scoff she tossed the remnants of her bordeaux into the shrubbery. “Pig swill!”
The quiet laugh startled her, and she gasped, squinting into the shadows. “Who’s there?”
A form emerged from the trees, offering her a toast from a silver flask. “Pig swill indeed,” he said, and lifted the pocket pistol to his lips for a long swallow.
She relaxed slightly at the Oxford drawl, which complemented a deliciously low, rough voice. “Pray do not relay my sentiments to our hostess, sir.” Or perhaps do, she added silently.
Another step brought him full out of darkness, and she caught her breath. It was the man from indoors—the one whom she had nearly collided with earlier. Once again, his height took her off guard. He was taller even than Marcus, and a full head over her own considerable length. His eyes were a luminescent green-gold, cat-like as they reflected the faint light spilling from the bungalow. They watched her as though he waited for something.
“Are we acquainted?” she blurted out—knowing very well they were not.
He gave her a faint smile. “No.”
When he said nothing more, she arched a brow, returning rude stare for rude stare. At least, she hoped it was rude, for she suspected she might be ogling him. The man was unnervingly handsome—like something from a fever dream, brilliant and fierce, skin touched by gold and hair so black it absorbed the light. Earlier, indoors, she had found herself looking at him, thinking his face begged to be sketched. It would take only a few economical strokes—sharp, angular slashes for the cheekbones, a bold straight line for his nose, a fierce square for his jaw. Perhaps his lips would take more time. They were full and mobile, and saved his countenance from sternness.
He was very tanned. Doubt flickered through her mind, quashed as she considered his starched cravat and elegantly cut tail coat. Of course he was English. The lazy grace with which he held himself made her aware of her own unmannerly slouch. She straightened, lifting her face towards the stars.
“A lovely night,” she said.
“Pleasant weather,” he agreed, eliciting a startled laugh from her.
“You must be joking!” she said, when he tilted his head in question. “It’s dreadfully hot.”
“Do you think so?” He shrugged. “Then I suggest you withdraw to Almora. The hill stations are quite popular this time of year.”
His reference to the tradition of retreating to the Himalayan foothills during the hot weather sounded almost contemptuous. “You don’t plan to go?”
“Business holds me here.”
“Business. You’re with the Company, then?” Most everyone she had met so far was in the employ of the East India Company, either as a civil servant or, like Marcus, as an officer in the army.
But he appeared mightily amused by the idea. “Dear God, no. I see my reputation does not precede me.”
“Oh, is it very bad?” The question was out of her mouth before she could reconsider, and she blushed as he laughed again.
“It’s even worse.”
When she realized he wasn’t going to elaborate, she ventured to continue. “You’ll have to tell me about it yourself; I’ve only just arrived in Delhi, you see.”
“Really?” He sounded surprised. “I didn’t know they raised chits like you in England.”
“Chits like me?” She frowned. He had settled back against a tree trunk and was smiling at her indulgently, as if—suddenly it came to her—she were some three-year-old who had just shown him a neat trick with her doll. “Are you being insulting?”
“I meant you seem to have some spirit.”
“You are being insulting,” she decided. “To me and England both.”
“Well then.” He sighed and rolled his shoulders; his coat fit closely enough to reveal the ripple of arm muscles beneath the fabric. She wondered what he had done to acquire them; it was not at all the fashion. “Now you’ve discovered the first part of my reputation. I am considered terribly ill-mannered.”
“But I knew that the moment I saw you! A gentleman would refrain from drinking spirits in the presence of a lady.”
His brows rose. “And a lady would not call her hostess’s wine—what was it? Pig swill, I believe?”
Her laughter was reluctant, but genuine. “All right, you’ve found me out. I’m a black sheep as well. Really, it’s a wonder my intended will have me.”
“Paragon of virtue, is he?”
“Not quite,” she said dryly. “But they’ll forgive him just about anything.” The conversation was utterly inappropriate, of course; but she had forgotten how good it felt to joke and be silly with someone, and to be spoken to without those ever-present undertones of pity and speculation. “In fact, someone inside just called him the ‘Darling of Delhi.’”
“He sounds dreadfully dull. Do I know him?”
“Oh, you must. This party is in honor of us, you know—of our engagement.” His sudden stillness made her frown, and she searched his face, concerned she might have embarrassed him. “If you don’t know who the party’s for, I promise not to tell.”
“Oh, I know.” His voice was very soft now. “That would make you Miss Martin.”
“Indeed! And now you must tell me your name, so I won’t be at a disadvantage.”
His cat’s eyes moved over her shoulder, and he smiled again, this time rather unpleasantly. “Here comes your betrothed,” he said, and took a deep swig from the flask.
“Emmaline! There you are!”
She turned back towards the doors, shielding her eyes from the light. “Marcus!” He was yanking his cravat in place, and she wondered acidly if he hadn’t been waylaid by their hostess somewhere between the Commissioner and the garden. “I was taking some air,” she said. “Flannel is horribly ill-suited to this climate.”
Marcus stepped into the yard. “I hardly think that’s appropriate for public discussion,” he said severely. “And I did warn you about the weather, but you insisted—” His voice died away as he stared at her companion. “What in blazes are you doing here?”
“Lindley,” the man said curtly. “A pleasure.”
Marcus made a rude noise. “I’m sure I can’t say the same. I had no idea Mrs. Eversham was so indiscriminate with her guest list.”
Emma glanced rapidly between them. The stranger’s expression was perfectly neutral; Marcus, on the other hand, was glaring and breathing like a bull. “Marcus, really! This gentleman—”
“Knows he is not welcome,” Marcus said. “Not anywhere I am, and certainly nowhere near my future wife. I would suggest you leave now, sir.”
The man shrugged. “Of course.” Slipping the flask inside his jacket, he sketched a shallow bow. “Accept my congratulations on your betrothal, Lindley. Miss Martin is utterly charming.”
“You soil her by speaking of her,” Marcus snapped. “Beware lest I call you out for it!”
Now she was truly alarmed. Something about this man—perhaps his slight smile at Marcus’s threat—made her think he would be more than a match for her intended. “Gentlemen, this is absurd!”
“Come with me.” His hand tightening cruelly into her forearm, Marcus all but dragged her back into the bungalow.
Inside, the sudden brightness of numerous lamps and candelabras made her wince. She pulled Marcus to a stop at the edge of the crowd, beneath one of the giant fans hanging from the ceiling. Its starched chintz streamers were wilting in the humidity. “I cannot credit your behavior,” she said. “How could you behave so loutishly!”
“How could I?” Marcus pulled her around to face him. “Do you know who that man is? Do you know?”
“Stop shaking me!” She yanked her arm from his grip. The strong, sour odors of wine and sweat were rising from his skin. Maybe he had overindulged tonight, but that was no excuse. “What has come over you?”
“That is my cousin,” he managed, his face purple. “That is the half-breed who would have the dukedom instead of me.”
“That—” She stopped, understanding. “That man is Julian Sinclair?”
“One and the same.”
She turned away from him, staring blindly toward the dancers. Marcus had written to her of his second cousin, Julian Sinclair. Sinclair’s father Jeremy had married a Eurasian, a woman of mixed English and native descent, when he had thought his brother the Marquess would have the dukedom. But within a short period, the cholera had killed Jeremy, and the Marquess had died in a hunting accident. That left Jeremy’s young son as heir to the dukedom—Julian, whose blood was one-quarter native.
Now Julian Sinclair was grown, and his grandfather, the current duke, had made sure through every legal means that his grandson would follow him in the succession. But Marcus could not accept the idea that a man of mixed blood might inherit the title, when Marcus, pure-blooded English and in line after Sinclair to inherit, might himself wear the strawberry leaves so well.
“He didn’t seem Indian,” she whispered to herself.
“Of course he didn’t!” Marcus exploded. “The Duke has done everything in his power to assure it—Eton, Cambridge, a seat in the Commons. But while a man can ape his betters, he can’t change his blood. The proudest title in Britain is to go to a mongrel!”
She looked back to him, stunned. “Marcus, you sound so… hateful.”
He stared at her, his mouth thinning into a grim line. “Is that so? To think, you’ve only been here for five days, and already you’re starting to pant after the natives. What would your parents say?”
She winced. A servant was passing with a tray of wine; she reached out and snared a glass. “That is cruel.”
“Cruel but true. Even in death, they knew the honor of being Martins.”
She took a deep swallow of the wretched bordeaux and shut her eyes. Again and again it returned to haunt her—this image of her parents’ faces, so small and pale as the ocean closed over them. The pain of their deaths did not fade; most nights, she still awoke weeping from nightmares of drowning with them. Only a miracle had guided her to the gig on which she had floated for almost a day; only God had given her the strength to cling to it as the hot sun beat down and she despaired of ever being found.
She set the glass on a sideboard and looked directly at him. The atmosphere was close and torpid, and sweat was trickling down her nape; strange, then, that she felt so cold. “You think it would have been more honorable to let myself drown?”
After a mute, stubborn moment, his face softened, and he reached for her hands. “No, my dear, of course not.”
But she wondered. After all, he could play with his precious honor all he liked, risking it with his conspicuous philandering, his exorbitant gambling debts. But to have that honor tarnished by a woman! Surely it must irk him, to risk being made a laughing-stock by upholding a betrothal with a woman of questionable reputation—a woman who had arrived in India sheltered not under the watchful gaze of her mother and father, but by a crew of rough-and-ready sailors. Those sailors had saved her life, but Anglo-Indian society was wondering if they hadn’t robbed her of something even more important: her virtue.
Naturally, the fact that her betrothed’s virtue was completely and publicly compromised was of no import at all.
She lifted her chin. “Oh, I was only speaking with him, Marcus. Do let’s forget it. There’s no need to look so grim.”
Marcus exhaled. His eyes began to search the crowd beyond her shoulder. “I’m wondering why he hasn’t been thrown out by now.”
“Perhaps because he’s the Marquess of Holdensmoor?”
He slanted her a sharp glance. “I’m not in the mood for your cheek, Emmaline. And for your information, the man’s a threat to the Crown. He’s been stirring up talk of a possible insurrection, trying to goad us into abandoning Delhi. Thinks our native troops might turn on us.”
“Gracious! Might they?”
He waved a dismissal. “It’s treason to even think it. No, of course they won’t. We give them the bread their families eat in the morning. Just because of some silly nonsense at Barrackpore—”
Yes, she remembered that. It had been all the talk in Bombay upon her arrival in the port city. A sepoy, a native soldier, had turned on his British officers. He had shot two of them before he was stopped by his superiors; what had been so alarming, if she recalled correctly, was that none of the other natives had attempted to disarm him.
“He does have a point,” she said. “It’s a bit alarming.”
“It was one isolated incident in over two hundred years on this continent. And the man was directly hanged. We’ll have no more trouble along those lines, I assure you.”
“But if Lord Holdensmoor is partly native, perhaps he has heard something—”
“Emmaline!” Marcus wheeled to face her. “Yes, the man is part native, and for all I know, he’s trying to scare us out of Delhi so the natives can take it back! In fact, I believe that is exactly what he is up to, and I have told the Commissioner so! Now cease your ignorant speculations and make yourself pleasant for your host.”
“My host? Do you mean the one you’re cuckolding?”
All color bleached from his face. Oh dear. Blonde hair didn’t look so well on skin that particular shade of green. “What did you just say?” he asked.
“So it’s true.” Nausea rolled through her stomach. “Well. I suppose you’re going to tell me you still love me anyhow.”
His eyes, such a guileless shade of blue, searched her face. “Of course I do.”
She managed a smile. “Yes. We have loved each other quite a long time, haven’t we? Since we were born, I believe.”
“Since forever,” he said, with an admirable show of sincerity. “And whatever rumors you hear to the contrary, there is no woman in the world for me but you. Some people are jealous, you see, and they would spread vicious gossip in order to harm me—”
“I know,” she interrupted, and then stopped, swallowing hard when her voice would have broken. How sad to realize that she could no longer believe a word he said. “Marcus, I think I’d like to leave now.”
He considered her for a moment, then gave a short nod. “Of course. But I will call on you at the Residency tomorrow. We’ll discuss this, and you’ll see, my dear. These lies—you must simply set them from your mind.”
“Naturally,” she murmured. “If you’ll find Lady Metcalfe for me?”
She leaned back against the wall, watching him push his way through the congratulatory crowd as he went in search of her chaperone. Even though his back was turned, she knew every gesture that he made, sensed every smile that crossed his face. Such was the familiarity of twenty long years—decades of their families plotting to bring them together, arranging their betrothal, choosing the names of their unborn children. The Martins and Lindleys had never known that the only two who would live to fulfill their dream would be the very two who had never been quite as enthusiastic as the rest: the bride and groom themselves.
She closed her eyes, turning her head to press her cheek against the cool bungalow wall. The windows rattled in a strong gust of hot wind, and the candles flickered with the inrush of jasmine and darkness. Strange, how the night called to her so sweetly, promising a lovelier, more innocent place. Yes, India seemed to draw out her very soul. Perhaps that was why she felt so bruised inside—as though her defenses had been laid bare, allowing a terrible melancholy to settle in her core.
Surely she wasn’t grieving over Marcus? She had abandoned her childish dreams of romantic love three years ago, the first time she’d learned of one of his many paramours. She’d been heartbroken then, but her mother had explained quickly enough: marriage was not about something as illusory and fleeting as love. It was about alliances, partnerships, the continuation of the family line. Marcus’s grand and crumbling estates would be consolidated with the vast Martin wealth, and the two of them would create a dynasty that would compensate for her mother’s failure to produce male issue.
So what, then, could account for this sudden foreboding? It slid like a shadow between her and the brightly lit room, leaving her with the odd conviction that she stood apart, watching a great panorama like those they sometimes displayed in the British Museum. This room seemed like Pompeii before the volcano eruption, or Rome before the fall: a civilization on the edge of disaster.
A shiver slid over her, and she glanced away, starting as she found herself locked in a vibrant emerald gaze: Lord Holdensmoor, coming in from the gardens. His face was expressionless as he stared at her. In defiance of both Marcus and her own gloomy reverie, she offered him a smile.
His own was rakish and swift, the effect of it on his aloof, aristocratic features dazzling to behold. And then he too was gone, his tall, broad form swallowed up by the crowd in a cloud of crushed silk and waving peacock feather fans.

DC: Is there a genre you haven’t tackled but would like to try?

MD: I’m an avid reader of YA, paranormal romance, historical fiction, SF/F, and urban fantasy. I have ideas for books in all of these genres. Time is what I lack!

DC: What advice would you give to your younger self?

MD: Relax. There’s always time for a walk in the sunshine.

DC: You have listed on your site you’re currently reading Nalini Singh’s Branded by Fire. I have to say I loved this book, it’s the best of the series for me. How did you like it? Give us some of your thoughts about it?

MD: I just updated that yesterday! I’m a huge of Nalini Singh. I’ve just started reading the book, so I can’t say much, save that it’s fantastic so far. Oh, also: it takes serious talent to write a sex scene in the first chapter, before we’ve gotten a chance to fully invest in the characters, and make it so incredibly riveting.

DC: If you were a book, what would your blurb be?

MD: Gosh, great question. Well, blurbs are meant to sell the product, so I’ll abandon modesty for this exercise. Perhaps something like, “Fast-paced intensity, interspersed with moments of wicked humor and whimsical reverie.”

DC: Your next book has just received its title, Wicked Becomes You, and is due out in May of next year. May we get a sneak peek?

MD: Sure! Here’s the working copy:

She’s been burned not once but twice by London’s so-called gentlemen . . .

Gwen Maudsley is pretty enough to be popular, and plenty wealthy, too. But what she’s best known and loved for is being so very, very nice. When a cad jilts her at the altar—again—the scandal has her outraged friends braying for blood. Only Gwen has a different plan. If nice no longer works for her, then it’s time to learn to be naughty. Happily, she knows the perfect tutor—

Alexander Ramsey, her late brother’s best friend and a notorious rogue.

So why won’t a confirmed scoundrel let her be as bad as she wants to be?
Unbeknownst to Gwen, Alex’s aloof demeanor veils his deepest unspoken desire. He has no wish to see her change, nor to tempt himself with her presence when his own secrets make any future between them impossible. But on a wild romp from Paris to the Riviera, their friendship gives way to something hotter, darker, and altogether more dangerous. With Alex’s past and Gwen’s newly unleashed wildness on a collision course, Gwen must convince Alex that his wickedest intentions are exactly what she needs.

DC: What would be your “voice’s” tagline?

MD: Hmm. Okay, I was blushing for days over something the Book Smugglers said about Bound by Your Touch – Ana called it “sophisticated, beautifully written and utterly romantic.” I’d like to imagine this applies to my voice!

DC: If you had never become an author, what do you think you would be doing right now?

MD: Well, I’m a PhD student in anthropology, so I hope to be an anthropologist as well as a novelist. Were it not for the fiction writing, I’d still be aiming at a professorship.

DC: What else is on the horizon for Meredith Duran?

MD: I’m off to India for a year to do anthropological research! The laptop, of course, comes with me.

Lightning Round:

- dark or milk chocolate?     – Dark.
- smooth or chunky peanut butter?     – Chunky.
- heels or flats?   – Both.
- coffee or tea?    – Coffee.
- summer or winter?   – Summer, for the sunlight – not for the heat!
- mountains or beach?   – Mountains.
- mustard or mayonnaise?    – Mix them together!
- flowers or candy?    – Candy.
- pockets or purse?    – Pockets.
- Pepsi or Coke?   – Coke.
- ebook or print?     – Until I get an e-reader, print all the way.

And because they’re still amusing:

1. What is your favorite word?    – kerfuffle
2. What is your least favorite word?     – Glint.
3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?    – Reading amazing fiction. Mountains that slope down to the ocean. London. Airports and hotel lobbies, spaces that encode the possibility of encountering the unexpected.
4. What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally?    – Anxiety. Traffic. The glare of the sun off concrete and high-rise windows. Really, really hot weather.
5. What sound or noise do you love?     – Fiddle music. The ocean at night. The sound a dog makes when he sighs through his nose. The scratch of a fountain pen across textured paper.
6. What sound or noise do you hate?     – The squealing of brakes and microphones. The high-pitched, almost-but-not-quite-undetectable hum of electronic equipment. Alarm clocks.
7. What is your favorite curse word?     – Erm. In my mother’s presence? “Crap.” Since she’ll probably google me and find this interview, I’ll leave it at that!
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?   – In another life, I’d love to work for the foreign service. Learning languages is such fun. The opportunity to live in so many places overseas, to settle down and really get to know those places, and also to find a support network wherever you land — all of that sounds fantastic.
9. What profession would you not like to do?    – I would make a very bad chemist. In high school, titration always slayed me.
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?    – “Good job. The library is that way, between the pizza parlor and the puppy playpen. Get to it!”

DC: Meredith, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us today!

Lawson’s review of Written on Your Skin by Meredith Duran
Historical romance released by Pocket Books 28 Jul 09

This is the second book, or more correctly, the companion to Duran’s Bound by Your Touch. While I enjoyed Duran’s debut, Duke of Shadows, I wasn’t as wowed by her second book. The interesting thing is this book occurs concurrently with Bound by Your Touch, but it certainly stands on it’s own. I enjoyed Phin from that story and am glad that his book came so quickly after the first one.

The story opens in Hong Kong and Phineas Granville, going by the name Phineas Monroe, is posing as an arms dealer from Chicago to stop Gerard Collins, a smuggler and all around bad guy, from shipping more arms to Ireland to the Fenians. Phin is happy his assignment is almost over as Collins is set to be arrested soon, but he’s been irratated by Collins’ stepdaughter, Mina Masters. In trying to get away from Mina, he instead ends up on the dance floor with her only to fall forward because he realizes he’s been poisoned.

Mina saves his life and he is able to escape, but their paths cross four years later in London when Collins escapes and kidnaps Mina’s mother. Mina aims to get Phin’s help to find her mother by cashing in the debt he owes her for saving his life. With some creative wrangling, Mina gets him on her side, but with manipulations by the government as well as the traitor that was involved in Hong Kong, both Mina and Phin have to trust each other quickly to get the ending they both want and deserve, and of course, so much more.

Mina definitely has not had the easiest life. She’s been pampered and well cared for, but Collins was verbally and emotionally abusive to her as well as physically abusive to her mother. Desperate to save her mother from Collins’ wrath, Mina has a set plan in mind and shows all the cunning and cleverness she’s capable of to get Phin to help her. Seeing her masks fall off and for her to be herself with Phin was very interesting, because her examination of herself and letting go so that she could trust Phin made her character fascinating.

Phin was very similar in his manner of distrust toward Mina. When he sees she’s telling the truth about things and is not a spy on him sent by his former superior. Phin is carrying various physical and emotional scars from his decade in the clandestine service, mostly because he didn’t like what he had to do while he served Queen and country. Because of their hurt and naturally distrusting natures, the verbal sparring between Mina and Phin set of sparks, not to mention what happened in the bedroom.

Since this book does happen concurrently with Bound By Your Touch, there are two scenes that overlap from that book, but are instead from Phin’s point of view, which definitely is a fresh perspective. Where Phin had been off to is explained well and the mystery in this book is dealt with in a more satisfying manner in the end that matches the characters and their journey throughout the book.

What’s keeping me from giving this book an A is something that I realized after I put the book down. While I loved Mina and Phin and what they grew to by the end of the book and what they saw they could become together, Mina never really cracked Phin. Though she does end up breaking down and growing up, with Phin’s help, and she does help Phin see the things he should be proud of instead of what he regrets, when the same thing happens to Phin, Mina usually ends up physically man-handled. Though she does take it very well and is able to turn the tables on him a bit, it made me a little uncomfortable that his need for physical dominance (though he never hurt her) was what brought things into focus.

Phin otherwise was a good character, seeing being himself was just as worthy as being responsible and dutiful. For fans of great dialogue and smart characters that work very well together, this is a must read.

Grade: B+

THE SOCIETY BEAUTY WHO SAVED HIS LIFE…

Beauty, charm, wealthy admirers: Mina Masters enjoys every luxury but freedom. To save herself from an unwanted marriage, she turns her wiles on a darkly handsome stranger. But Mina’s wouldbe hero is playing his own deceptive game. A British spy, Phin Granville has no interest in emotional entanglements…until the night Mina saves his life by gambling her own.

THE JADED SPY WHO VOWED TO FORGET HER…

Four years later, Phin inherits a title that frees him from the bloody game of espionage. But memories of the woman who saved him won’t let Phin go. When he learns that Mina needs his aid, honor forces him back into the world of his nightmares.

IN LIVES BUILT ON LIES,
LOVE IS THE DARKEST SECRET OF ALL…

Deception has ruled Mina’s life just as it has Phin’s. But as the beauty and the spy match wits in a dangerous dance, their practiced masks begin to slip, revealing a perilous attraction. And the greatest threat they face may not be traitors or murderous conspiracies, but their own dark desires….

Read an excerpt

Lawson’s review of Bound by Your Touch by Meredith Duran
Historical romance released by Pocket 30 Jun 09

Duran’s first book, Duke of Shadows, was a great debut and a powerful story. If you haven’t read it, you should, though it is a stand alone book and has no relation to this story. After reading this one, it’s clear that Duran puts a lot of research into her books and tries as hard as possible to get details that help make the story. While I didn’t know the exact year, there were enough details to help give a general time frame in the 1880s.

Lydia Boyce is the oldest of three sisters and hoping to get her youngest sister Antonia married this season so that she can go join her father on his digs in Egypt. Her middle sister, Sophie, is already married and helping give Antonia a season with her husband’s money. While trying to raise funds for her father by giving a lecture at the Archeological society, Lydia is rudely interrupted by James Durham, Viscount Sanburne. Lydia gives James a scathing setdown and embarrasses him publicly (and in front of his father) and disparages of ever getting funding to help her father’s digs.

James has a conspiracy theory on his mind after the incident at the Archeological Society and sets out to prove that Lydia, her father and possibly his own father set him up to be a laughingstock in the academic world, since he’s far too popular to be shunned by society. Instead he and Lydia find someone passing off fake artifacts in London and are forced to work together because someone has done worse things than sending forgeries from Egypt.

In all of this James begins to see the shy, vulnerable woman behind Lydia’s bookish exterior and Lydia sees a hurt, troubled man beneath James’ devil-may-care antics. Their search for the truth encompasses some foreign intrigue, foreign policy and the discovery about their own family’s actions and how that has shaped their own lives. Both James and Lydia are forced to accept their family situations and perhaps the fact that being themselves is the best freedom of all.

There’s a lot of heavy emotional baggage that both James and Lydia have to deal with. Lydia had been serious about a man who ended up marrying her sister. She’s felt betrayed for many years by her sister’s actions and when the truth comes out it’s refreshing to see both characters had their own motivations, though Sophie comes out as the more selfish one. The other thing is the abandonment the sisters feel due to the fact that their father is always in Egypt instead of London. Lydia feels it most of all because she has molded her life to fit her father’s antiquities trade and her studies to one day join him on a dig.

James has a horrible relationship with his father, always trying to get attention away from his father and punish his father for a past mistake that happened to his sister. He’s seen as mad and his sister has been put in the country for a horrific act of hers that James blames himself for. He thinks his father is keeping her locked away and this drives a wedge in the father-son relationship. James also feels as though he’s a prisoner of society since he’s always being watched and is expected to behave a certain way at all times.

The roles in society and how James and Lydia deal with them in their own way is rather interesting. Lydia is almost the stereotypical spinster in the fact that she’s always done things propriety dictates and is rather prudish about behavior and thinks this is what will get her younger sister to marry. James hates that because he has a title and wealth he has duties and chafes under the social strictures that ostracized his sister. While it seemed okay, when Lydia is able to let herself go, it sadly shows that she’s been pretending to be someone else for most of the book and hasn’t ever really been true to herself.

The other thing that was a bit off, is the fact that both fathers end up the opposite of how they started off as. To give details would spoil the story, but what Lydia and James believe about their respective fathers gets so turned around it doesn’t ring true for the rest of the characterization of James, Lydia or their families. It comes across as trying to give the hero and heroine too much to overcome to get to the happy ending at the end.

The historical feel of the book was excellent though. There were plenty of descriptions of events not only in London but around the world to give a Victorian feeling to the story. What I enjoyed most was the idea that being a bookish sort, Lydia would be the type to expound upon her own opinions about Home Rule (that would be Ireland), the poor, the Egypt situation and others if she happened to find herself at the same dinner party as Gladstone.

I’m interested to see where the story continues going as the next book, out in July, follows Phin Granville who has a part in this story and is a school friend of James’. Phin works in a secretive fashion for the government and his motivations for being who he is do seem rather interesting. Be sure to be on the lookout at the end of the month for Phin’s story.

Grade: C+

Summary:
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Silver-tongued Viscount Sanburne is London’s favorite scapegrace. Alas, Lydia Boyce has no interest in being charmed. When his latest escapade exposes a plot to ruin her family, she vows to handle it herself. Certainly she requires no help from a too-handsome dilettante whose main achievement is being scandalous.
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But Sanburne’s golden charisma masks a sharper mind and darker history than she realizes. He shocks Lydia by breaking past her prim facade to the woman beneath . . . and the hidden fire no man has ever recognized. But as she follows him into a world of intrigue, she will learn that the greatest danger lies within—in the shadowy, secret motives of his heart.
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Read an excerpt

No, that’s not a typo. I’m unique. And the rogue duckie – so instead of making my own “Best of 2008″ list… I’m going for the new year. These are the 10 books I’m most looking forward to in 2009. (You’ll notice some books don’t even have cover art yet.) 

N.B. I’d like to issue the caveat that… this is only based on books/lists that I could find. I’d also like to note that… just because I’m excited about it, doesn’t mean its a guarantee I’ll like it. (Color me picky.)

I also haven’t been reading romances that long, and it seems my tastes/author choices differ from a number of people. But that’s ok, because this is my list and I’m sticking to it.

In no particular order…

	1. What I Did For Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Contemporary romance, Wm.Morrow, 27 Jan 09).  Case in point – I’m not 100% sure how I feel about Ms. Phillips’s last few novels. But I bought them – in hardcover. The premise for What I Did For Love sounds interesting, but hasn’t gripped me. (Then again – I wouldn’t have thought I’d *love* Nobody’s Baby But Mine, based on the plot summary.) So we shall see. But still. It’s Susan Elizabeth Phillips – and she’s one of my favorite authors.
	2. Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas (Contemporary romance, St. Martin’s, 31 Mar 09). She’s one of my favorite authors – and… don’t kill me, but Seduce Me at Sunrise and Blue-Eyed Devil were good reads, but not AMAZING. I’m already more excited about Smooth Talking Stranger based on the blurbs. Ms. Kleypas is also one of the few authors that can make me enjoy first person point of view. (Cuz FPPV and I? We are not friends.) But the Travis’s! And… even though it’s a secret baby book, which makes me chuckle, I WANTS it.
	3. Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole (Contemporary paranormal romance, Pocket, nodate Jan 09). I discovered Ms. Cole relatively early in 2008, not too long before I started reviewing, and I think she has the one series I’ve reviewed in total (thus far). And, the hero, Rydstrom, has horns. Horns! I never thought I’d be into horns, but… Ms. Cole has won me over. I love her kick ass heroines who *actually* kick butt -and they’re super hot to boot. And the heroes. Yum. This is a great paranormal world. Fun, scary, violent, full of lore- but one that doesn’t take itself too seriously. My kind of books.
	4. Naked Edge by Pamela Clare (Contemporary romantic suspense, Berkley, 3 Nov 09). I heard about Ms. Clare, and first read Extreme Exposure, which is probably one of my favorite books. Extreme Exposure is extremely well written, great plot, and the hero is one of my favorite types. A good politician. More rare than… well something you’d think is outrageous but I’m sure is in a number of paranormals. Thus, Extreme Exposure (and the subsequent books by Ms. Clare I’ve read, have prompted me to put Naked Edge on my list). I have been waiting for this new I-Team book – and… I don’t know. The heroine Kat is Native American. I think that’s pretty nifty. (Major understatement.)
	5. Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh (Paranormal romance, Berkley, 7 Jul 09). I discovered Ms. Singh early on in ’08, and read all her Psy/Changeling books – in proper Psy/Changeling chronological order, even – serendipitously. Ms. Singh’s book world is intense, and amazing. It’s so well developed you believe it’s real. Scary. (But oh so cool!) Thus, this book edged out Angels’ Blood. (That and the blurb talks about lots of violence and I’m kinda squeamish about teh violences.) AND more importantly, when I read the excerpt for this book my reaction was pretty much “SQUEE SQUEE SQUEE!”
	6. True Love and Other Disasters by Rachel Gibson (Contemporary romance, Avon, 28 Apr 09). Yes, another one of my favorite authors. And a book back to/dealing with Hockey. I read See Jane Score  – and I was hooked. I was even willing to get into hockey. (SEP‘s Chicago Stars, along with college, were what got me into football. And if you click around in my posts, you’ll see I can be a football nut. Especially College.) Although… I will say I DO NOT like all the Flash stuff on Ms. Gibson’s web page. Yay for her designer and all – but it takes forever and I can’t get to the information I want. Does not like! The book, however… *happy sigh*
	7. Deeper by Megan Hart (Contemporary erotic romance, Spice, nodate Jul 09). I love the title. I love the cover. I really like Megan Hart’s writing. There’s something about it. Like crack. It also often depresses the hell out of me – which I hate – but I love her books. They’re so raw, yet well written. And this book blurb. *shivers* I’m going to smack myself if the ending isn’t relatively happy. (I know not to expect bubblegum yay.)
	8. What Happens in London by Julia Quinn (Historical romance, Avon, 30 Jun 09). Yet another author that goes on my “best of” lists – and… while others didn’t like it as much, I adored The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever, and I hope to like the sequel just as much. (Especially if, you know, it is its own book.) So joy for another book more like The Secret Diaries!
	9. Written On Your Skin by Meredith Duran (Historical romance, Pocket, 28 Jul 09). This one looks more interesting than Bound by Your Touch – although I’m a little skeptical about some of the settings. Though I expect if anyone can win me over to parts written in Hong Kong, it is Ms. Duran. I hope not to be disappointed. This book also makes the list because had I done an ’08 list, Ms. Duran would have made it with her debut novel Duke of Shadows.
	10. Hard and Fast by Erin McCarthy (Contemporary romance, Berkley Trade, 5 May 09). First, it’s Ms. McCarthy. Second, it’s Ms. McCarthy writing a contemporary novel. Third, the heroine’s name is Imogen. I really like a number of Imogen Heap’s songs – so I have a major positive association with her. And – Ms. McCarthy may even win me over to NASCAR. At least in fiction. I read the excerpt, and I am in love. I love it. I want this book. I don’t even want to see when this book comes out (May 09) – because I don’t want to wait.

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Honorable Mentions/if I squint just right are included/still within the number 10…

	10a. Tasting Fear by Shannon McKenna (Contemporary erotic romance, Brava, 28 Jul 09). Okay, so I have to admit, I know nothing about this book. I think it’s Kevin McCloud’s book – and how exciting will it be for a McCloud book to actually star a McCloud? (See? I can good naturedly mock my favorite authors/self.) I also know that Ms. McKenna is one of my favorite authors, and she is one of the few authors I will venture into adventure/suspense for. (And once I buy Ultimate Weapon, Ms. McKenna might have the sole and honorable distinction of being the only author whose entire back list is in my possession and my property…)
	10b. Relentless by Lauren Dane (Sci-fi romance, Berkley Trade, 5 ay 09). I don’t read scifi/fantasy or futuristic novels. I haven’t read scifi/fantasy since middle school. I’ve never particularly enjoyed futuristic novels. BUT! But! I read Undercover, and I loved it. I can see why Undercover took Ms. Dane to the bestseller’s list – and if you haven’t read it – you should. I enjoyed Undercover so much I had to pace myself, and used it as a way to treat myself. And Ms. Dane’s writing (in my humble opinion) only gets better.
	10c. This Duchess of Mine (Historical romance, Avon, 26 May 09) and…10d. A Duke of Her Own by Eloisa James (Historical romance, Avon, 30 Jun 09). I, being the lowly peon I am, do not know what these books are about (other than This Duchess of Mine is Jemma’s book). I have been waiting for Villier’s book, so hopefully he’s healed at some point in the near future. And you know, I love Ms. James’s books. I read Duchess in Love and fell in love. There’s been no turning back since.

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11. The book I don’t know about by the new author (whoknows, someone, date TBD). I know a lot of people will say that’s a cop out, so that’s why I listed 10 books, then have this one. I mean, I’m sure there are books I don’t know about – and/or what about that one newbie author that writes an amazing book?

The End. Seriously.

Out of all the books coming out in 09 (that I know about – and I found some lists of hundred of books.) These – *these* I want. I will do much to get my hands on these books. What did Scarlet O’Hara say? “Lie, cheat, kill or steal” right? Well… take out the third… and you’ve pretty much got me

Lawson’s review of The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran
Historical romance released by Pocket 25 March 2008

What a surprise this book was. Being the rather oblivious romance reader that I am, I did not know about the gather.com contest or the winner’s book coming out until Sybil put it into my box. Just because I review doesn’t mean I’m up on all the news. Don’t judge me! Anyway, the book is a journey with this debut author I was pleased to take. With various levels and unexpected depth of characters and plotting, it made for a quick read.

Not to say there weren’t issues in the story. It is a debut book, and so somethings could be allowed to slide. Like the hero and heroine don’t really seem to spend a lot of time together. Some of the broad characterizations border on stereotypical and almost condescending. There is a large gap of time where the hero and heroine do not see each other, in fact he thinks she’s dead. Maybe this is getting a little ahead.

Emmaline Martin arrives in Delhi the object of scorn and scandal. Her ship had sunk, her parents and everyone else dies and she’s rescued by some swarthy sailors that end up ruining her reputation. The only person who doesn’t treat her as an outcast in Delhi is Julian Sinclair, a quarter Indian (or, part native) English peer who is predicting doom and destruction to the East India Company about rebellion. Emma expects to be married to a bounder of a Company officer, but she breaks things off.

Julian, being of Indian descent, is seen as an outcast as well, even a traitor for his dire predictions of revolt. When his predictions come true in the summer of 1857, he escapes Delhi with Emma in tow. He gets her to safety, but goes back into the fighting for his Indian relatives. The dire straits happen causing Emma to flee, Julian is unable to find her, and they both end up in England four years later scarred and not knowing the other is there until a fateful meeting.

The strains of witnessing war first hand can have a toll on anyone, especially a sheltered debutante. Emma handles things well, but she suffers greatly in England. The difference in tone between part one in India and part two in London is striking, almost harsh. There is a lightness, a sense of unknown adventure, even some danger, but nothing too dark. Part two shows the toll of post traumatic stress, not just on Emma, but on Julian as well. There is a raw energy, a underlying dark passion in their meetings four years after India that comes across in the dialogue and definitely sets it apart from the first half. The love scenes are steamy, with good chemistry, but it’s unfortunately not explosive.

Perhaps though, what sets this story apart is the treatment of the history. All too often details are skimmed over or the suffering caused is ignored for the exotic and glamorous aspects of history. Shock and post traumatic stress disorder have been handled, but usually from the male “machismo is my cure” sort of point of view. Duran handles the history very well, as the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857 was brutal on both sides and what’s written on the page is real, but not gruesome, it captures the time and the unforeseen terror from the Sepoys and the British troops.

Is it completely historically accurate? Probably not, it’s not my area of expertise, but from what I do know of the time the setting, the history works well with the rest of the story. Just be careful, because I could see how some can see the history being piled on and and overwhelming some readers because it seems as though everything and the kitchen sink can happen. But then, history is rarely pretty and those rose colored glasses on the past never show the dirty underbelly.

Though it almost comes across as the history out pacing the story, both the hero and heroine are strong and well drawn characters, as well as the assorted supporting players of the story. Perhaps Lord Lockwood and his errant wife will be the next story? If so, Duran is a talent to watch due to her style, history, characters and excellent use of setting.

Grade: B+

In a debut romance as passionate and sweeping as the British Empire, Meredith Duran paints a powerful picture of an aristocrat torn between two worlds, an heiress who dares to risk everything…and the love born in fire and darkness that nearly destroys them.

From exotic sandstone palaces…

Sick of tragedy, done with rebellion, Emmaline Martin vows to settle quietly into British Indian society. But when the pillars of privilege topple, her fiancé’s betrayal leaves Emma no choice. She must turn for help to the one man whom she should not trust, but cannot resist: Julian Sinclair, the dangerous and dazzling heir to the Duke of Auburn.

To the marble halls of London…

In London, they toast Sinclair with champagne. In India, they call him a traitor. Cynical and impatient with both worlds, Julian has never imagined that the place he might belong is in the embrace of a woman with a reluctant laugh and haunted eyes. But in a time of terrible darkness, he and Emma will discover that love itself can be perilous — and that a single decision can alter one’s life forever.

Destiny follows wherever you run.

A lifetime of grief later, in a cold London spring, Emma and Julian must finally confront the truth: no matter how hard one tries to deny it, some pasts cannot be disowned…and some passions never die.